Artist: Underoath
Title: “Lost In The Sound Of Separation”
Label: Tooth & Nail Records
Release Date: 9/2/2008
Genre: Metalcore
Rating: 3.5/5

With the album begins it presents you with a low end and almost muted start that would make you that the guys in Underoath had run out of cash when suddenly the fire and fury of an over the top production rattles your speakers. It’s quite a misleading tease on this super-powered Metalcore release that has more changes and breakdowns than many of the other bands of this type. “Lost In The Sound Of Separation” is an interesting release from an equally interesting band because you see the six member band while delivering some truly powerful Metal mayhem as also a Christian band. That being said we find them delivering their message in the music that they are playing with each and every track. You might miss that just a little bit unless you are reading the lyrics and while there is a positive theme to their composition they seem to be about a person coming to grips with failures and frailties in his life and how is choosing to move on and address them by pronouncing his deeply rooted faith. Heavy stuff in the mental sense and also very heavy stuff in the musical sense as the guys truly perform like gangbusters on tracks like “Breathing In A New Mentality” and “A Fault Line, A Fault Of Mine” to name a few. One does not have to be on board with the message the band is delivering to enjoy what is going on musically here because there is just so many changes and breakdowns and grooves to sink your teeth into that will keep you busy enough. The band is fronted by Spencer Chamberlain (vocals), and comprised of Tim McTague (guitar), Grant Brandell (bass), Aaron Gillespie (drums), Christopher Dudley (keyboards) and James Smith (guitar). Some of the cool musical interludes we get on this one are felt on “Emergency Broadcast: The End Is Near” which slows down to a slow head banging crunch that might find you seeking better footing for the circle pit that I am sure these guys inspire. I really enjoyed the fact that there was a lot more music going on than in the last crop of Metalcore themed bands that I had been hearing and perhaps this is why Underoath is considered one of the tops at the game of it all. Chamberlain doesn’t always keep to the growling thing either and soars to the heights with a great melodic clear tone during tracks like “Coming Down Is Calming Down”, and this one is perhaps my first favorite on the release. I understand that drummer Aaron also acts as the bands singer but I had to say that I was not sure where exactly he was doing this on the album. If they are doing a back and forth sharing thing, well it was definitely working.
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