Lost in the Sound of Separation, the latest release from the self-described Christian metal band Underoath, is a masterpiece of commotion and emotion that unites the raw and the melodious in a way that only Underoath can.
A healthy dose of guttural screams and outbursts from Spencer Chamberlain, lead singer, is intermingled and contrasted with the soft and harmonious voice of Aaron Gillespie, drummer and vocalist, to create a haunting sound that draws in the listener.
The sound is further supplemented by the dark musings of the lyrics. The album narrates a story about the collapse and decline of a man who has lost his meaning in the world and is struggling to find his path again.B
The theme is perhaps loosely derived from last year’s rumors about Chamberlain’s drug abuse and the near collapse of the band after its abbreviated tour.
A wide and complex variety of music combines on this album to create a unique sound that is easily recognizable from Underoath’s previous albums. Numerous guitar riffs and some impressive drum solos from Gillespie satisfy even the longest haired of metal heads.B However, one of Underoath’s best assets is that it does not sound like most modern metal bands and offers an equal appreciation of both the spine-tingling and heart-wrenching.
The songs that open the album, “Breathing in a New Mentality” and “Anyone can Dig a Hole but It Takes a Real Man to Call It Home” attempt to capture the edginess and deftness for climactic eruption that the band achieved in its prior album, Define the Great Line.B
However, as the album progresses, the songs become noticeably softer in tone and culminate in the tenth song, “Too Bright to See to Loud to Hear” which sounds like a prayer as Gillespie’s voice is heard rolling gently along with a lone electric guitar.
Lost in the Sound of Separation is Underoath’s second great album in two years and suddenly energizes a lackluster modern rock scene.B
A little bit of harmony and a little bit of raw emotion interact to give this album a wide appeal from the modern metal-head to those who enjoy the softer and more tuneful aspects of rock. The intermingling of melodious harmony and raw sound is part of Underoath’s unique appeal that makes it accessible to all audiences.B This album is for all of you.B B B
Lost in the Sound of Separation debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard charts and sold over 56,000 copies in its first week.
