The Hammer of Thor

Underoath - Ø (Disambiguation)

Album: Ø (Disambiguation)
Band: Underoath
Label: Tooth & Nail/Solid State Records

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disambiguation - clarification that follows from the removal of doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention

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I’ve been a fan of Underoath since their album They’re Only Chasing Safety and my affection for the band’s music increased with their next release, Define the Great Line which saw a turn to a heavier, darker sound than TOCS.  Define the Great Line remains as one of my favorite albums all time, and I have followed Underoath closely ever since.  Underoath sent shock waves through the post-hardcore music scene when they announced they were parting ways with their last remaining founding member, drummer/singer Aaron Gillespie.  Many fans were unsure how Underoath would cope without one half of their vocal team and very capable drummer.  To fill the void left by Gillespie, UO brought in drummer Daniel Davison, formerly of Norma Jean, and screamer Spencer Chamberlain was given full vocal duties.  Prior to this record, I hadn’t heard Chamberlain sing much.  Just a few parts on their last album, Lost in the Sound of Separation, which proved that he indeed could sing.  If he could carry the torch as lead singer was yet to be seen.  His ability to bellow out a wide range of screaming vocals was never in question.  Naturally, I was interested to hear the new sound, to hear Davison’s chops since he left Norma Jean, and to hear how Chamberlain would handle full vocal responsibility.

The album kicks off with “In Division,” and right away, Chamberlain’s guttural screams are prevalent as ever.  Within a minute, he gives us a taste of his singing, which isn’t as crystal clear as Gillespie’s, but certainly edgier and less “emo.”  With the chorus, more evidence of his singing prowess as he belts “living inside a hole, they put me underground where they could never find me unless they dig me out.”  I must say that I am quite impressed with his range and command.  Ominous beefy guitar tones from arguably my favorite guitarist, Timothy McTague, dominate the musical landscape, and drop B has given them a dark and thick sound.

The next song “Catch Myself Catching Myself” is a 6/8 number with a good rhythm, and that familiar UO feel to the verse.  Chamberlain again breaks into singing on the chorus as he cries “I want to watch them burn it down so I can breathe again.”   The song addresses inner turmoil and fighting with your own mind while you fend off those attacking you.  The outro is crushing as Chamberlain screams “oh inside of my head, where they thought they would win, but I got them right where I want them.”

“Paper Lung” begins with a distant conversation and instantly reminds me of Norma Jean’s album Meridional.  When asked his biggest musical influence, Davison answers the Deftones, and that influence is certainly evident here.  The entire song has a real Deftones vibe, with heavy guitars, but a drawn out, mournful melody lamenting “it’s too late to pry away…”  The lyrics of the song seem to talk about someone who is becoming fixated on something unhealthy and the singer is mourning that he didn’t act sooner to try to pull the person away from what’s destroying them.  The song is the hidden gem on this album.  It sounds so different than most of UO’s prior work, and the Deftones influence is executed tastefully.  The lush texture and sadness of the track is what really pulls me into it.  There are many vocal layers and the guitars blend wonderfully.  One thing noticeable is that until the last minute or so there is no screaming in the song, and Chamberlain lays to rest all doubts I had of him being able to carry the vocal load.  The song ends in a surrender, with Chamberlain screaming “It’s too late to pry you away from the undertow, I watch it take you then I walk away…”  This track shines out among the rest, which is really saying something considering the quality of the album.

The following track is “Illuminator,” which, if I’m honest, is a very familiar, typical Underoath song.  It has a lot of the same intensity and beat as some tracks from Lost in the Sound of Separation, with the real notable difference being Chamberlain’s vocals instead of Gillespie’s.  It’s not a bad track and the chorus is certainly catchy and has a spooky vibe.

“Driftwood” is a very different track for Underoath.  It is to Ø what “The Blue Note” was to TOCS.  It has a very electronic feel, starting with a helicopter-like chopping noise.  Reverb-laden drums enter as Chamberlain sings “what a sad, sad picture to paint, of a dirty, dirty little soul… we are so blind here… won’t you watch us all fall apart…”  I would be interested to hear if the guys in Underoath listen to The Receiving End of Sirens, because this track reminds me A LOT of their masterpiece The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi, one of the best albums ever written.  ”Driftwood” reminds me a lot of bonus track “Weight/Wait” from TESMFM, with very similar bass and vocal styles and overall rhythm.  As a fan of TREOS, I like this song a lot.

The next song, “A Divine Eradication” is probably the heaviest song on the album.  It starts with thunder and doesn’t relent until it has your attention, and then unexpectedly breaks into a clean vocal line over rapidly rolling toms.  Underoath’s knack for off-beat guitar lines is everywhere, and Davison’s history give this song a very Norma Jean feel.

The next track, “Who Will Guard the Guardians,” starts with a bang.  There is a dominant guitar note that rings repeatedly like a bell tower that gives the track a looming feel.  The middle of the song has a vamping section where watery backup vocals continuously build as Chamberlain distantly yells a rally cry to the abandoned.  Given that this album was produced by Matt Goldman, who just recently worked with Oceana on their Clean Head EP, I had to smile a bit at the section repeatedly following the rally cry, as it evokes comparison to the off-meter vocal style of Clean Head, and Chamberlain even says “I swear it’s worth saving us, we pray for the sun to dry us up, I need a clearer head to see what we’re worth, there’s still life left down here to revolt, oh I know what it looks like from there, a loss of control to this place and we’re set to extinct.”  I don’t know if this is a nod to Oceana or not, but as a fan of Oceana, I appreciated it.  This calm section promptly ends with Chamberlain’s roar “REVOLT! REVOLT! WE STOOD BY DEFEAT FOR SO LONG!” bringing the song to an intense conclusion.

“Reversal” is another song like “Driftwood,” with predominantly electronic themes and sinister synth echoes joined by overdriven drum and bass.  The song slips into a chaotic cacophony as a cry of “Deviate my life!” from Chamberlain emerges.

The chaos subsides as rapid tom and bass drum kicks off “Vacant Mouth,” a high octane track that again recalls Lost in the Sound of Separation, particularly the intensity of the track “The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed.”  Chamberlain belts “This is what it feels like, this is disintegration, this is what it feels like, this is isolation!”  For Underoath fans, this song should be mostly familiar territory.

“My Deteriorating Incline” will probably push “A Divine Eradication” for heaviest song on the album, and it certainly feels very Norma Jean, especially during it’s clashing 6/8 breakdown.  It hearkens back to speed punk-metal, and contrasts nicely with its neighboring tracks.

The closing track is fittingly entitled “In Completion” and starts with a pad build that sounds almost like a soundtrack.  Excellently mixed drums lead in with a fill and instantly I can feel the Deftones vibe returning, especially when Chamberlain begins singing.  As the chorus kicks off, I was literally stunned with how high Chamberlain goes on his line “tonight I fail, but I never wanted to let you drown without me… tonight we are the only ones to watch it fall apart…”  All of the sudden I feel the song “Falling From the Sky: Day Seven” by Norma Jean had to influence the section where Chamberlain sings “We fall deeper into the ground, this night’s never looked so hollow.  I wanted to share this with you.  I’ll wait ’til it opens up again, sit here ’til the water reaches our necks, finally get to watch them wash away my name.”  The song then breaks into silence, except for a synth drone, and a vicious breakdown explodes where Chamberlain roars “Open your lungs, follow me down! Open your lungs, follow me down!  I set this off, keep swimming, keep swimming, Oh God I am emptier than you!”  The song then comes down in intensity as the drum beat keeps dissolving into less and less and the song slowly dies out as a fitting end to the album.

Overall, Ø (Disambiguation) lived up to it’s name.  Wherever there was doubt or uncertainty, the band has put it to rest with this masterful piece of work.  Underoath is alive and well, and the fact that they have no remaining original members is not going to hinder their progress to the elite in the post-hardcore scene.  Ø has leapfrogged Chiodos’s album Illuminaudio as front-runner of my list for the top album of 2010.  Yes, it is that good, and you would be doing yourself a disservice by not listening to it.  I know there’s a lot of people who don’t like Underoath because they’re too popular for them to like, or are getting too mainstream because they’re so well known.  Well, to those people who won’t listen to this album, it’s truly your loss.  Discriminating against a band on those grounds is foolish, unless we’re talking about pop music, which is all garbage.  Ø (Disambiguation) is the opposite of garbage.  It is a huge step forward for a band that could have taken a huge step backward.  It is the result of what happens when you stare uncertainty in the face and give it hell.  It has been refined in the fires of adversity, and has emerged a masterfully forged work of art.  Truly, a masterpiece.

Verdict
6 out of 5 stars

I haven’t given a 6 out of 5 since Emery’s …In Shallow Seas We Sail, and I don’t know if I ever will again, but this album is really that good.  Do yourself and those around you who ever hear you listening to music a favor and purchase this when it is released on November 9th.