Lost in the Sound of Separation

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Album Description
Deluxe Edition CD+DVD+Double Vinyl Box set contains 56 page, embossed black cloth covered, perfect bound hard back book, full length CD/DVD featuring a 40+ minute making-of documentary, 2 sawblade die cut 10" vinyl records (one turquoise marble, one red marble), all packaged in a white cloth covered 4-fold box, hand numbered and signed by Underoath.

Album Description
The upcoming release was told to be a lot "heavier" and "darker" than the 2006 release, Define the Great Line. A handful of people from MTV were the first to get a listen to some of the upcoming songs. It was then reviewed afterward that: "Several of the songs were anthemic, feedback-filled numbers that build slowly to their thunderous, ear-splitting crescendos".

Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

A Logical Progression... September 2, 2008
16 out of 19 found this review helpful

A long time ago, far before the release of LITSOS, the band promised a heavier, more focused, and far more epic effort than Define the Great Line. Did they deliver? Oh, yes. But the album is not quite as tense or epic as I had hoped it to be.
Which isn't to say it isn't utterly amazing. UO's technical proficiency has taken a step forward in every department, from Spencer's vocals to Aaron's drumming. Spencer is top notch here, and truly proves his worth as the best metalcore vocalist around. Gone are the high-pitched shrieks that permeated They're Only Chasing Safety and snuck their way onto DTGL. Spencer is almost always in the lower register, which is where he sounds best, and this octave change is where LITSOS gets most of its intense sound from. In fact, this is Spencer's album. For some time now, people have talked of Aaron's singing time being cut nearly in half, which it is. This is clearly an effort to make themselves even less pop and more brutality, and it succeeds. However, it was often Aaron's vocals that made each Underoath song so poignant, and now, these tunes are even harder to comprehend with Spencer doing the majority of the vocal duties.
The most impressive change between 2006 UO and 2008 UO is the guitars from James and Tim, and how they add relevancy to the claim of the album being epic. While James still churns out crunchy, jagged rhythms, Tim has truly perfected the art of epicore guitar, with solos that weave in and out of the music and truly provide a psychological challenge to the listener. Anyone who pays close attention to the virtuosity of the guitar this time around will be greatly rewarded.
Now, Aaron may not sing quite as much as before, but when he does, he is spot on. For once, his whiny emo octaves are working in his favor, as they are no longer whiny or emo, but staples to hold together UO's newfound epic sound. In addition, he is still the best drummer in rock music, and by no means is his presence in the band diminished by this album. He is still the leader of the band.
For months now, we have heard about the electronic schemes added to the band's repertoire, and they were no lie. NIN-esque synth lines courtesy of Chris Dudley sprout up abruptly, and really pump some life into the album. With The End is Near, the beginning notes are pounding synth bass lines etched over Spencer's painful howls. BTW, this track is far superior to any other on the album, and it shows how UO's experimental ambition really soared this time. However many of the tracks on the album are highly experimental, and none are predictable.
Some, however, while good, are generic for Underoath. The album opens with a few simple snare hits and cymbals, and then before long Spencer's screams hit the listener like a sledgehammer. Unfortunately, although a powerful opening statement, Breathing in a New Mentality is fairly simple, and cannot be redeemed, even by the epic bass and guitar lines thrown in the middle. It feels as if the song is trying to achieve an apex that it cannot grasp. Anyone Can Dig a Hole but it Takes a Real Man to Call it Home is impressive, with abrupt starting and stopping accompanied by Spencer's amazing vocals, but for some reason it ends up in the hardcore recycle bin. These tracks, along with the punishing The Only Survivor was Miraculously Unharmed, are very good, but for UO they are easy and do not resonate well, especially compared with the other work on the album.
The Created Void and We are the Involuntary are superb tracks, if not rightfully confusing. These follow no clear pattern and must be heard carefully. Putting this album together really is like Algebra. It takes some time to see how it all fits, but my, is it rewarding once the listener grasps the concept.
Two slow tracks find their way to the end of the album, but that is hardly to say that they aren't essential. Too Bright to See, too Loud to Hear, is a rousing call to arms that has Underoath's signature chanting, and truly haunting lyrics that must be heard. In the final 30 seconds, Spencer comes roaring in, giving the song the perfect touch of abrasiveness.
As for the first single, Desperate Times, Desperate Measures, it is a good first pick, as it is the most accessible song on the album. Which it hardly is accessible. It is my opinion that Underoath will not win over any listeners with this album, and in fact the might even alienate some emo listeners who jump the gun. This is a hard album to process. I have listened many times, and only now am I even beginning to grasp its sheer power. LITSOS is tricky, no doubt. When compared to the last effort, its clear predecessor in every sense, it is difficult to digest. TOCS was unabashedly popcore, whilst DTGL had clear melody and hooks. No such luck here, which is a good thing. Lost in the Sound of Separation is hard to like, and hard to grasp ahold of. But it is completely worth it in the end. The album must be given time, because at one point the listener will finally understand. And it is that complex understanding that makes this record the best of the summer and the best in Underoath's catalogue.

5 out of 5 stars

Underoath's Most Expressive Albeit Least Mainstream Album September 8, 2008
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

LITSOS is, in my opinion, the album that has been hiding in the deepest chambers of Underoath's hearts since their formation as a band. Furious, tender, hideous, beautiful, Underoath explores the addictive, aggressive and sinful nature of man and how it relates to the beauty of our redemption. I'm not going to lie, sometimes (as is the case with "Emergency Broadcast") this album gets flat ugly. It pounds and yells and bashes right through every one of your comfort zones, but at the end of the album, as the final song drifts away, you see the true scope of this album. "I swear I found something good... I found God and the dreams of the believers."

And so, LITSOS, while not even half as poppy as "TOCS" or hard rock as "DGL" transcends each of them in it's own deeply soulful way. (Although, DGL may still be the best bet for the hard rock/metalcore fans.)

1 out of 5 stars

Underoath is no longer Underoath. September 16, 2008
8 out of 22 found this review helpful

Just to set some facts here before I start this review: I have been listening to Underoath since they've released Cries of the Past. I have listened to every single album, including TOCS, DTGL, The Changing of Times, and Act of Depression. I have also listened to this album three times, and have given it more than enough time to "set in" so that I can possibly appreciate the music. I like(d) Underoath as a band, although they have begun disappointing with their previous album, Define the Great Line, and now with Lost in the Sound of Separation.

Where do I begin? Underoath wanted to adopt a "heavier" sound since Define the Great Line.

Did they succeed? Far from it.

The only thing they managed to do is pay Adam over from Killswitch Engage to show the band how to change the tone of their guitars. That's it. If you think changing the tone of your guitar will automatically change you from a post-hardcore band into a metalcore band, you're mistaken. Underoath was originally a very sincere band. The lyrics in their songs gave glimpses into personal relationships, experiences, and included heartfelt emotion. This all changed after Define the Great Line was released. Spencer no longer wanted to scream like Dallas Taylor, and so he started singing in what the new Underoath audience considered "hardcore". So he growls and whines and keeps on screaming every two seconds in every song. The screaming turns generic, monotonous, and unnecessary. The lyrics he spews out are incomprehensible (unlike in They're Only Chasing Safety where you could actually understand the lyrics). Spencer's screaming in Define the Great Line and Lost in the Sound of Separation reminds me of someone buying a fake Prada bag from Chinatown in order to show off to her girlfriends that she is just as cool as them.

And then they added Aaron's vocals into almost every single song. Probably one of the worst ideas ever. The inclusion of Aarons' voice in Underoath songs were rare, and actually special. They made that certain song stand out, and added a special touch to it (take for example, "I've Got Ten Friends And A Crowbar That Says You Ain't Gonna Do Jack" from the Special Edition of They're Only Chasing Safety). Now that every song has Aaron's voice in it, we have a blend of Spencer's computerized screaming combined with Aaron's whiny singing. Don't get me wrong, I used to enjoy Aaron's whiny singing in the background of their older songs, but now it is just excessive and unnecessary. And this leads me to one of my main points: every song seems to have a set structure.

This structure is as follows:

1) Create heavy distortion on the tone of your guitar and try to imitate Killswitch Engages' sound (which they'll never get right, by the way).

2) Allow Spencer to scream all the way through the song, and allow absolutely no breathing room for the listener. And make sure that what Spencer is screaming can't be understood.

3) Give Aaron just as many vocal parts as Spencer, in fact, take Aaron off drums and have two vocalists.

4) Create "dramatic" pauses in the middle of your songs, to add a "unique" feel to every song (which soon becomes nullified because they do this on several songs in this album).

This structure seems to be replicated in every song on Define the Great Line as well as in Lost in the Sound of Separation. Like seriously, why is every song indistinguishable from one another? It also intrigues me that some songs in Lost in the Sound of Separation include riffs from Define the Great Line (just slightly altered). Take for example the song "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures", how this song begins and how "In Regards To Myself" (from Define the Great Line) begins, is nearly identical. It seems that Underoaths' lack of new guitar riffs has led them to recycle some songs from Define the Great Line. This leads me to another point. Why does this album sound exactly the same as Define the Great Line? Has any Underoath fan (who has heard all or most of their albums), noticed that Spencer was a much better vocalist in his screaming style during They're Only Chasing Safety than he was after that album?

Spencer tries too hard to sound "hardcore". His screaming seems very forced and mechanic. Unlike other vocalists (take for example Tim Lambesis from As I Lay Dying), Spencer does not scream in accordance to the music playing. His screaming is all over the place, and seems unorganized. If we look back at They're Only Chasing Safety, Spencer's screaming actually "flows" with the music, and gives a true sense of emotion.

Moving on to Aarons' drumming, I must say this: I am impressed. His drumming has certainly gotten better from a technical perspective. However, it saddens me to see his drumming talent go to waste in this album as well as Define the Great Line. As technically marvelous as Aaron's drumming may be, it too, seems forced. If Spencer's screaming could be authentic, I'm sure that Aaron's drumming and Spencer's screaming would fit well. Sadly however, that hasn't happened in Define the Great Line or Lost in the Sound of Separation.

Continuing onto guitars. I've already said it--changing the tone of your guitar will not make you sound hardcore. It must be a combination of all the instruments in unison, as well as the vocals, which creates a "hard" sound. However, setting that aside, the guitar work seems very monotonous--just as it was in Define the Great Line. The guitaring does not pull you "into" the music, rather, it seems like it's just there for show. Take for example, the song "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (which Underoath covered in the album Policia!: A Tribute to the Police), or "Reinventing Your Exit" (from They're Only Chasing Safety) the guitar work pulls you in and envelops you into the music, as the drumming and vocals also help to supplement that feeling. However, I didn't seem to be "reeled in" by the guitar work in this album. It seemed non-progressive and shallow, in my opinion.

After I finished listening to the album, I said to myself: "Okay, maybe it's because I just listened to it for the first time, maybe I need some time to let the music set in." And so I listened to several songs from the album a few times a day for a week. However, even after a week of trying to appreciate Underoaths' new album, I failed to find anything extraordinary within it. If I were to choose the few songs that I did find somewhat appealing, I would say these are: "Breathing In A New Mentality", "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures", and "Coming Down Is Calming Down". And even though these songs seemed to stand out among the other songs, they didn't satisfy my expectations for this album.

If you want to hear good metalcore/metal/hardcore/death metal, give these albums a listen:

Whoracle by In Flames.
The Jester Race by In Flames.
Shadows Are Security by As I Lay Dying.
Frail Words Collapse by As I Lay Dying.
The Shape of Punk to Come by Refused.
Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent by Refused.
Slaughter of the Soul by At the Gates.

Not comparing bands, just giving out suggestions for those who wish to listen to other bands with good music.

So with all this being said, Lost in the Sound of Separation is a disappointing album. With barely any memorable songs, riffs, or melodies, the album seems to have dissipated from my musical conscience within a few days. Underoath was a great band before Define the Great Line, and I thought that with Lost in the Sound of Separation they would return with some great hits, but I am left with an album composed of generic screaming and uninspired instrumental melodies.

4 out of 5 stars

As Promised...Underoath deliver a heavier album September 3, 2008
5 out of 9 found this review helpful

This album just might be one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. They said that this album would be a little heavier and upon listening to it all the way though I believe they accomplished what they said they would. However, I have the same complaint about this album that I have with Define The Great Line...and that is the album loses momentum in places and some of the songs kind of sound the same. Regardless of my complaint, I still feel that they pull it off somehow and they do it again on this album. They mix it up a little more than they did on the last album...which is good. Everyone I talked to about Define The Great Line agreed that a lot of the songs sounded similar and the buzz of the album wore off a little because of it.
I compare this album to Define The Great Line a lot because it's the only relatable work that is a starting point to describe this album. We're Only Chasing Safety is too poppy and sing-a-long to compare to this and The Changing of Times doesn't even feature half of the present lineup of the band thus their sound is completely different. If you have Define The Great Line you'll notice that the album starts off with a bang and keeps that fast vibe going throughout most of the cd. Lost In the Sound of Separation has a similar start but the tempo of the whole cd decreases rapidly in comparison to Define The Great Line. It's more melodic and slow. It's a heavier, thicker sound full of bass and eerie keyboard synthesizer. The guitar work features more feedback and is a little more experimental. Spencer's voice still has the same harsh scream about it (heavy as it's going to get for Underoath) and Aaron Gillispe spends more time focusing on drumming instead of throwing in vocals every five seconds. But now when he does throw his voice in there it's fully appropriate and timed right. So if you're more of a We're Only Chasing Safety person, you won't like this album. But if you like Define The Great Line and are okay with the pace of this album taking it from 5th gear down into 3rd or 2nd from time to time then you'll love this album.

4 out of 5 stars

4 1/2 Stars . . . Rattle My Brain September 4, 2008
5 out of 8 found this review helpful

I don't buy many CDs, but I pre-ordered this one the moment I heard of it. Underoath is one of the rare bands that mixes virtuosity with passion, creativity with precision, and turns them into things of raw beauty. I'm no musician, so I can't comment on the technicalities of the guitar work. I'm a listener. A rocker. And I've always connected with the atmosphere and emotion in the Underoath sound.

LITSOS is a good album. It starts with a garage-band recording sound that explodes into full production and roars. Adam D, from Killswitch Engage (another of my favorites), stays in the background here, allowing Underoath to do their thing. Despite some electronic vibes mixed in here or there, this is as heavy as anything Underoath has done. I like that, and the more I listen the more I love it. Although the brushes with emo-vocals are not necessarily missed, I do miss the melodies that were more predominate on Define the Great Line. That album was a story, a ride from one texture and mood to another. LITSOS is a bullet from a gun that explodes forward and only really relents in the last two songs, both great tunes to end the CD.

As I keep listening, I hear things to appreciate, but Underoath continues to leave me teased and wanting more. I believe there epic album is still ahead, but this is yet another leg on that trek. With lyrics that rip open the heart and mind and allow peeks inside, with guitars and drum work that rattle my brain in all the right ways, I'll keep traveling alongside wherever this journey leads.

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