Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety (2004)^{Release ID: 33363}

There are some people who say that Underoath is better off with Dallas Taylor in the band, about 3 years before this album. However, with their 4th album They're Only Chasing Safety, they've cooled down into a whole different style, gaining popularity in the airwaves, thanks and no thanks to their new unclean vocalist Spencer Chamberlain.

I have a lot of room to breathe, but probably not for soft sh*t like this. They've wimped out into screamo in 2004. No f***ing metal at all! At least in their previous album The Changing of Times, they continued their earlier metal influences, but here, it's ALMOST NOTHING, THOSE B****RDS!!! Anyway, let me just tone down my directed anger and come to a conclusive summary of what they are: pop-punk-screamo. That's it.

I'll just talk about a few songs, starting with "Young And Aspiring", which is actually pretty good and heavy, introducing Spencer Chamberlain's screams. There brief electronic elements, and finally a breakdown to transition to the next song. "A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White" have made attempts for both singers' vocals to soar, but they don't reach that kind of desire and end up out of range. Let's fast forward a few tracks to the more interesting "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door" keeping up the electronic elements and slight heaviness, even at just mid-paced punky clouds with no metal fire.

"Down, Set, Go" tries to keep up the earlier vocal soaring technique, but it's just cringe-inducing with the vocals sounding auto-tuned. The guitars also seem to have artificial tunings, more than just drop D. Thank greatness synths are used sparsely and not as overly done as more popular bands back then. Let's skip ahead to the final track "Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape", which starts slightly out of place with the somber opening after the energy of earlier tracks, but the rest is nice.

With all that said, I wasn't too bored with this album. It's just that a few tracks stick with me while most others don't. As a metalhead, I'm unfamiliar with listening to full albums of pop-punk-screamo that barely have interesting songwriting. Anyway, they would get heavier in most subsequent albums, you'll see....

Favorites (only songs I like from this album): "Young And Aspiring", "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door", "Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape"