Review: Underoath - Voyeurist

Label: Fearless Records

UNDEROATH is the prime example of a stretched out project, a band running out of fuel. I gotta admit, I really liked their "story" until their disbanding in 2013. They started off as a Metalcore-act, that was not suited for the masses. Their first albums "Act of Depression" & "Cries of the Past" were released by Takehold Records and delivered a harsh and rough style, with traits to Death-Metal and a strange usage of synths. There were lots of cool moments fo be found, especially on the second album, but they were buried in between three hundred other parts in one track, cause they were just fuckin' lengthy. It's kinda silly to think about it, but the shortest of theses 12 tracks (both albums combined) was 5:49 minutes long! Yeah, you get it, this was some promising but extremely over-motivated shit.

They found their footing with the third album "The Changing of Times", released by then popular Christian-Core-label Solid State Records. After the success of POISON THE WELL's "The Opposite of December" and FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES' "Too bad, you're beautiful", UNDEROATH's record was right in its place. 16-year-old me thought that the album was solid, but still I always prefered the aformentioned blueprints. Their fourth album "They're only chasing Safety" was too much for me. It felt calculated, like they wanted their piece of the cake. Never giving it another chance until 2022, I completely undervalued it in 2004. Getting deep into Screamo and more spazzed out Hardcore back then, I hated the album and the band was pretty much dead for me...

But then came the great resurrection, called "Define the Great Line". I was quite shocked by that album, as it was a brave move. It was way heavier and less compromising than its predecessor and it suceeded in every way. It's also something like their defining album, cause 'til this very day they cite it themselves, record after record after record. "Lost in the Sound of Separation" was not as well received by most, but at the time I personally liked it even more, cause once again they went "the other route". They didn't incorporate more hooks or more catchy chorusses, nah, they went more proggy on this one. Two years before announcing their break-up, they delivered "Disambiguation", another convincing record. It was something like the combination of both of the albums before and therefor their perfect swan song.

In one of the more unnecessary reunions of the last few years, they made their comeback in 2018 with their 8th full lengh "Erase me". The title was tongue in cheek, as many did just that to this record, erase it. It was a pointless and downright awful addition to their discography, catering to Mainstream-rock-stations and 14-year-olds who just discovered LINKIN PARK. For every listener that was won over in their heydays from 2006 to 2010, "Erase me" was a big slap in the face.

So, where do they go with the follow-up "Voyeurist"? Anticipation was at an all-time low. But then again, you never know what to expect from UNDEROATH. Remember, "Define the Great Line"? To take this directly out of the way: "Voyeurist" is no equivalent to that album. It's no shocker. It's no huge leap forward... or should we say backwards?! At best, "The Voyeurist" is some sort of damage limitation. Personally I hear more connection to their 2000s-stuff than on "Erase me". The new album is a tad bit more ballsy, and the songwriting is more interesting than on the predecessor. But honestly, this is no miracle, after the worst record in their career.

A big part of me not liking this new incarnation of UNDEROATH definitley is me outgrowing their stuff. I won't deny that! That's why I had to go back, listening to their last three albums before they originally disbanded. And even if it's not exactly my cup of coffee nowadays, I must confess that these records are still powerful as fuck and grant some classic moments. "Voyeurist" on the other hand, feels more like UNDEROATH are their own cover-band right now. They sound dated and add nothing new to their legacy.

I can't say that "Voyeurist" is without its solid moments. I probably would've liked this more 15 to 20 years ago, but it's fucking 2022 and I see no reason why anyone should spend a lot of time with this record, when you have the classics from the 2000s on hand. It's not like this album is a cool or inventive revival of that style. It's an uninspired, by the books, and at best average attempt at a sound that expired a long time ago. Still, I'm hopeful that these guys will once again define their great line at some point in the future...

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