Underoath
The Changing of Times
Solid State
Underoath sound a lot like Canada’s Grade: screamy, metal guitars, occasional melodic singing, huge drums, angular parts, and an overall feeling of aggression. The Changing of Times is a very solid slab of powerful metalcore.
What sets Underoath apart from their Solid State labelmates would be the random harmonious voice. Not too many metal bands can get away with totally wussy singing. What’s funny, though, is that songs like “A Message for Adrienne” have this overall Jawbox feel, then the singer is screaming like he’s being murdered… later on in the song, he’s growling and barking; soon thereafter, the band is playing a 1980s power rock guitar riff… I’m pretty sure there were some blast beats in this song as well. This pretty much typifies this entire album: it’s all over the map.
The record, too, is tastefully recorded, which totally benefits a musically complex band like Underoath. The pristine sound quality lets every palm muted note ring true, the chunky bass isn’t hidden by the guitars, the vocalists screams and growls are mixed perfectly, at about the same level as the drums. If you like angular, brutal math/ metal/emocore, you really should get you hands on this one. It’s a testament to the quality of bands currently on the Solid State label.
Solid State Records: http://www.solidstaterecords.com
