Review: Underoath- Lost in the Sound of Separation

Over the last few years Underoath has enjoyed significantly more success than the countless other bands in the hardcore genre, so hopes are high for their newest effort. But before I reveal just how this new record stacks up against their former works, let us review Underoath’s history.
In 2002 Underoath (a much talked about underground hardcore band) released their first nation-wide album with The Changing of Times. With the record came great popularity within the hardcore community. But soon after the release, lead vocalist Dallas Taylor left the band. Fortunately this was not the end of Underoath. They managed to find a new vocalist named Spencer Chamberlain. But with a new vocalist came a new sound much too their hardcore fans disappointment. One listen of They’re Only Chasing Safety will tell you that they went screamo (“Reinventing Your Exit” anyone?). Though their new sound turned off many longtime fans, it proved to be much more accessible thus creating new fans.
So when Underoath announced that they would be releasing Define the Great Line in 2006 there was one question on everyone’s lips: Could Underoath blend the heaviness of The Changing… with the accessibility of They’re Only Chasing…? The answer was yes. Define the Great Line was a monumental record because you could get your hardcore pummeling with songs like “Everyone Looks So Good From Here”, while your screamo tendencies were fed with “Writing on the Walls”.
But with Define the Great Line being so important people were even more curious to see where Lost in the Sound of Separation would take their sound and how the two would compare.
Before you get too worried, I will tell you that this is a good record. It is very good and worth you money, so if that is all you wanted to hear then please, stop reading and go buy it. Instead I will compare Lost in the Sound… to Define the Great Line.
If I could give Lost in the Sound… a subtitle, it would be Define the Great Line: Part II. This record feels very much like a sequel to Define the Great Line in fact incredibly so. For instance many songs could have the same style of subtitle: “A Fault Line, A Fault of Mine” could be “A Moment Suspended in Time: Part II” and “The Created Void” could be “Writing on the Walls: Part II”. These are not necessarily bad things, but overall the sound is basically of Define the Great Line (but that is the curse of the hardcore genre).
Were this album truly excels at is the lyrics. Define the Great Line was a lyrical journey into the depths of human brokenness (eventually finding hope through Christ), and Lost in the Sound… feels like a continuation of that as well. The lyrics feel like they are coming from a Christian that isn’t quite living up to his/her duty in Christ or maybe even dealing with their own hypocrisy.
Overall I would say that Lost in the Sound of Separation is slightly better than Define the Great Line because the lyrics are much better. The variety of sound is still there with songs like “Breathing in a New Mentality” (which opens the record with a false start) you should get your hardcore fix, and songs like “Too Bright to See Too Loud to Hear” (which sounds quite a lot like the softer side of As Cities Burn) will give you a good dose of melody, much like Some Will Seek Forgiveness…
If you liked Define the Great Line then go get Lost in the Sound of Separation… NOW!!!

6.2 out of 7

Highlights:
• Breathing in a New Mentality
• A Fault Line, A Fault of Mine
• Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
• Too Bright to See Too Loud to Hear