Voyeurist

Underoath

It's been a little while since I checked in with Underoath, not since their reunion at the very least. I liked some of the band's mathcore and post-hardcore leaning material that landed on their albums They're Only Chasing Safety and Define the Great Line; albums that many lovers of those genres would probably consider classics at this point. Some lineup changes and a hiatus seem to have changed the band's sound a little bit though, at least from what I'm hearing. Voyeurist, the band's ninth studio album to date, definitely has a more mainstream metalcore sound, but thanks to key performances from prominent members, the album certainly isn't a far cry from the Underoath we all know and love. Spencer Chamberlain sounds as dynamic as ever. Aaron Gillespie's voice is sounding more gruff and weathered, doing a wonderful job matching Chamberlain's energy while providing a subtly different vocal timbre. As well, Gillespie's drum performances are as commanding as you would expect at this point. I also have to give it up to possibly the most overlooked member of Underoath, Chris Dudley, who's selection of synths and textures greatly help bolster the depressive and doomy atmosphere the band is trying to create.

Where this album falters greatly with me though, is on the songwriting front. Voyeurist lacks compelling songs with novel ideas and there isn't even a single guitar riff that stuck out to me. There are pockets of brilliance sprinkled throughout the record, however, after running through this thing - especially with the seven minute slow burner of a finish that has no satisfactory payoff (Pneumonia) - I can't feel anything other than unaffected. In addition, I felt like the guitar mixing on this record was pretty awful. It's crunchy and bass heavy, but it doesn't sound as powerful as I think it should. This is especially the case during some of the band's biggest choruses. Once all the sequenced instrumentation and all the vocal layers are piled on, the guitars become completely buried and indiscernible.

Another weakness this record unfortunately has are the vocalists that appear in Spencer and Aaron's absence, which is really just two. Ghostmane delivers a guest verse on Cycle and while I think he has a great harsh vocal tone, I found his frenzied and desperate performance to be a little awkward. It's a shame since this track was one of the better moments on the record. The other vocalist I'm assuming is guitarist Tim McTague who lends his vocals at a few different points throughout the record. Now, considering that Aaron's voice is much more gruff these days, I'm not opposed to another, more clean, vocalist chiming in. Unfortunately, I can't see McTague filling that role. (No Oasis) should be all the proof you need as his performances are kind of drab and a little pitchy. It is truly inopportune considering this track has my favourite drum parts on the record where Gillespie performs this deconstructed beat in an almost prepared sort of fashion. Circling back to drab vocals, I will also quickly mention the choir chants on Hallelujah which sound terribly robotic and emotionless. Maybe that was intentional, but I still don't really care for it.

That's a lot of negative talk but as I said already, there were some pockets of brilliance. I'm Pretty Sure I'm Out Of Luck and Have No Friends I thought was a decent track. It first starts with ominous sequenced instrumentation and calls to emergency dispatchers, and later moves on with a pretty great drum and bass groove. Eerie synth textures and Chamberlain's radio-banded falsetto continue to heighten the spooky vibe. There's also a guitar lead that plays a simple three-note line and it is maybe the only guitar sound on the record that truly feels perfect and exactly where it belongs. Then there's Take a Breath which is supremely heavy and catchy in equal measure. It features the best chorus by far on the record as both Chamberlain and Gillespie trade magnificently performed lines back and forth. Both these tracks also feature monstrous endings that really put an exclamation point on the whole track. In the case of the latter, Chamberlain foregoes any niceties and ruthlessly performs the final chorus solo with his trademark growl.

To the lengths I aired my grievances, you may get the impression that I really don't like this record, and that's not really the case. The band still packs a lot of great performances and sounds on this one, mostly thanks to the contributions from Chamberlain, Gillespie, and Dudley, which is nice to hear. What I think was missing from this record was a strong presence from the guitar. Perhaps some more guitar-centred hooks could have helped this record make a real lasting impression. When everything is tallied, my determination is that I'm feeling pretty neutral on Voyeurist. Although, you should take it for what my opinion is worth as I would not really consider myself an Underoath stan.