Cathartic flashback to the glory days
For the first time in eight years (10 years with drummer Aaron Gillespie in the lineup), metalcore/screamo act Underoath is unleashing new music upon the world. Erase Me is a cathartic flashback to the glory days during the early/mid-2000s, a time when scene kids and emo culture was at the height of popularity. The ever so familiar vocal style of Spence Chamberlain is completely unchanged despite the number of years since his last studio recording. The ever so familiar off-color audio sampling combined with the heavy to light songwriting mechanics are both fulfilling and familiar in composition to their previous works without being generic.
The feeling of past hits such as “Reinventing Your Exit” is incredibly evident through the entire 40 minute run time of the album. Some songs exemplify this atmosphere more than others over the duration of the album such as “Bloodlust” and “I Gave Up” where the use of varying tempo and intensity adds a sense of depth to the composition. Grant Brandell deserves special recognition for his masterful performance on bass. The bass lines were incredibly clean and complemented the rest of the band greatly especially on “Wake Me,” where the lower end of the frequency spectrum is incredibly robust due to Brandell’s efforts.
As a whole, Underoath fans will find comfort in the fact that the band did not deviate from the style that brought them such success in the past while still trudging forward in their industry. Erase Me is an incredibly fun release. All nostalgia aside, the level of production is top-notch and entices the listener into the manic teen angst feeling that their genre embodies with without effort. Though no significant musical breakthroughs were exhibited by the band during the release, it is still nothing short of satisfying.
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