Underoath - Erase Me (April 6, 2018) Album • Page 176

But then on mobile everyone will still be stating their opinion as fact

 

Damn, might as well cancel the entire forum then

;)

 

People are free to do whatever they want, but the album has been out for a long time so when good conversation is happening, the same users popping in to say once again that they hate the album without adding anything gets old. That is probably where the frustration comes from.

 

Let’s be real, the “good conversation” going on in here essentially amounted to “this is a good album and I like it.” Nothing wrong with that per se, but don’t claim people’s posts on the other side are any less substantial simply because they’re negative about the album.

 

Isn’t that every thread haha?

 

I'll be glad to talk specifics.

Things I like:
Production
Electronic elements
Spencer's range as a vocalist, but especially his screams. Sound better than they ever have.

Things I don't like:
Too much of a move into modern rock
lack of any sort of guitar riffs
lack of Spencer screaming
not enough of Aaron singing

The whole attitude with this album seems to be, "screw you if you don't like it, this is who we want to be and we don't care what fans think!" from Spencer and Aaron. It honestly rubs me the wrong way.

 

The biggest strike against this record for me is it felt too safe.

 

I also think this would’ve been better received if it wasn’t a hugely anticipated reunion album from a band with an extensive history and discography that gave people certain expectations going in... I’m obviously not saying that would’ve been the case for *everyone*, before we rehash that argument again. I think a better way of putting it may be that the album would’ve found its audience easier without as much backlash if it had come from an up-and-coming band.

I definitely understand why some fans don’t like it of course, there was a big sound change... but I do think the best tracks on here stand up with some of their finest work, even if they’re different.

 

Thrice was in a similar situation and everyone loves TBEITBN. I think it might just be a bad album, but I’ll actually go listen to it right now just to be fair since it’s been awhile.

 

I think Erase Me was a bigger sound change for this band than TBEITBN was for Thrice though. Underoath went from arguably their darkest and most pummeling metalcore album to something MUCH more melodic and accessible.

And again... if people don’t like it, that’s fine! I really just don’t like when these discussions become so reductive... for me it’s not about people needing to throw up “IN MY OPINION” disclaimers every two seconds, it’s about being respectful of the fact that it is just opinions, and that others will feel differently... and neither side has to be “wrong”. I do think it’s gotten a bit unnecessarily heated in this thread at times because of this... not calling out anyone in particular because I think both sides of this debate have been guilty of it at times.

 

I actually think it’s a pretty apt comparison. Both bands released more accessible, straightforward albums after periods in their careers when they had moved into more complex, arguably more interesting writing. I don’t like TBEITBN at all, but then again I’m not a Thrice fan to begin with, so there you have it.

 

Fine I'm sorry if my tone came off as policing. I'm willing to drop it. Some of us like it. Some of us dont. It is what it is.

 

And I like both albums lol. I do think there is some comparison to be made there for sure, although the difference in fanbase reaction is pretty striking... which I think comes from some other factors as well. I know some of Underoath’s wider fanbase wasn’t happy with them moving away from a Christian message, for example.

 

Lol well I think those fans are barking up the wrong tree as far as this band goes moving forward

 

I definitely don’t care they moved away from the Christianity message haha

Lyrics dod seem to be less strong for me though. I don’t know. I didn’t want a repetitive straight forward album from them after how many risks they took prior. It’s whatever. Thrice is similar for me too. It bums me out I don’t like their newer output. But I’m glad people find stuff they enjoy in it

 

I largely agree with every point here, with some fine differences:
-I don’t care for Spencer as a singer, I think his singing voice is bad. But I agree his screams here sound great, the more the better
-I agree with the modern rock criticism but even more to the point I think the album is just a little too sporadic with weird sequencing. Wake Me doesn’t belong on the same album as On My Teeth let alone next to it. I’ll never get how loneliness didn’t make the cut.
-I don’t think of UO much as a riffing band, so I’m not too upset about the lack of them, but I think some different mixing decisions would’ve made tim’s contributions feel like less of a change
-I don’t have strong feelings on how much Aaron should sing but I do think his parts here are splendid

-as someone else noted, the lyrics are a step down. Not bad, but lyrics were a strong point for me on the last 3 releases and these disappoint a bit.

 

oh this got going again huh

I think the album is great but people will think whatever and I'll continue enjoying the album wooooo

 

I mean, if you enjoy an album more than other people, that’s cool. No one says you’re wrong for liking it.

 

yea and I was just saying that to people fighting over it. Some people are gonna like it some aren't and that's cool. It's different and definitely not my favorite album from them but I still really dig it.

 

So I listened to the album on my way home yesterday and then again on my way to work.

it keeps my attention. It's definitely varied enough to not get boring. I like the risks they did take, but the more straightforward songs range from not great to laughable for me. Spencer is so jekyll/hyde for me as a vocalist. I absolutely HATE when he is singing softly (Rapture verses, Wake Me verses). I would say it's weak melodies, then Aaron comes behind him singing the same melody and I enjoy it. Then sometimes his singing sounds SO GOOD when he is just letting loose (end of No Frame and I Give Up) I think the choruses here are pretty weak for the most part (aside from On My Teeth and Hold Your Breath) . I think the drums are awesome on here, but they drown out the guitars a lot of times. You can tell the two people that had the most say so in the room during mixing/mastering were the vocalists and drummers.

If I had to explain this album to someone, I would say it's Anberlin filtered through BMTH with a little bit of Thrice mixed in. If you like all 3 of those (Thrice's newest two especially) I can definitely see how you could really enjoy this.

quick track by track:
It Has to Start Somewhere - middle of the pack for me. It seems a lot of people who don't like the album as a whole love this one, but I don't see why. When Spencer does scream, it sounds great. I like the verses. Chorus is not my favorite.
Rapture - yeah, sorry guys. when he started singing the verses, i almost started laughing. Chorus is so straightforward it hurts. the "there's no turning back" part is the only redeeming part of the song for me.
On My Teeth - probably my favorite here. crazy energy, rips the whole time, aaron and spencer sound great, and I think it's a pretty strong chorus that showcases the good in spencer's singing and screaming, along with aaron's flourishes.
Wake Me - not a fan of this one. Verses aren't good to me, and the chorus is catchy enough but it's kind of boring.
Bloodlust - I liked this one more than I remembered, the second part of the chorus is cool with spencer singing in the background while aaron takes over the melody. strong Thrice vibes in the verses. It's the first time I feel the experimentation pays off.
Sink With You - Speaking of experimentation, this song is really cool. the verses are awesome, and are a great example of what I like about Spencer's singing. the chorus doesnt necessarily resonate with me, but i like what they were going for, and I would rather something like this than the blah choruses previously.
ihateit - bad spencer in the verses, chorus is fine. really feel the same about this as i do wake me, except the explosive bridge in this one is awesome and redeems the song for me a little bit.
Hold Your Breath - probably my second favorite. If Underoath wants to go more straightforward but still retain their heaviness, I would prefer it to sound like this one and On My Teeth. Love just about everything about this song. Bridge call and response is perfect.
No Frame - Really cool experimentation. love the electronic elements when the song gets loud. this is the best I think Spencer sounds singing softer, and i think he sounds incredible at the end when he's belting out. Dig this one a lot.
In Motion - i put this in the same category as wake me, rapture, and ihateit, but i think it is executed better than those. Feldmann is highly noticeable, which im not a huge fan of. I like aaron's contributions in the chorus. Spencer's screaming in the bridge rivals the bridge of ihateit for my favorite heavy portion of the album.
I Gave Up - Hate the first verse or so, bad Spencer singing to me. reminds me of parts of Chiodos' Devil that I hated. The softer verse with Aaron sings me gives me a lot of lowborn Anberlin vibes, which I like a lot. picks up fine once it gets loud, and Spencer's singing at the end is great.

What I would like to see next: either go back to more energy and more screaming, or fully embrace the pop and write better melodies or get someone else to do it for you. This feels too middle of the road between the two which is why about half of it falls flat for me.

Sorry for the TL:DR, but I didn't want to get accused of, "people just coming in the thread and saying bad album is bad".

 

I def don’t want someone else writing their melodies haha

 

Fixed it for you

I personally don't mind their attitude since most of the online hate has been so hyperbolic and people @ing them personally to tell them their work they put years into sucks. I felt the same way with Chester and the last LP album, good for him.

Granted, it looks classier for someone to pull like a Rian Johnson and not show that side, but I get it and don't take offense.

I also feel like Thrice was well known at that point for changing up their sound with each album. When you are a metal band doing anything else but metal, it's gonna get trashed by a lot of the fan base.

I always think about Metallica when Black-Load-Reload came out. Great albums, but they weren't metal albums so....

 

I do agree that the band could have handled their criticisms regarding the album better but one thing I do agree with is Aaron saying that if you like the older albums better, that is great and you can always listen to them and enjoy them again and again.

 

I have no problem with a band defending their work from people online

 

There are both sides to it, people say ridiculous, awful things under the guise of “criticism” and I don’t mind bands responding to a certain extent but if it gets to be too much it looks really lame on their part, i.e. GFYTN