Ran through a full listen at the gym and it’s a lot better as a full playthrough but I’m left pretty unfulfilled after Outsider. Definitely not the closer I was expecting after how insane Pneumonia was on Voyeurist.
I think it’s because every song has really cool stuff that you want from Underoath. It has cool new elements like big electronics or huge choruses. But the issue is is that if you want to find something you don’t like about the album, every song has questionable creative choices. Some they pull off better than others. I didn’t feel like there was one some where I wouldn’t have to look past something I don’t love to get to the thing I liked. But if you’re just here for a good time, it has that. If you want to look at things more critically, it might get dicer.
record personally does nothing for me but it kinda leans in a way that i don't prefer from underoath. i do see the lost in the sound comparisons because that record to me is very chaotic and loud (which i feel like are the two main takeaways from this one). i love this band and i managed to come around on voyeurist after being pretty cold on it after release but i don't see that happening here. BUT i think cannibal and all the love is gone are two of their best post-hiatus songs.
My favorites are Devil, All The Love is Gone, Shame, Cannibal. There are really catchy moments on each of those which make me come back. There’s some songs where the chorus just doesn’t do the song any justice: Generation No Surrender yell and call, Loss is disjointed, Vultures is very basic. Then there’s songs that just seem like they are “there” and not really helping or hurting the album: And Then There Was Nothing and Spinning in Place. Outisder is a cool take but not sure it wraps up this album well. Overall it’s been cool to read everyone’s takes because it seems like people like and dislike certain songs or certain parts of songs, so maybe it’s successful in that there’s something for everyone here? Overall I’m probably being too critical, but I would slide this right between Voyeurist and Erase Me in rankings. 7/10?
maybe this was mentioned already but the riffs in Spinning in Place and Desperate Times Desperate Measures are super similar
There was a comment above that mentioned each song has something they have to look past, and that’s a thing I feel all the time for bands that have a big discography for which I know what I historically like and don’t like. That said, I’ve long complained about spencer’s singing in past records and I didn’t really have that critique on this one. For me it’s always scream >>> shout >> sing and on this record a lot of singing really is left to Aaron, the screams stay super heavy and dark, and the shouting just seemed…better and catchier than it usually does. I kept waiting for a chorus melody or something to tank a song and that just never came, so I left my first listen thinking the record had a high floor. and despite being a catchy album, it’s not catchy in the way erase me tried to be and I don’t really see the comparison. The pop elements are as present as ever but it’s still nothing I’d even dream of showing my non-metalcore friends. This doesn’t feel like an album that could show up in Times Square like erase me did, it feels like it’s written for metalcore fans in 2025.
I dig this overall. Maybe I'm in the minority here but give me a whole album like or adjacent to Outsider.
Albums feels a little disjointed but by all accounts it’s got everything I want out of an Underoath record. I really love the opener. Will be a gym spinner for sure.
My first listen I turned it off after a few songs. Can’t really describe it well, but it felt kind of exhausting? Like there was so much going on, song structure felt weird. Idk, I’m not out on it yet, but my first impression was definitely not great.
Agreed. The singles have already been in the gym rotation but now the full album will be on repeat for workouts.
Was fully expecting to dislike this based of the singles but I like this a lot. It's fun. Lyrics feel like the weakest point. But this is the most I've enjoyed an underoath record in a long time.
Honestly there were quite a few moments that remind me of LITSOS on this one - in a good way. Maybe it’s the drum parts. not sure where this will settle for me but I really dig it first couple of times through
love the hooks of cannibal and all the love is gone. the experimentation on devil, teeth. and the heaviness of generation no surrender, then there was nothing. I feel like this album is just them messing around and having fun with new stuff that they never did before underoath is my fav band of all time and this album is a very great addition to their discography. i just think that voyeurist was an better album because is an special album for me and also it has some very interesting vibes to it, many people complain about the production on voyeurist but it gives the album an unique dark gritty eletronic/atmospheric vibe and i love it. this album was an great step up on the energy, and the guitar work here is the best since disambiguation, the riffs and the guitar production/effects are chris really shines here too but his keys are used here more in an different way, on voyeurist his keys were everywhere to give an more dark/atmospheric feel to the songs, while on TPATO this still happens but they are used more in an "edm" way. aaron and spee sounds as good as always and on this album the vocal production sounds better and way less processed compared to voyeurist. i also wanted to say that i wish that this album had more heavy mathy moments like the start of generation no surrender and i appreciate the band still doing the music they want to make 20 years in the game with an annoying amount of people talking shit about the new songs, happy that this album finally is here.
After another listen immediately after a relisten of Voyeurist, I still prefer Voyeurist overall as an album but this one still has stuff. Absolutely still prefer Pneumonia over Outsider though, don't think it's even a contest tbh even if I like Outsider Will still come back and continue listening to this though, I do overall enjoy it
Doing a little vinyl organizing and pulled out this incredible picture disc. Does anybody have the saw blade edition of Lost? I regret not getting it. I do love my alt version with different art though. They never miss on art direction.
Jordan Butcher killed it with his art direction on this record (although i love how the spine and the album name on the disc itself accidentally misspell Disambiguation as "Disamguation"). surprisingly that picture disc sounds pretty damn good too.
I absolutely love this thing. I get why it's polarizing, it's not perfect by any means, but I love its idiosyncracies. I'm already on my fifth listen. What makes Underoath my favorite heavy band is their relentless drive to continue evolving this vein of metalcore. DTGL through Disambiguation will probably always be my favorite run from them, but Voyeurist's intense darkness and emotion and this album's chaotic blend of pop and metal make for a perfectly unexpected pivot for the band. I still don't love Erase Me but I think its highs, like No Frame, exemplify this as well. If we can't go back, then I like where we're headed.