Review Summary: Despite dipping from all the right pools, Survive, Kaleidoscope doesn't take advantage of its live setting very much at all.
Underoath were probably one of the most perseverant bands in their scene. They endured more lineup changes than you can count, challenged the precognitions of “Christian metalcore”, and even managed to make a studio LP without a single original member in tow. The band called it a day in 2013 after 16 years of activity, but one of their few live records wasn’t recorded until ten years into their career.
Survive, Kaleidoscope stands between the release of 2006’s
Define the Great Line and 2008’s
Lost in the Sound of Separation, two of the band’s strongest statements, but feels like an underutilized and surprisingly un-lively live album. Despite a very solid collection of performances,
Survive, Kaleidoscope just doesn’t do that much as a live record.
Survive, Kaleidoscope takes tracks from only two of Underoath’s albums: 2004’s
They’re Only Chasing Safety and 2006’s
Define the Great Line. As many of the band’s fans know, these are two pretty different sounding albums.
They’re Only Chasing Safety had more roots in poppier metalcore, while
Define the Great Line amped up the heaviness and complexity in the compositions. Comparing a crowd-pleaser like “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door” from
They’re Only Chasing Safety with “In Regards to Myself” from
Define the Great Line is a night-and-day difference. Nine of the twelve tracks on
Survive, Kaleidoscope are from
Define the Great Line, with the tracks from the older LP being represented by fan favorites.
Survive, Kaleidoscope definitely dips from the right pool, as
Define the Great Line is easily the better of the two albums, but it also makes much of the tone of the live album sound overly consistent. There are some strange omissions from the 2004 LP as well, like the single “Reinventing Your Exit”, and the lack of any tracks prior to the Chamberlain era of vocals is, without a doubt, a disappointment.
But the tracks that are selected are quite enjoyable. Instead of sticking to a single venue,
Survive, Kaleidoscope’s twelve tracks span ten cities. This might drain the album of cohesion, but it’s a minor point. As stated earlier,
Define the Great Line is firmly represented, with already superb tracks like “You’re Ever So Inviting” getting a shot of energy from the live scene. “Returning Empty Handed” is an interesting opener, with its quiet intro and melodic croon mid-song. Former drummer Aaron Gillespie has always been a major force of melody for the band, as his role in the live renditions of classic tracks is still sharp and essential. Some older tracks like “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door” have Chamberlain performing a more guttural scream than in the original recordings, taking cues from the
Define the Great Line era. It’s interesting and keeps these venerable tracks from feeling too much retreads.
But is this live album a fully changed approach to these tracks? Honestly, it’s not. Very few of the tracks on
Survive, Kaleidoscope sound noticeably different their studio counterparts. Aside from some sparse calls to the crowd, the songs themselves simply sound like lower-quality studio recordings. There are very few detours, the vocal synergy is practically unchanged, and you won’t find many altered intros aside from tracks like “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White.” Not to say
Survive, Kaleidoscope is a bad album. These tracks are still well-written, and at times, very catchy. But this live album doesn’t take advantage of its setting very well, leaving most of the already consistent tracklist sounding far too similar to the original sources.
I’m of the crowd that believes the
Define the Great Line era of Underoath was one of their golden ages, but
Survive, Kaleidoscope isn’t an album I can recommend to everyone. Unlike more classic live albums,
Survive, Kaleidoscope doesn’t have enough left turns or crowd interaction to stand out amongst an already solid discography. You’re better off sticking to
Define the Great Line. If you’re a fan, however, you might find the live renditions of songs like “You’re Ever So Inviting” and “It’s Dangerous Business…” to be appealing. The band’s few weaves are extremely well done when they appear; there are just not enough of them. If you want a good starting point for Underoath, stick with either
Define the Great Line or
Lost in the Sound of Separation, because
Survive, Kaleidoscope is too pedestrian and by-the-book to stand as a worthwhile first step. For fans, however, this is a decent skew from some of Underoath’s strongest years and a respectable diversion in between the more successful albums in their catalog.
