Some general impressions:
This is (again) one of these albums that got hyped pretty much (at least in the forums of MX). After hearing a lot about it, I thought I should check it out. But, it got pretty clear to me after a few listens, this album can not keep up with the lots of kudhos it got.
It's not the worst album I have heard in my life. That's for sure. But also not the best. Overall, the musical work is solid. The rythm section does good work in laying down a good basis the vocals, keys/electronics and guitars can build upon. The guitars do a good job, as does the singer. No matter if he is singing or screaming. Accents are set here and there with keys, samples and electronics. Though the musical work is solid, it can not convience me completely. This is mainly because the sound is so similar to many other bands popular in the genre. Some songs sound very similar to 'The Used' ('Its dangerous business walking out your front door' for example), other songs sound like 'Hawthorne Heights' ('Reinventing your exit' as an example). And there are probably a bit more to find.
What differs from named bands though are the somewhat christian lyrics. After all, the word 'Christian-core' is used often in context with Underoath. And I felt myself indeed like in church on one or two songs. 'It's dangerous business...' with it's church like choir, or 'Some will seek fogiveness, others escape' with lines like "Hey unfaithfull, I will teach you to be stronger" or "Oh sweet angel of mercy, with your grace like the morning".
What is definately on the plus side is the production. The overall mix is good IMO, as all instruments are heard good, nothing is particulary drowning (like bass is usually in Metalcore for example).
What was good:
Like mentioned above, the production is good, and the musical work solid. Not extraordinary, but good. Some of the songs have a catchyness to them, that makes the quite enjoyable. Hymn like chorus lines invite to sing along, songs get stuck in your head. I also liked the screaming of the singer. It's done quite good IMO, though there is better out there. Well, you can't have it all sometimes...
What was not so good:
Catchyness can become a problem. If a song is too catchy it can bore pretty fast. And some of the catchier tunes on this record suffer from the same problem. And, of course the lack of individual sound. On most of the songs they sound just like a weaker version/differen version of bands like 'The Used'. The electronic involved sets some more or less unique accents, but still I personally feel reminded of too many other bands when listening to this. Which is kinda sad, as earlier albums by Underoath sure demonstrated that the band can have (and had) a more or less unique sound.
Summary:
To whom could this album be recommended? To the die-hard Underoath fan for sure. But beyond that, not for many. I think if one likes stuff like 'The Used' or 'Hawthorne Heights' this might prove to be a suiting alternative for a while, if one gets a bit bored of the other bands albums. Or if you want to renew the reasons why you like those bands. After all, this album is a nice listen for while IMO if our into modern screaming pop-rock. For lasting entertainment I prefer other stuff.
Rating: 2.5-3/5
