Review Summary: Chamberlain's fix set Underoath on an arguably improved path.
Nearing the end of the track, “A Divine Eradication”, Spencer Chamberlain bellows the question, “Where is my fix? Where is my fix?” And it is at this point, around the middle of “Disambiguation”, that you realize that the entire album is indeed Chamberlain’s fix. This album is Chamberlain’s announcement to the world that he is no longer haunted by the demons of his past (referring to the much publicized drug addiction of his past). And further, “Disambiguation” is Chamberlain’s announcement to the masses that Underoath is in fact now his band and that by god he might be the best damn vocalist in the current post-hardcore/metalcore scene.
Although the members of Underoath have understated it in recent months, everyone that follows the band knows that there was a thick fog of friction hovering over the band leading up to the departure of its only remaining founding member, Aaron Gillespie. It just didn’t feel right, there was something more to be found in UO’s sound. The music was tight, but maybe too tight. Gillespie’s vocals were clean and crisp, but maybe a little too clean and crisp. And somewhere, behind all of this music that was so good, but could still be just a little better, was sitting Chamberlain, eagerly waiting for his chance to shine. Although the band had been shifting to a “harder” and less-structured style of writing post-“They’re Only Chasing Safety”, there was still something more to be had. And in the end, it was Gillespie’s departure that solved all the problems.
“Disambiguation” is the ultimate UO album. It has moments of beauty, moments of aggression, and moments of sheer brilliance. Structurally, there is not a lot that sets the album apart from the previous two UO albums. The entire album has a cohesive flow and few of the songs stick to a format involving verses and choruses, a pattern that UO began to use in “Define the Great Line”. In addition, the guitars, bass, and synth in the new album all have the same general feel of the UO of old, except for one clear change: It is heavier, sometimes WAY heavier than before. The clearest example of this is the last third or so of “My Deteriorating Incline”, which contains by far the heaviest riff UO has used in years and makes the sixteen year old fanboy in me want to mosh my ***ing brains out.
The two clearest changes in the band are the drumming and the vocals. Daniel Davison (ex-drummer of Norma Jean) plays with an aggression that without a doubt fits the atmosphere of the album. The drumming sounds heavier than Gillespie’s, but in a good way. Although Gillespie is without a doubt an excellent drummer, there was always a lightness and speed to his drumming that arguably would not have fit as well in “Disambiguation” as it did in previous UO efforts. Chamberlain’s vocals and lyrics that accompany them are without a doubt the center highlight of the album. They range from a brutal growl, to a mid-ranged scream, to a full-on yell, and finally to a sample of clean vocals that I don’t think anyone knew he possessed. Whatever Chamberlain chooses to do, it works on every track. The album starts off with the screams that everyone is used to, but by the third track, “Paper Lung”, it is clear that Chamberlain has a point to prove about his range as a vocalist. The song begins as what can be described as a post-hardcore ballad and eventually turns into a breakdown of sheer volume and splendor. It is everything an UO fan could want in an UO song.
And that’s really what “Disambiguation” is all about, the ultimate UO album for an UO fan that was glad to see the shift the band took after TOCS. For anyone who grimaced with every step the band took away from the poppy sound of TOCS, this album will surely put the nail in your UO coffin. But for those of us who were eagerly waiting for the final Chamberlain take over to happen; I can safely say that it has occurred without any casualties. Chamberlain has found a new fix, and it is “Disambiguation”.
