****4/5 stars When Lost in the Sound of Separation was announced, I was ecstatic. The hype surrounding it made it sound like the saviors of metalcore were once again coming to redefine and perfect the genre that was (and unfortunately, still is) in need of a revolution. Pre-release reviews of the album told us that this was Underoath’s most aggressive and experimental release to date. When listening to the first track of the album, I was floored. Shortly after a minute into the opener “Breathing in a New Mentality” the eerie wall of synthesized percussion plummeted into a bone snapping breakdown as lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain dragged me to the depths of his despair with his trademark growl:
“Oh God!, it’s racing through my veins!
I’m afraid their must be some kind of mistake!”
Unfortunately, I would later find that this would be the emotional peak of the album. What I heard was just a glimpse into the tormented psyche of Chamberlain and that these glimpses were few and far between. Lost In the Sound of Separation is a tease. It is in these moments of despair that the listener hears what could have been Underoath’s first PERFECT record.

LOTSOS finds the band selling themselves short. Listening to the majority of the songs, one can sense the lack of urgency throughout. The album title is ironic in the sense that such desperate and trying times seem to have divided the songwriting, creating a sound that has both progressed and regressed in different areas.

The biggest regression on the album is found in the guitar-work. With the exception of a few hard-hitting breakdowns, it seems that lead guitarist Tim McTague has lost his fire. Intentional or not, McTague’s ability to create riff’s and breakdowns that completely “Defined The Great Line” and set the bar for the genre have been hushed and simplified in favor of Underoath’s new “experimental” sound. This is by far the albums biggest flaw and letdown. With little memorable parts, a lot of the songs run together leaving the listener with less to come back to.

However, with that stumbling block discussed and behind, I should note that despite its flaws, this is not a bad album by any means. While the record does not cash in on being their most aggressive project to date, it certainly is their most “experimental” and atmospheric. The production on this album is spot on. Drummer/Vocalist Aaron Gillespie has progressed immensely since DTGL and proves to be the backbone of LITSOS. The precision and attention to detail in both his vocals and his kit sounds are what keep this album from being another mediocre metalcore release.

Keyboardist Chris Dudley is also one of the album’s bright spots. His synthesized backdrops add a depth of detail that was absent on Define The Great Line. The effects combined with McTague’s slower guitar work showcase the anthemic side of Underoath that has been long hidden since their formation. Two notable inclusions of this new sound are found in the last two tracks of the album, whether it is the slow build up of “Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear” or the echoed, dissonant closing lines of “Desolate Earth / The End Is Here”.

It is safe to say that Underoath set the mark for the metalcore genre with 2006′s Define The Great Line. While LITSOS may not be as genre defining as the latter, it is safe to say that Underoath will continue to be at the center of the genre, and are only a step away from creating an album that perfects both their experimental and metal tendencies. As long as they can keep their heads on straight to maintain themselves for another album, I really believe that this album is Underoath a few steps behind that line of perfection.

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