Since Underoath’s return to the music scene, I’ve been living off of their 2018 release, Erase Me, but the wait is finally over and the band has blessed our ears with Voyeurist. This album seems to take all of the band’s influences over the years and combines them into one very cohesive and badass piece of music.
Several months ago the band dropped lead single, “Damn Excuses,” and it ripped through time and space as soon as I hit play. It’s something I could picture a mosh pit losing their minds to, maybe myself included. If anything, it really made me want to thrash my head around. Building off that momentum was “Hallelujah,” which reminded me a bit more of Erase Me, but it still managed to throw in some more hardcore elements and screams from Spencer Chamberlain. Towards the end of that track there are some awesome harmonies that instantly gave me goosebumps, so I don’t think you can get any higher praise than that.
Two other songs on the record that I really enjoyed seemed to turn the dial the complete opposite direction from the rest of the album, but both managed to flow seamlessly in the track list. “(No Oasis)” is a quiet and contemplative experimental track that ends with a disturbing kind of maniacal laughter, which then bleeds right into a full-throttle metal track. Similarly, closing saga, “Pneumonia,” teases you into thinking it’s another break from the chaos of the rest of the album, but as it beats on, the tempo picks up and you realize you’ve set yourself up to be obliterated. It’s pretty amazing how they set up all the songs off of this record, but I think the fact that it was their first self-produced effort is what really brought it all together.
I think this album was a pretty solid continuation of the questioning that went on all throughout Erase Me. In that record, Spencer was really turning around and facing his current situation and really questioning his faith. Those questions are still very much present here, along with just questioning existence in general. I know plenty of people who struggle with that concept, and while this record doesn’t really seem to provide any answers, at least it doesn’t make you feel so alone in those thoughts. ‘We’re All Gonna Die” and “Cycle” felt like the most blatant exploration of those themes off this record, but really, they get touched on in almost every track.
Overall, I think fans are going to love Voyeurist because it seems to be bringing the group back closer to their hardcore roots. Not that I thought Erase Me was some walk through a field of flowers, but I know it didn’t connect as well with some audiences obsessed with their past albums. Personally, I was nervous for a straight screaming record, but I think this was a perfect mix of all of their styles. I also enjoyed hearing Aaron Gillespie’s vocals a bit more throughout the album this time around. He and Spencer’s vocals continue to blend expertly together. Hearing Voyeurist in full has got me so excited to see them in March, so look out for a review of the show then!