Underoath
Ø (Disambiguation)
Roadrunner
November 9

By Danny Contreras

Their first effort since the departure of founding member and clean vocalist Aaron Gillespie, Underoath released Ø (Disambiguation). And while not a game-changer in the metalcore genre, it sure is a fresh beginning for Underoath. With the addition of Norma Jean drummer Daniel Davidson, Disambiguation is a clear winner and the right step from the Underoath we knew up to 2008.

Disambiguation begins just like every other Underoath album (much like Acts of Depression and Define the Great Line) with a mess of different instruments battling against each other trying to come out victorious in a bloody sea of riffs, chords and notes. Openers, “In Division” and “Catching Myself Catching Myself,” are cliché Underoath songs. They rely on Spencer Chamberlain’s heavy guttural growls to set a rhythm rather than using Davidson’s drumming abilities to set it up. The guitars are competing against each other as there is no clear lead guitarist and the bass and synths are almost nowhere to be heard other than at the beginning of the songs. Yet, these songs are not just a mesh of noise. From this maelstrom comes two of the album’s greatest songs as they majestically transition into one another not letting go of the raw power and the mirage of a battlefield. Also, we get a taste of Gillespie’s departure. One expects the clean vocals somewhere in the songs but doesn’t get them. However, one does not miss them either as Chamberlain is able to hold off his rawness to give us a sense of calm, just to barrage you with more raw power.

The next couple of songs settle into Underoath’s more typical pattern with two opening songs of rawness and the following five songs of melancholy, which were usually supplemented by Gillespie’s clean vocals. But, while these songs do evoke melancholy, they also evoke questioning and anger. “Illuminator” and “A Divine Eradication” is sure to get Christian fans angry as they both deal with a sense of belonging and of truth. The guitars by now have settled into lead and rhythm guitars (something Tim McTague James Smith eloquently do), while the synths and the bass complement each other through some sort of mystical connection that makes the heart get in tune with them. Christopher Dudley and Grant Brandell, kudos to you both.

And again, much like their previous efforts, they pick up the feelings of melancholy and anger and translate them into action, as seen in songs “Vacant Mouth” and “My Deteriorating Incline,” where the guitars both kick the band into high gear with machine gun playing with low bass lines and almost underground synths. Eventually, the album ends on a high note with blasting guitars and even louder vocals.

However, the album does leave an after taste and it is unfortunately in the drumming section. Davidson did a great job in keeping up with the band and keeping the style true to the band, but while the other members have evolved from the Gillespie era, he tried to mimic his style. It is almost too familiar and this is probably the reason why Gillespie is not missed. The album is all too familiar thanks to Davidson, and while this may not be a bad thing, if he does not add his own style (as he displayed in Norma Jean), he will always drum in the shadow of Gillespie.

One thing that the album failed at was at giving a sense of closure. The album ended on such a high note that one expects the music to continue, but it doesn’t. It almost made the album seem like a filler to what the band really wanted to do. But since the album clocks in at a little over 38 minutes, re-listening will give something close to closure, but not the whole thing.

Disambiguation is still a winner, however. The band, with the exception of Davidson, has distanced itself from Gillespie, which is not a bad thing. Had he stayed with them, it would’ve turned Underoath into a joke of what the band used to be. A band too cliché to be what Underoath is right now. Evolution is obviously working for Underoath and Disambiguation is the proof of this. One should look forward to their next effort as this one definitely in the right direction.