UNDEROATH - VOYEURIST
photo credit: dan newman
Released on the 14th of January, the bands ninth studio album solely recorded and produced by the band itself serves as a chilling yet successful commentary on today’s society, and its fixation on self-appearance, social media and the rapidly evolving technology surrounding it.
Voyeurist makes itself apparent from the start, with the intro track ‘Damn Excuses’ setting the tone perfectly for what is about to follow, singing“Fuck your revelation and fuck your weak conviction, I am finally exposing the truth.” From this point onwards, explosive instrumentals, catchy choruses and heavy bass distortion take over in ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘I’m Pretty Sure I’m Out of Luck and I Have No Friends’.
This all builds up to the first standout track of the album: ‘Cycle’ featuring one of trap metal’s well-known pioneers, Ghostemane. From start to finish this song never lowers its intensity levels, keeping the audience on the edge of their seat, with both artists verses being highly memorable. It’s a collaboration that only makes sense considering Ghostemane’s thematology in his latest album ANTI-ICON.
At this point in the album the pace slows down, with ‘Thorn’, ‘(No Oasis)’, and ‘Take a Breath’ fully highlighting the fascinating mix of electronic and ambient sounds within the band’s traditional sounds. In all of these songs the instrumentals serve as a fitting accompaniment to the heavy riffs, as well as a clever nod towards the subject matter the album follows.
The second standout track on this album arrived with ‘We’re All Gonna Die’, a reminder of the albums concept with what could easily be considered the best chorus on the project. Haunting guitars and synths paired with the cutthroat vocals repeating “Hey, we’re all gonna die, don’t pretend to be alive,” brings up questions on how people within society present themselves, and on if this presentation is truly genuine.
This sense of self questioning only grows stronger with following track ‘Numb’, a song which lyrics amplify the theme of presenting a fake persona and being tone deaf to reality, just to appease to societal norms. A standout melodic chorus is apparent once again throughout this track, elevating it even further.
Voyeurist comes to an end with the third and final standout of the album, ‘Pneumonia’, a seven-minute track that closes everything perfectly. Bringing all the previous sounds and themes full circle in the form of an eerie build up leading to a massive crescendo, it proves that Underoath not only achieved what they set out to do but managed to pull it of masterfully.
Throughout this record, it is apparent that multiple creative risks were taken, with interrelated concepts, experimental instrumentation, and a sense of nihilistic awareness throughout. These creative risks paid off, marking a new era for the band. Underoath sounds as heavy and fresh as they have ever been, with each of the ten tracks being memorable throughout a tightly packed, cohesive, and enjoyable album.
Dan Tsourekas
★★★★★