The double life of Underoath. Before joining Solid State, it was straight up hard. Then with their Solid State debut, The Changing of Times (coincidental, huh?), melody was unleashed. Hardcore screaming remained, but the band was evolving toward something else. They're Only Chasing Safety takes yet another step away from metal and hardcore. While it has ups and downs, several songs approach greatness. "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door" is one of these highlights, with timely breakdowns and a haunting choir background at one point in the song. The final track, "Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape," sounds like Copeland momentarily took over the band, and then got electrocuted at the end of the song. I'd call it brilliance, but it is definitely new ground that may not be favored by the old school fans. Other than this genre shift, the only other complaint goes in the "bang for your buck" category. Just like The Changing of Times, Underoath's latest effort is slightly longer than a mere 35 minutes, with essentially only 9 songs (plus one 50-second instrumental). It goes down to the age-old quantity vs. quality debate, but at least with Underoath, the quality side isn't lacking.
Editors' ratings — Doug 4/5, David 4/5
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis June 2004Reviewed by Ben BishopAll of us who've seen Underoath live remember the moment we first saw him. You know who I'm talking about. No, not former front man Dallas Taylor. Nor current vocalist Spencer Chamberlain. No, not even exuberant drummer Aaron Gillespie whose hot pant jeans shorts remind me of Tommy Lee. I'm talking about Christopher Dudley. Yep, the keyboard guy. I've had the pleasure of catching the band a…The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Len NashUnderoath does it again! For starters, they've changed genres; although not as drastic a change as in the past. The CD is called: They're Only Chasing Safety, and now the genre is straight-up Emo Core. The band has moved from a previous sound of heavily synthesizer-led Emo Hardcore, and before that from extreme metal, to the synth Emo Hardcore of the day. They're Only Chasing Safety moves…Similar sounding releases
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