...In Shallow Seas We Sail
by
Emery with selfish hearts that hide our sin
Out of the fourteen songs on In Shallow Seas We Sail, there are only two that are not filled with teen-like angst over relationships in some form...
Crash
by
Decyfer Down Ah, the classic sophomore slump. In this case, aided by (but not necessarily due to) a lead vocalist change up.
Crash is one of the better songs on the record, ruined only by the repeating of...
Skillet
by
Skillet ...that's when I run to You and I nail Your feet and Your wrists
I imagine legions of new Skillet fans will be running to check out their older albums. If you are one of them, you will be pleased...
Facing forward, sinking in thin air... | Posted August-16-2009 ...help me learn to breathe again
After hearing Define the Great Line, I was sure that no Underoath album would appeal to me as much as They're Only Chasing Safety had. While most of my friends enjoyed DtGL more, I was left on the sidelines... with the exception of a couple favorites, I never enjoyed the whole album. I knew the tone for Lost in the Sound of Separation would be roughly similar judging by Desperate Times, Desperate Measures and anticipated finding a few songs that I loved while struggling to get through the rest. Boy, was I ever wrong.
There is a new level of depth here that surpasses any other Underoath album. The musical patterns are unique and several tracks depart from the standard "verse (screams) - chorus (singing) - verse (screams) - chorus (singing) - bridge - chorus, etc." pattern. Spencer's growls are more vicious and guttural than any previous album that he's been a part of, making the interplay between his screams and Aaron's harmonies all that much stronger.
And then there is the lyrics. Wow. This is one of those albums that I could start writing about the lyrics and just not stop until I had quoted the entire CD booklet. I am incredibly proud of the band for their representation of God... ten of the eleven songs reference Him, most of them directly by name and not just the ambiguous "You" which is all too prominent in most music of this nature today. More important to me however, is the context of these references.
The prominent theme running through the album is the constant cycle of being caught up in sin, struggling to break free from that sin, and finding relief and refuge... only to later fall back into that sin. They deal not only with the depression of the struggle itself, but also the all-too-familiar burden of knowing that they have failed God in the process.
Repeat, repeat / Repent and repeat... The cycle never really ends... This is how it seems to be / I've drowned myself in self-regret / This is how I want to be / This cannot be how I want to be
It's been dancing around in my head for quite some time / Just the thought of cleaning up myself... It's all been a blur and nothing will change... I was lying / This is defeat... How could this be real? / I've failed You
Anyone who's lived long enough on this earth has either experienced that or seen others go through it and can closely sympathize with it. It is a theme (wanting to get over something and falling back into repeatedly) that strongly appeals to non-Christians as well... and while Underoath never attempts to beat anyone over the head with it, they constantly reference God as their ultimate saving grace and redemption.
I'm the desperate and You're the Savior.
I am the one who's wrong... God forgive me
I hate that I'm questioning You're everything
The floors are shaking and we've lost our step / Oh Lord have mercy on us all
Clean me up, show me how to live / Tear me down, Let me start again
You said there was nothing left down here / Well, I roamed the wasteland... I swear I found something / I found hope, I found God
Lost in the Sound of Separation delivers a poignant message, wrapped in a package of screaming and singing that will appeal to some and turn away others... but rest assured, this is Underoath at their best.
My Highlights: The Created Void, A Fault Line A Fault of Mine, Too Bright to See Too Loud to Hear
It's all in my head, if You want, You can look inside
There's nothing but red and all the mess I've been
It's all in the way I say what I don't mean and mean what I don't
I need to speak of You and what is real
Here's my kiss to betray... | Posted August-10-2009 ...desperate to brush the lips of grace
This release from Underoath is quite different from their earlier albums to say the least. I personally fell victim to not hearing Underoath until they started gaining popularity with this release, so it is difficult for me in retrospect to go back and listen to the older albums when this one has such clean vocals. Their music is definitely not as metal as it has been previously, but it is very successful at what it tries to be. The screaming/singing dynamic is splendid here... the screaming will send most parents and grandparents running, while the choruses on almost every song are downright infectious and will have you singing them to yourself over and over again.
Most of the lyrics revolve around relationships and related struggles. Underoath is not shy about the issues they are addressing, and they do not hold back from singing about lust and the associated regrets that come from giving into temptation. It is a subject that many artists will not breach, though one that Christians must frequently learn to deal and cope with. The lyrics also hold true to that of earlier albums where they shamelessly use Jesus' name when singing to him; whereas similar bands may be tempted to only make veiled references throughout their music.
The album is very short as, excluding The Blue Note (an instrumental track), there are only nine tracks here. Fortunately enough, every track holds its own weight. I really could not be pressed to find any one song that I like significantly less than any of the others. This is certainly a prestine example of quality over quantity.
My Highlights: Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White, It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door, Some Will Seek Forgiveness Others Escape
Glass shatters and comes to a halt
I thought we'd be there by now
I thought it would be so much quicker than this
Pain has never been so brilliant
I made sure you were buckled in
Now you can walk hand in hand with Him
Scattered words and empty thoughts... | Posted November-07-2007 ...seem to pour from my heart.
I'd never actually listened to any of Jeremy Camp's music before seeing him live, as this CD had only come out shortly before. My church's worship band at the time had been playing 'Burden Me', one of Jeremy Camp's earliest songs. I liked the song and it sparked my interest enough to go see Jeremy Camp live when I heard he was playing in town.
It was a very humble setting, with the local sound and light guys at the church running the whole show, and no other bands or artists playing before him. Just as this album lacks a certain layer of production and polish, this was no major label tour. However, an incredible night of inspiration followed, and that same atmosphere remains on this album.
There was not a dry eye in the audience as Jeremy shared his heartbreaking story about the loss of his wife to cancer just five months after they were married. His testimony that night, and the beautiful restoration that has occured in his life since that time, is a story that most people following Christian music are now quite familiar with.
The songs that he wrote as he was going through that experience have remained a source of inspiration to this day, and I still put this CD on whenever I'm feeling down in the dumps. This is an album that no Christian should be without, regardless of your preferred type of music, and a glance at the lyrics for I Still Believe and Walk by Faith should be all the convincing it takes.
My Highlights: I Still Believe, Walk by Faith, Take My Life
The only place I can go is into Your arms
Where I throw to You my feeble prayers
In brokenness, I can see that this was Your will for me
Help me to know that You are near
Dreams come clever, hearts now severed... | Posted November-02-2007 ...difference of forever, and I'm lost there
A few years ago, I was playing Midtown Madness 3 on my Xbox when a song called Readyfuels came on. The artist name, Anberlin, caught my eye. I had tickets to see a Relient K concert about a week from then and one of the bands playing with them was Anberlin, whom I had never heard before until that point. I liked the song, found the CD and was instantly hooked. I played it almost constantly in the few days leading up to that concert, and eventually left that concert raving about Anberlin, not Relient K. I was hooked from the start on what remains one of my favorite bands to date.
This is an especially strong debut album. There are many songs just begging for you to sing along with them... they'll be stuck in your head for years to come. Two Anberlin albums later, I still find myself humming along to these songs. What truly captured my attention were the somber, contemplative gems throughout the CD... a tantalizing hint at some of the epic-feeling tracks on future albums.
My Highlights: Glass to the Arson, Naive Orleans, Cadence
The bottle holds no answers
His lips can only sway
Chemicals imbalance
Who needs them anyway?
Desire is close at hands
Her lips can only sway
There's more to life than this
Don't give yourself away
I will stand and fight to justify You... | Posted August-22-2009 ...You have bled and died to justify me.
Five years ago, I did not mind heavy music but was never a big fan of bands featuring screaming vocals. That lasted until this CD came out and I was drawn in by Ryan Clark's growls and melodies. There are two excellent slower songs on this album, with several songs that follow an intense pattern of screamed verses and catchy passionate choruses. The songs work well and sound great, however can feel repetitive.
Perhaps the biggest pull for me towards Demon Hunter was their uniquely profound lyrics. The cryptic nature (and occasionally uncomprehensible screams) of the lyrics can leave both fans and critics in the dark. However, a quick glance at the band's comments on some of their songs and coinciding lyrics provides an enormous amount of spiritual context that many Christian bands in this genre simply don't have.
My Highlights: Screams of the Undead, As We Wept, My Throat is an Open Grave
Lower me down under glorious green,
Eternity waits on a broken machine,
Exit the soul in a vibrant white,
Leaving a shell in the dead of night
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