Ø (Disambiguation) / O (Disambiguation)

With ex-Norma Jean drummer Daniel Davidson in the fold, this veteran Florida metalcore outfit regains the lethal edge that made 2006’s Define the Great Line such a landmark release. Frontman Spencer Chamberlain stretches his vocal abilities, revealing more subtleties in both his clean and guttural singing modes. What counts most is the primal aggression of the band’s ensemble work, tempered by an underlying rock-solid faith. The tracks “In Division” and “In Completion” frame a brooding song-cycle laden with images of isolation, drowning and destruction. The tense, churning rhythm of “Who Will Guard the Guardians” and the fractured funk-thrash of “Catch Myself Catching Myself” embody a reoccurring theme of spiritual warfare. The eerie experimentation within “Driftwood” sets the listener up for the staccato guitar thrusts of “Vacant Mouth.” Tracks like “Paper Lung” and “A Divine Eradication” are harrowing messages from the abyss. Amidst this sea of barely controlled chaos, Underoath reveals glimmers of salvation behind the darkness.