Painted Red: Strung Out On Underoath
(Various Artists)
Artist Info:Underoath Discography Album length: 11 tracks: 33 minutes, 30 seconds Street Date: July 18, 2006
For those wanting to experience Underoath on a totally different level, Painted Red is a string tribute
to everyone's favorite Christian screamers, offering eleven songs (taken equally from They're Only Chasing Safety and
The Changing of Times) that are translated from guitars, bass and drums to violins, violas and cellos.
Now, Underoath on strings doesn't necessarily sound like a winning idea on paper, but upon closer examination, it actually works
more than it should. The reason is that most of Underoath's songs (especially their earlier, pre-They're Only Chasing Safety
material) don't follow a strict verse/chorus formula and even those that do ("Boy Brushed Red" and "Reinventing Your Exit") feature
extended sections of pre- and post-choruses, meaning that Underoath's songs are structurally and compositionally complex enough to be
adapted for string transcription. Underoath also manage to inject a sense of drama into most of their songs through their frequent use
of sing/scream dynamics and inventive chord changes. So despite trading in their screams for strings, these songs sound just as epic
even without all the distortion.
Unsurprisingly, the most interesting selections from Painted Red are those taken from The Changing Of Times.
Compositionally, these songs (especially "Letting Go Of Tonight" and "Never Meant To Break Your Heart") are far superior to their
post-Taylor material and the instrumental interplay displayed by the quartet exhibit the songs' strengths ably. Other highlights
include "The Changing Of Times," which sounds just as menacing without all the distortion, and "Some Seek Forgiveness," which is
rendered even more beautifully in its vocal-and-guitar-less arrangement.
Although it takes a couple of listens to adjust one's ears to this project, the riffs and melodies are still unmistakably
Underoath's - whether they are performed with guitars, keyboards or, in this case, cellos. I would credit the quartet for sticking
quite faithfully to the original compositions and honoring the dynamic qualities inherent in each song. It may be nothing more than a
novelty to most listeners, but Painted Red succeeds quite admirably in painting these now-familiar compositions in a new light
without sacrificing the intensity and imagination that made the originals such a great listen in the first place.
- Review date: 7/10/07, written by Sherwin Frias
Artist Info:Underoath Discography Record Label: Vitamin Records
Album length: 11 tracks: 33 minutes, 30 seconds
Street Date: July 18, 2006
Buy It:Amazon.com
Artist Info: 
