Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!

JFH Music Review




Underoath
Define the Great Line



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 11 tracks: 45 minutes, 50 seconds
Street Date: June 20, 2006


By far the most anticipated release of the year, Define the Great Line is Underoath's much talked about follow up to They're Only Chasing Safety a record that was quite possibly Tooth & Nail's biggest breakout release in the history of the label. So the pressure was on for the Northern Florida boys. They built a base a few years back with the hardcore carnage of The Changing of Times, but blew up when they went screamo on They're Only Chasing Safety. Can they possibly bridge the gap and bring fans of the former release up to speed without excluding those that fell in love with Underoath after hearing their latter effort?

The answer, clearly, is yes. Underoath has crafted a record that somehow still contains the accessibility of their last effort, but kicks everything up a notch. Spencer Chamberlain not only screams on Define the Great Line, he roars. Aaron Gillespie's drums are more intense and urgent, yet still precise. And everything in between has been stepped up. It is a sound that was only hinted at on They're Only Chasing Safety ("I Don't Feel Very Receptive Today," in particular). Rarely does it slow up, either. And when it seems to be losing steam, it is only a sign that another explosion is pending. This one allows for little to no breathing room.

Underoath's message has changed little since the last time we heard from them. There is a lot of discussion of our depravity, and a need for redemption. Differing from their last release, however, is the frequency at which God is addressed by name, though all are in exclamations of desperation. Most tracks express a lot of pain, weariness, and frustration, but not without the awareness that things need to change. And God's presence is never factored out of the equation no matter how rough things get. He is a constant source of redemption and is the only way to "wake up" (A metaphor repeated constantly on the album).

Whether or not Define the Great Line will be Underoath's defining effort is up to history to decide, and it is too soon to say. Emotional attachments to They're Only Chasing Safety aside, Underoath's latest is a solid piece of work that holds its own against previous records. Without a second's hesitation, the hardcore album of the year thus far is Define the Great Line, and I'd like to see another album challenge it.

- Review date: 06/20/06, written by Josh Taylor



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!

 


. Record Label: Solid State Records
. Album length: 11 tracks: 45 minutes and 50 seconds
. Street Date: June 20, 2006
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. In Regards to Self
  2. A Moment Suspended in Time
  3. There Could Be Nothing After This
  4. You're Ever So Inviting
  5. Salmamir
  6. Returning Empty Handed
  7. Casting Such a Thin Shadow
  8. Moving for the Sake of Motion
  9. Writing on the Walls
  10. Everyone Looks So Good from Here
  11. To Whom It May Concern
spacer     Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!

Search JFH



This Friday, October 3, 2025
ALBUMS
BASECAMP Beautiful Like the Truth [Polished Arrow]
Pat Barrett I've Got A Fire [Capitol CMG]
Elan Brio Millennium Funk (independent)
Kristene DiMarco MEMORADUM - EP [Bethel]
Heath McNease Autumn Sessions, Vol. 2 (independent)
Mystical Death Carnation EP (Remastered) [Rottweiler Records]
Matt Redman Life & Breath [Integrity]
Thrive Worship Jesus Song - EP [Integrity Music]
Bay Turner Better Days - EP [Centricity Music]
John Van Deusen As Long As I Am In The Tent of This Body I Will Make a Joyful Noise Pt. 1 [Anotherland]

SINGLES
Gabby Barrett Ain't Supposed To Be - Single [Warner Music Nashville]
Mark Bishop Time To Let Go and Let God - Single [Sonlite]
Franni Cash Church Clothes - Single [Capitol CMG]
ChristianXXII & Futuristic Already Won - Single [DREAM]
Damian Back To You - Single [DREAM]
Dex the nerd who loves Jesus Salvation - Single [Syntax]
Drenae To the Cross - Single [Syntax]
Emerson Day This House Won't Fall - Single [Fair Trade]
Chris Ekiss Life's Biggest Questions - Single [Provident]
The Forerunner Manifesto (independent)
for KING + COUNTRY World on Fire (feat. Taylor Hill) - Single [Curb Records]
Forrest Frank JESUS IS COMING BACK SOON (feat. Josiah Queen) - Single [River House]
Vic Lucas Make a Way - Single [Syntax]
No Vain Glory MOVE YOUR BODY - Single [Syntax]
Nathan Oswalt MAKE UP YOUR MIND - Single (independent)
Drew Parker Blame Jesus - Single [Warner Music Nashville]
Razzie SHORTCUTS - Single [Syntax]
Shamash The Gulf Between Us - Single [Rottweiler]
Anne Wilson Carry Me - Single [Capitol CMG]
Zahriya Zachary Stay - Single [Bethel]

VINYL
Bleach Live/The Lost Show Vinyl (independent)

Next Friday, October 10, 2025
ALBUMS
Citizens m us eum [Anotherland Records]
Jesus Culture Send The Fire: Live From London [Capitol CMG]
Tasha Layton Life in Me [BEC]

SINGLES
Holly Brand One Thing He Wouldn't Do - Single [Integrity]
Chosen Road Daddy Was a Navy Man - Single [Thoroughbred]
Drakeford Writing on the Wall - Single (independent)
Amy Jay Back to What's Natural - Single (independent)
Run51 Song Of My Soul - Single [DREAM]
Zane Vickery Name (Live at Greenbriar) - Single (independent)
Vineyard Worship & Dreaming The Impossible Praise You For Eternity - Single [Vineyard]


For all release dates, click here!
 

Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase!
Need proofreading and editing help? We've got you covered! Click here to learn more
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images