Define the Great Line
Define the Great Line is the fifth studio album by American rock band Underoath. It was released on June 20, 2006, through Tooth & Nail Records. Five months after the release of their fourth studio album They're Only Chasing Safety, the band were already in the process of working towards its follow-up. Recording took place between January and March 2006 at Zing Recording Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts, and Glow in the Dark Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage, Matt Goldman and the band as producers. Define the Great Line is predominantly a metalcore and emo album, which has also been tagged as Christian metal, post-metal and post-hardcore. The variety of styles was an unintentional move by the band, who took influence from At the Drive-In, Beloved and Cult of Luna, among others.
Define the Great Line
June 20, 2006
January–March 2006
- Zing Recording, Westfield, Massachusetts
- Glow in the Dark, Atlanta, Georgia
45:58
- Adam Dutkiewicz
- Matt Goldman
- Underoath
Preceded by festival appearances and a headlining tour in the United States, "Writing on the Walls" was released as the first single from Define the Great Line on June 27, 2006. Underoath headlined the main stage of Warped Tour, though dropped off because of tension within the band. They toured Central and South America and Canada, prior to joining the international edition of the Taste of Chaos tour. "In Regards to Myself" appeared as the second single in the midst of this on November 27, 2006, followed by the third single "You're Ever So Inviting" on January 23, 2007. Underoath spent the first half of the year touring the North America with Taking Back Sunday, Norma Jean, and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. They appeared on Warped Tour again, and closed the year with another headlining US tour, which saw drummer Aaron Gillespie temporarily replaced by Kenny Bozich.
Define the Great Line received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many of whom highlighted the various musical styles, and praised Spencer Chamberlain for his growth as a vocalist. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest charting Christian release on said chart since 1997. It was certified gold in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America by the end of 2006; the music video for "Writing on the Walls" was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. Define the Great Line has been re-pressed on vinyl and performed in its entirety over the years.
Background and recording[edit]
Underoath released their fourth studio album They're Only Chasing Safety in June 2004 through Solid State Records.[1] By November 2004, the band had started writing new material for their next album.[2] In April 2005, Underoath had around six new songs, and were performing one of them live around this time.[3] They wrote while on tour; in between treks, they practiced together and recorded demos.[4] Around this time, the band expressed a desire to work with another producer other than James Wisner, who had worked on their preceding three albums. Alongside this, they mentioned that the new songs they had were heavier than their past work and were influenced by the work of Codeseven.[5] In September 2005, they announced that they would be recording their next album in early 2006.[6] Despite being courted by major labels for a few months, they opted to sign with Solid State's parent company Tooth & Nail Records.[7] Drummer Aaron Gillespie said they had better distribution, while vocalist Spencer Chamberlain said that both Solid State and Tooth & Nail shared the same mailing list.[8]
By this point, They're Only Chasing Safety had sold close to 500,000 copies in the United States, selling at a rate of 4,500 per week.[9] Underoath closed out 2005 playing a four-date tour dubbed Come & Live; profits from each show benefitted a separate charity. The shows led into the recording sessions for the band's next album.[10] Define the Great Line was recorded at Zing Recording Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts, and Glow in the Dark, Atlanta, Georgia, with Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage, Matt Goldman and the band serving as producers.[11] Dutkiewicz had seen the band live before, and was aware of the sound they were attempting to get.[7] Chamberlain said they had been looking for someone to capture their sound better, which he said was not well-represented on They're Only Chasing Safety.[4] They entered the studios with 19 songs written, which they planned to pare down to 10 or 11.[9] Dutkiewicz pushed the band to toy with different delay and effects pedals.[12] Sessions began in January 2006 and wrapped up two months later in March 2006.[7][9] Chris Lord-Alge, with assistance from Keith Armstrong, mixed the recordings at Resonate Music in Burbank, California, before the album was mastered by Tom Baker at Precision Mastering in Los Angeles, California.[11][13]
Composition and lyrics[edit]
Musical style[edit]
While most commonly cited as metalcore[14][15][16][17][18] and emo,[19][20][21] the sound of Define the Great Line has also been tagged as Christian metal,[19] post-metal and post-hardcore.[22] Indie Vision Music's Brandon J. noted influences Beloved, the Chariot and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, while Chamberlain highlighted At the Drive-In and Glassjaw.[23][24] The album's slower parts recalled the work of Cult of Luna and Isis.[17] It abandoned the pop choruses of the They're Only Chasing Safety and instead demonstrated a heavier and more eclectic range of styles.[17] The band themselves said that the heavier style was "nothing super intentional, they [the songs] just came out that way when we went to write".[25] Tony Cummings of Cross Rhythms described the album as "an impressively versatile project where metal riffs and emo breakdowns, screamo noise and memorable hooks collide in a veritable sonic feast,"[26] and AllMusic described the band as finding the centre point between "throat-shredding grindcore and My Chemical Romance/From Autumn to Ashes-style emo-punk".[19] Chamberlain explained that he switched from a higher pitched scream to a lower pitched one as it felt more natural for him.[24]
Define the Great Line was noted as a turning point for Underoath, with AllMusic commenting that "while the tendency to dissolve into the abyss of angtsy emo-pop was still there," there was a "darkness lurking in the nooks and crannies between the crackling snare hits and heavy 'drop-d' riffing" that would be fully realized on their sixth studio album Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008).[27] Alternative Press mentioned that the band had updated its "early, brutal style with weird time changes and post-metal ambience".[22] Andree Farias of The Fish said the album" not only redefines the sound of Underoath, but also has the potential of redefining the hardcore emo genre".[21] Brandon J. said the guitarwork was "merciless and somewhat chaotic, and the vocals range from the usual middle to high screams all the way to a deep and very powerful growl".[23]
Title and lyrical themes[edit]
The title of the album, according to keyboardist Christopher Dudley, comes from "defining that line for yourself between becoming the man or the woman that you want to be and the man or the woman other people want you to be".[25] Aaron Burgess of Alternative Press used the title as an example of how on this album Underoath seemed "acutely aware of the line that separates their spiritual core from the painful reality of being human," and how "even successful musicians need help staying on the right side of that line".[22]
For its lyrics, the band maintained its focus on Christianity and personal struggles, and according to Josh Taylor of Jesus Freak Hideout the big difference was "the frequency at which God is addressed by name," though all of these mentions were in "exclamations of desperation". The main lyrical themes of the album expressed pain, weariness, and frustration, "but not without the awareness that things need to change".[28] These themes were praised by AllMusic reviewer James Christopher Monger, which stated that "while Underoath explore their faith with both reverence and suspicion, something that sets them apart from the polarizing righteousness of many CCM acts, their crossover potential remains huge, as the prevailing themes of isolation, anger, introspection, and the quest for self-confidence are universal".[19]
Drowned in Sound writer Raziq Rauf said there was "no reason to treat the explicitly religious content" of the release differently from other emo albums, as it "covers the same bases of heartache, frustration and the inevitable exhaustion that results".[20] According to the band the lyrics were personal to Chamberlain, relating aspects of his life that have affected him over the years.[29] Burgess noted Chamberlain's lyrical presence, saying that "between Chamberlain's deeply troubled writing and [...] Gillespie's, Define sounds like a group-therapy session put to tape"[22]
Songs[edit]
The mathcore track "In Regards to Myself" opens the album, with Chamberlain expressing the rawest vocals from the band since their second studio album Cries of the Past (2000).[15][23] It was reminiscent of the work of labelmates Norma Jean, with a number of dissonant guitar parts.[17] "A Moment Suspended in Time" showcase Brandell, McTague, and Smith's contributions to the band.[30] "There Could Be Nothing After This" deals with leaving the past behind in lieu of a life of faith.[21] The metalcore track "You're Ever So Inviting" is followed by "Sálmarnir", a song that consists of the Bible passage Psalm 50 being recited in Russian by a friend of the members.[20][31][17] The title comes from the Icelandic word for "Psalms"; for its second half, Dudley is head repeating it in English in the manner of a Televangelist, backed by the crowd noise.[32] Its ambient electronica sound, powered by Dudley's keyboard parts, recalled the work of Sigur Rós.[17][33]
"Returning Empty Handed" opens with a quiet instrumental passage, which gives way to a heavier section, before ending acoustically; over the course of its duration, it changes from mathcore to post-metal.[18][30] The first half of "Casting Such a Thin Shadow", which moves with a space rock pace, touches on post-rock and post-metal in the style of Pelican.[20][31] It is mainly instrumental until Chamberlain's voice appears four minutes in, which eventually climaxes with his screaming vocals.[33][31] "Moving for the Sake of Motion" opens with a double bass roll from Gillespie, while it evokes the sound of Failure On-era (2003) Beloved; "Writing on the Walls" also takes influence from Beloved.[31][30] "Everyone Looks So Good from Here" is another metalcore song.[20] The album closes with the seven minute long "To Whom It May Concern", which features several tempo changes.[17]