The latest Underoath singles have been polarizing, to say the least. Read any music fan group where Underoath is a talking point and you’ll likely find an animated discussion in the comments. In fact, some of the roasts I was coming across of some of the new songs I found to be melodramatic. Plus, Underoath is one of a handful of acts that have carried real longevity in my own listening journey, so The Place After This One was set to be an auditory adventure at the very least.

My first impression is that Spencer’s vocals are as shrill as ever. The album opener, true to the history of the band, is like being hit in the face over and over again. It’s the type of song that I could see growing on me over time, but also Spencer’s vocals hit me differently than normal. I feel mildly annoyed, and I’m not sure if that’s by design or not. What is certain though, is that the band’s trademark production is present. I can tell that painstaking steps have been taken to make the thundering drums, for example sound in sync with the band’s catalog, all the way back to Define the Great Line.

Lyrically, Underoath is maybe the bleakest they’ve ever been. “Loss” is a fun track that will undoubtedly be a fan favorite at shows, however thematically it points to the futility of prayer or outreach for help. In today’s environment, I don’t know if a song like this is one that I would gravitate toward on a regular basis, but I certainly respect the need for brutal honesty in art, regardless of my feelings.

“Teeth,” upon its release was one of the most panned tracks in the band’s history but I personally don’t understand the hate. The production is dynamic, the riffage is sweeping and hits you in the chest, and a lot is packed into its 2:37 run time. It’s quite an earworm of a song and I can’t wait to hear this live at Sonic Temple (hopefully).

It’s interesting to me, more broadly speaking how the band seems to front load the album with heavy hitting stuff that’s just pure aggression and angst, while the really catchy stuff shows up at the midpoint of the record. “Shame” is another significant example of this. This isn’t an absolute rule; “Devil” has a distinct hook early in the record, but places more emphasis on bleak emoting. “Outsider” continues the band’s career pattern of ending albums on a pensive note, but this outing is more contemplative and driving than some of the “classics” in the band’s early discography. All of this to say – the band’s thought process over song order is one of the most noteworthy things about my listen to this album, and an important detail many will miss in today’s streaming era.

Overall, I find The Place After This One to be a cathartic, at times fun, but not necessarily uplifting listen. Underoath seem to have figured out that nostalgic feelings in their fanbase are a moment in time that are truly impossible to recapture, so they’re doing what the heck they want.

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