It’s impossible to forget those times when the famous “Emo” movement took off, especially in Mexico and the United States. Musical genres, to some extent, act as a form of expression, a “defense mechanism” against generational changes. We’ve seen this in bands like Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols, and even The Offspring, where groups of young people express themselves empathetically through music to say, “Hey, you’re not alone”, and consequently, rally the masses to share the same feeling.
Today, we’re discussing “They’re Only Chasing Safety” by Underoath, a classic of the post-hardcore “Emo” movement with a very creative musical approach. At the time, it received highly positive reviews from specialized media. Despite the prejudices of purist fans prevailing in many ears, leading some not to give it a chance, the album was a resounding success. It’s worth noting that Underoath started as an Extreme Metal band, associated with genres like Black Metal.
Times have changed, and we believe that the average Rock fan’s mindset has evolved, opening up to more possibilities of discovering diverse music, which ultimately is art.
A gem of post-hardcore.
Even though the album is globally considered post-hardcore, we can hear from Underoath a very well-executed blend of Alternative Rock, Metalcore, Screamo, and even a touch of jazz in the instrumental interlude “The Blue Note.” All of this is carried by the percussive groove of drummer and second vocalist Aaron Gillespie, who completely breaks away from the traditional rules of Metal. He creates fills and rhythms that are very different from what we’ve traditionally heard throughout the history of the genre. This makes the listening experience quite interesting, as the album is by no means predictable; it is exceptionally creative, as evident in the changes in “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door.”
Similarly, the guitars do their job differently, both on “They’re Only Chasing Safety” and throughout Underoath’s discography. Just like the drums, they leave a mark without falling into the clichés of traditional extreme music. They are diverse, and we can even hear acoustic bridges as in “Down, Set, Go,” making the album anything but constant. The keyboards are subtle, but when they appear, it’s done very elegantly, showcasing the musical discretion of Christopher Dudley on the instrument. He only appears to embellish the songs when needed, without overshadowing them.
Speaking of musical discretion, the same can be said for Grant Brandell on bass, who discreetly supports the rhythm section.
The successful combination of growls with clean vocals
Everything heavy on “They’re Only Chasing Safety” is sweetened, contrasting guttural vocals with the clean vocals of both vocalist Spencer Chamberlain and drummer Aaron Gillespie. This is another aspect to add to their innovation, as it is uncommon to find drummers who also sing, especially in bands of extreme genres. The combination of these two vocal styles is very well done, as they do it authentically in both facets.
We can even hear Underoath closing the album with “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Scape,” a song that is mostly acoustic and ballad-like, only to later explode melodically, providing an emotional and very memorable conclusion to the work.
Regarding the lyrics, the band talks about some of the things that young people needed at that time, as they are very emotional, but at the same time, they make reference to Christianity, as Underoath is an openly Christian band. At the time, the specialized press emphasized that the band spoke about their religion without hesitation, explicitly mentioning “Jesus” in their compositions, just as we hear in “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Scape.”
They're Only Chasing Safety, a diferent album...
In general, we consider Underoath a band that stands out in every sense: they have two vocalists, their drummer also sings, they are Christians, and their guitars and drums deviate from the traditional… among many other things. “They’re Only Chasing Safety” is an album that is worth listening to openly, without preconceptions from start to finish. It is an extremely creative work that impacted an entire generation, the young generation that enjoyed the “Vans Warped Tour” festival and even bands like Blink 182.
Noteworthy is the exquisite groove of Aaron Gillespie on the drums, an auditory delight that is worth listening to in detail.
And what do you think of this album? Leave us your comments!
