In Division: Define The Great Line (An Album Review/Analysis)

(Introduction)

Picture this. The year is 2006. The world saw a huge rise in the Warped Tour and emo scenes with the likes of My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, Panic! At The Disco, Paramore, and many others leading the charge for a generation of new listeners being introduced to a new world of rock and metal. Now picture this. A band that saw small town success as a deathcore band in the 90's slowly turning into screamo and metalcore giants amongst some of the best that the scene had to offer at the time. Generating a lot of buzz from their highly successful 2004 record "They're Only Chasing Safety" which would be later regarded as one of the greatest scene releases of all time and would later lay down the ground work for what would become "Define The Great Line".

As we go through this album review/analysis we have to understand what makes "Define The Great Line" the truly legendary album that it is. What made it such a cultural phenomenon, what was the head space of the band at the time, and why does it still hold up so well to this day. These are the questions that we will try and answer in this cataloging of the backlog of Tooth & Nail Records; so welcome to In Division. And this is Define The Great Line.

"Define The Great Line" also known as DTGL released on June 20th, 2006 at the height of screamo's mainstream popularity with other bands seemingly trying to capture the same magic that only Underoath could ever pull off time and time again but to little success. Underoath were influential from the very beginning from their 90's deathcore efforts with Dallas Taylor, their foray into screamo with "The Changing Of Times", to their career successor "They're Only Chasing Safety", to "Define The Great Line", to now in their later years; Underoath in a way defined a generation of screamo and metalcore and with "Define The Great Line" being the turning point to fandom and fame, some consider that "Define The Great Line" is the band's crowning achievement and there is merit to that argument considering that DTGL is still talked about so fondly and still remembered to this day as a fan favorite and a beloved classic in the scene and in the genre. 

The record came out at a time where rebellion and finding one's self was the critical mindset of the youth of the generation and "Define The Great Line" while didn't tie into that directly per se it did however make it a gate way to self expression and finding meaning in the chaos that surrounds you. Especially when tied to the christian faith and the ccm underground scene; bands from this era were looked down upon because of ties to religion but in the case of Underoath they managed to flow the christian faith with critical praise and marketing to make them seem appealing to a younger generation, a generation that found it hard to fit in a society where self expression and self worth was looked down upon by not only society but the media and leaders of power as well. "Define The Great Line" were one of those records that you could find yourself in and that is why for some fans saved their lives from utter torment from being in their own heads, and that is something to commend this record for.

While obviously being in a band that garnering praise can be daunting and even scary. As for Underoath it led to an unhealthy space of self loathing, in fighting, drinking, drugs, and hatred which almost killed the band for forever. While on The Vans Warped Tour in 2006 while on tour and promoting the new record the anger, the frustration, and the hatred ultimately led into an argument which almost killed the band entirely, it wasn't until their management and warped tour head runner Kevin Lyman talked them out of it. While they did manage to continue on and have a successful career this success came with a cost and in tern took a lot of needed time to grow, reflect, mature, and rehabilitate to overcome the struggles, the hurdles, and the inner demons that had plagued the band for quite some time. And of course the band are better and healthier than ever because they managed to overcome their demons and struggles and bettered themselves as humans and as friends.

But why is any of this important? Well because in the context of not only just the band but the record and the thought behind it all connect together into a powerful listen that will make the listener reflect and wander into a soundscape of heavy music and emotional lyrics that are as captivating as they were when the record was originally released in 2006. The band know how to craft beautifully haunting and powerfully heavy music with punishing guitar riffs, brutal and melodic screams, insanely complex yet well paced and driven drums, eclectic bass grooves, and beautiful and serene soundscapes with the keys and programing. Everything connects when you listen to "Define The Great Line" and everything will be shown in detail once we get into the track list.

(The Track List)

1: In Regards To Myself

The record opens up in full gear with 'In Regards To Myself'. A brutal moment that chimes in with the sound of a projector along with the signature riff before going into the opening line "Wake Up! Wake Up! My God!, This is not a test!" showing off that this record is different and more intense than previous outings. It's a track that shows the listener that the band are not messing around this time what with a much heavier sound and an urgent tenacity seeping through the cracks of a broken band on the cusp of something great.

2: A Moment Suspended In Time

The second track on the record 'A Moment Suspended In Time' perfectly transitions into a full throttle moment that will take you on a ride that you weren't ready for. The track feels like "a moment suspended in time" that takes you into it's lush soundscape and asking to "lay back and take it in".

3: There Could Be Nothing After This

The third track 'There Could Be Nothing After This' is a haunting moment that ties mental illness and mental health to that of being alone and being isolated and how that can truly take a toll on one's mental, emotional, and physical space. The chorus "This is for you and all your hopeless case" truly says it all in one piece of text.

4: You're Ever So Inviting

"The time has come for you" to rock out to one of the heaviest songs on the record. The track fully encapsulates everything that fans of the heavier side of Underoath wants from the band and it shows how versatile the sound throughout the record shines with the brutal and thrashing instrumentation along with the catchiness that we had seen on previous records.

5: Salmarnir

The interlude track of the record 'Salmarnir' is nothing short of a masterful piece of cinematic work. The score by keyboardist Chris Dudley combined with the speech spoken in russian is a powerful yet haunting moment that flows with the record so well.

6: Returning Empty Handed

The sixth track 'Returning Empty Handed' cranks the energy back up into high gear with a pummeling drum shuffling by drummer and co-lead vocalist Aaron Gillespie as the track kicks in with so much energy and tenacity that explodes throughout the track and the rest of the record.

7: Casting Such A Thin Shadow

The next track 'Casting Such A Thin Shadow' is such a beautifully crafted piece of ambience and brutal music that cultivates into a wall of pure poetic space. It's a track that feels so brutally honest in just a few simple words, with the line "I'll take this on my own" being such a powerful line of work in such an ambient piece of magic in the track list.

8: Moving For The Sake Of Motion

The energy kicks back into high gear with 'Moving For The Sake Of Motion' a track that does indeed "move for the sake of motion". It's a great track that gives a lot of lay way for the rest of the record to fully make it's mark on the listener.

9: Writing On The Walls

'Writing On The Walls' in a sense is Underoath's biggest track yet. The opening line from Aaron Gillespie "Maybe we, why don't we sit right here for half an hour? We'll speak of what a waste I am, And how we missed your beat again" always felt like a rally cry for individuals that felt out of place in a society that is accustomed to norms and trends. It is the 'Reinventing Your Exit' or the 'On My Teeth' of "Define The Great Line" and it is still such a powerful moment on the record and still such a beloved moment in the band's discography.

10: Everyone Looks So Good From Here

'Everyone Looks So Good From Here' is such an adrenaline rush that is filled with so much pint up aggression and rage that turns it into a full on bloodbath of metalcore perfection. The aggressive sludge metal and punk rock angst that fills this track is such a welcomed addition to the track list and it makes the song feel more alive when it comes to the rest of the record and the record was already filled with so much aggressive energy and brutally complexed and pissed off music so adding in just a little more aggression makes the back half of the record so much more alive and well.

11: To Whom It May Concern

The final track on the record 'To Whom It May Concern' is a phenomenal closer that perfectly encapsulates everything that you have experienced on the record and takes it into astronomical proportions. The record closes off with what almost feels like the closer to a space rock album and that's not a bad thing at all, if anything it helps drive the song into god tier status while also driving the record home and in tern helping make the record the classic that it truly is.

(Closing Thoughts)

In closing. "Define The Great Line" defined a generation of music listeners that were trying to find a place where they could belong. They helped pave a way for a generation of music that would shine amongst the world and would help pioneer the term "christian metal". It wasn't your typical heavy christian record and it wasn't supposed to be. While at the time you had the likes of Skillet, Demon Hunter, Thousand Foot Krutch, and others marking their stamps on heavy music; Underoath were trying to do something different in the world of heavy music and it truly shows.

The record is a classic for a reason and it is still to this day one of the best records to come from the scene and it is without a doubt one of the best metal records of all time and should be regarded as such. Because without Underoath and "Define The Great Line" we wouldn't have the great rising artists that we have today trying to do the same thing as Underoath did years ago and that creativity would not be there. Underoath helped define the genre and in a way helped "define the great line"

Written by Samuel Cook / Presented by Soundwave

COURTESY OF @ SOLID STATE RECORDS / @ TOOTH & NAIL RECORDS / @ WE ARE SOUNDWAVE