Single Review | Underoath "Damn Excuses" (An insane leap into a new era)

"I am finally exposing the truth"

Today is a big day for fans of the iconic Tampa Bay vets Underoath as new music has finally released, signaling that the new era of Voyeurist is finally upon us. And, with that comes the surprisingly heavy and crushing new track "Damn Excuses" that feels like a natural progression of old and new sounds while also bringing back a pissed off energy that we haven't seen from the band in a long time; And, with the new era at our finger tips and a new song in our hands, the excitement is soaring and the anticipation is high as we dig deeper into the madness that is the new single.

The metal vets from The Sunshine State know how to hook the listener with crushing riffs and a sense of manic and pissed off energy, and how to make that energy excel to greater heights that permeate throughout the entire listening experience, and it is a sight of behold. The nostalgic tension that is felt throughout the listen will excite fans, as the progression of sounds are fully felt and realized here as the song progresses through an intense jam session of sludge metal angst that could be felt on something like "Ø Disambiguation" and a catchiness that is felt throughout the entire track that fits right in with earlier works and more recent works like "Erase Me". The whole livelihood of the band is felt here and it is glorious.

The track opens up with that raw energy, signaling to the listener that this track is going to be heavy. The pounding percussion along with those angst ridden guitar and bass riffs perfectly flow with the smashing drums and the pissed off energy to vocalist Spencer Chamberlain's voice as he and the rest of the band bounce back with an attitude of sure raw energy that would make even the strongest of men want to be pissed alongside them.

When the track picks up it feels like your typical Underoath fan fair between the melodic chord progression and the more "punk rock" styled beats to the drum patterns, and even when you hit that chorus; the flow between Spencer and Aaron's voices isn't something that is foreign to the band, far from it, but the way that they utilize both of their voices, with Spencer's taking center stage while Aaron's is stagnant in the background is definitely a stylistic shift that while it can come off as abrasive or even stale, it is a welcomed addition to the madness that is currently being played on tape.

And with all of the chaos that you have just witnessed, what with the slower chunk riffs and a massive pre-breakdown that just fills the void with a crushing and pulsating madness; we are now introduced to a slightly calmer back half that calls back to earlier material, with the Deftones and Tool inspired riffs that easily bring in a post-rock that is not at all foreign to the band. And, after all of the calming tendencies, the calm is immediately hit by a storm as they gear up for the final breakdown that perfectly ends the track off on a brutal note.

In closing, this is the Underoath that everyone has been patiently waiting for, and while there some minor issues with the track and it does follow a very basic structure; this is indeed one of the best and heaviest tracks that we have seen out of the year thus far and it is exciting to see the band come back in full force.

Underoath are an well loved and adored band, and after the mixed reception with "Erase Me", "Damn Excuses" is an incredible track that should quench the thirst of old fans that have been wanting some of the heaviness back, and it should also please new fans that they have a new heavy track to dig into, from this ever evolving legacy act. - Samuel Cook

Rating: 4.5/5