Voyeurist | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | January 14, 2022 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 38:39 | |||
Label | Fearless | |||
Producer | ||||
Underoath chronology | ||||
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Singles from Voyeurist | ||||
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Voyeurist is the ninth studio album by American rock band Underoath, released on January 14, 2022, via Fearless Records, after a three-month pushback due to vinyl production delays. It is their first album in four years following Erase Me (2018), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in the band's career without breaking up and it is the final album with rhythm guitarist James Smith who was fired from the band in March 2023.
On July 14, 2021, the band released "Damn Excuses", the lead single from the album. [3] [4] [5] On August 4, 2021, the band released the second single from the album, "Hallelujah". [6]
On September 22, 2021, the band released the third single "Pneumonia" and revealed it was written exactly one year prior to release. The single is the album's seven-minute finale and was partly inspired by the passing of guitarist Tim McTague's father. [7] This was followed by two more singles, "Cycle" featuring Ghostemane, released on October 27, 2021, [8] and "Numb", released on December 8, 2021, [9] the latter described as "a grown-up version of something off their 2004 album They're Only Chasing Safety ." [10]
The band described the album as "high-def violence," with a "technologically advanced, but undeniably visceral" sound. Guitarist Tim McTague stated, "I've always wanted to record our own album. I think we just needed to get into a headspace personally that would allow criticism and critique to land in a productive and constructive way. We grew so much in real time and I think the record speaks to that growth and collaboration. I haven't ever felt this attached to a project in my life." [11]
The album was performed live entirely in a livestream concert entitled Voyeurist: Digital Ghost, on December 3, 2021. [12] One attendee would be chosen to receive an Underoath prize pack that includes a vinyl edition of Voyeurist, along with three of their previous albums, They're Only Chasing Safety (2004), Define the Great Line (2006) and Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008) in vinyl as part of the Underoath: Observatory boxset, named after a livestream series of those three albums performed entirely in 2020. [13]
Underoath embarked on a North American tour in support of the album with Spiritbox from February to March. [14] Vocalist Spencer Chamberlain stated about the tour: "There was a time during the pandemic where I didn't know if we’d ever get to tour again. I would sit up at night and try to wrap my brain around a world without live music and I just couldn't ever digest that thought." [15] Every Time I Die was originally to join Underoath and Spiritbox for the Voyeurist tour, but the group split up in January 2022. The group was replaced by Bad Omens and Stray from the Path. [16]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [17] |
Distorted Sound | 8/10 [1] |
Kerrang! | 4/5 [2] |
Punk News | [18] |
Wall of Sound | 9/10 [19] |
Kerrang praised the album, stating that "Voyeurist is arguably the most cohesive and coherent record of Underøath's career to date. It's an album that asks profound questions about the meaning of life and death, about the nature and purpose of existence (and non/un-existence) and about the role that faith and religion play in our lives – all to some of the most punishingly heavy music you’ll hear this year." [2] Wall of Sound gave it a 9/10 rating. [19]
All lyrics are written by Spencer Chamberlain and Aaron Gillespie, with additional writers noted; all music is composed by Chamberlain, Gillespie, Chris Dudley, and Tim McTague, with additional writers noted.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
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1. | "Damn Excuses" | 2:37 | ||
2. | "Hallelujah" | 3:01 | ||
3. | "I'm Pretty Sure I'm Out of Luck and Have No Friends" | 3:45 | ||
4. | "Cycle" (featuring Ghostemane) | Eric Whitney | 4:13 | |
5. | "Thorn" | 4:36 | ||
6. | "(No Oasis)" | 2:49 | ||
7. | "Take a Breath" | 3:26 | ||
8. | "We're All Gonna Die" | 3:19 | ||
9. | "Numb" | JJ Revell | 3:41 | |
10. | "Pneumonia" | McTague |
| 7:12 |
Total length: | 38:39 |
Underoath
Additional contributors
Chart (2022) | Peak position |
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US Billboard 200 [20] | 126 |
US Christian Albums (Billboard) [21] | 4 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [22] | 19 |
Underoath is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton in 1997 in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional members were from Tampa, including drummer, clean vocalist and last remaining original member Aaron Gillespie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, keyboardist Christopher Dudley, lead guitarist Timothy McTague, bassist Grant Brandell, and lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain. Originally, the band identified as a Christian group; they have since distanced themselves from Christianity.
They're Only Chasing Safety is the fourth studio album by American rock band Underoath. It was released on June 15, 2004, through Solid State Records. Following the release of their third studio effort The Changing of Times (2002), half of the band's members were replaced. After finalizing the line-up with vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, the band recorded their next release with producer James Paul Wisner at his home studio Wisner Productions in February 2004. The album has been tagged with various genres including screamo and melodic hardcore and features subtle references to Christianity. Drummer Aaron Gillespie had more of a vocal presence to contrast Chamberlain's screams.
The Changing of Times is the third studio album by American rock band Underoath. The album was released on February 26, 2002, through Solid State Records. It is the first album to include guitarist Timothy McTague and bassist William Nottke, the latter leaving the band afterwards along with vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Octavio Fernandez. The album is the best-selling Solid State debut.
Act of Depression is the debut studio album by American rock band Underoath. Released July 4, 1999, through Takehold Records, the album was out of print for some time as there were only 2,000 copies originally released. Solid State reissued this album alongside Cries of the Past on August 20, 2013.
Every Time I Die was an American metalcore band from Buffalo, New York, formed in 1998. For most of the band's career, the line-up was centred on brothers Keith (vocals) and Jordan Buckley (guitar), as well as rhythm guitarist Andy Williams, with bassist Stephen Micciche also being in the band for a cumulative 15 of the band's 24 years. After spending the first decade of their career on the Ferret Music label, they signed with Epitaph Records in 2008 and remained there until their split in early 2022. Every Time I Die released nine studio albums, with their final album Radical being released in October 2021.
Aaron Roderick Gillespie is an American musician, best known for being the original and current drummer and clean vocalist for the rock band Underoath and the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the alternative rock band the Almost. He has also worked with the band The Dangerous Summer. Gillespie also maintains his own solo project and released his debut full-length album, Anthem Song, in 2011. From 2013 to 2016, he was the touring drummer for Paramore.
Spencer Chamberlain is an American musician, best known for being the current lead vocalist for the rock band Underoath. Before fronting Underoath, Chamberlain was the vocalist for the band This Runs Through in which his brother, Phil Chamberlain, was the drummer.
The Almost is an American rock band from Clearwater, Florida, fronted by Underoath drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie. Formed in 2005 as a solo project by Gillespie, the band currently includes guitarist Jay Vilardi, bassist Jon Thompson, and drummer JJ Revell. They released three albums via Tooth & Nail Records: their debut Southern Weather (2007), Monster Monster (2009), and Fear Inside Our Bones (2013). Following a hiatus in 2015, Gillespie revived the project and released a fourth album, Fear Caller, in 2019 through Fearless Records.
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 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.
Lost in the Sound of Separation is the sixth studio album by American rock band Underoath. It was released on September 2, 2008, through Solid State and Tooth & Nail Records. Following the release of their fifth studio album Define the Great Line (2006), relationships between members became strained to the point they almost broke up. They decided to go on a hiatus; Lost in the Sound of Separation was recorded at Glow in the Dark Studios in Atlanta, Georgia in March and April 2008. The band produced the album with Adam Dutkiewicz and Matt Goldman, both of whom worked on Define the Great Line. The album has been described as metalcore, post-hardcore and screamo, with elements of industrial, recalling the works of Refused, At the Drive-In, and Cult of Luna.
Filter is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Cleveland, Ohio, by singer Richard Patrick, along with guitarist and programmer Brian Liesegang. The band was formed when Patrick desired to start his own band after leaving Nine Inch Nails as their touring guitarist. Their debut album, Short Bus (1995) received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), supported by the single "Hey Man Nice Shot." After the album, the band would go through the first of many lineup changes, leaving Patrick as the only consistent member across all releases.
Ø (Disambiguation) is the seventh studio album by American rock band Underoath. Released on November 9, 2010, through Tooth & Nail Records, the album was the band's only without founding member Aaron Gillespie, and is the first and only record by the band with Daniel Davison, formerly of Norma Jean. It was also their final album before a two-year breakup from 2013 to 2015. They would not release another studio album until 2018's Erase Me. Ø (Disambiguation) was met with acclaim and was recorded at Glow in the Dark Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, the same studio where the band's previous album, Lost in the Sound of Separation was recorded.
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Erase Me is the eighth studio album by American rock band Underoath. It is their first album in eight years following Ø (Disambiguation) (2010), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in the band's career, and their first one with founding drummer and clean vocalist Aaron Gillespie since Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008). It was recorded in mid-2017 with Matt Squire and mixed by Ken Andrews. The album was released via Fearless Records on April 6, 2018.
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Spiritbox is a Canadian heavy metal band, originally from Victoria, British Columbia, publicly established by guitarist Mike Stringer and vocalist Courtney LaPlante in October 2017. The band's full lineup comprises married couple LaPlante and Stringer alongside drummer Zev Rose, and bassist Josh Gilbert. The band's style incorporates electronic elements and draws from a variety of influences, crossing multiple metal subgenres with its roots in metalcore and progressive metal. Their music is currently released through their label, Pale Chord, via a partnership with Rise Records.
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