Underoath have today released ‘Pneumonia,’ the third single from their highly anticipated seventh full-length, Voyeurist, set for release on January 14th via Fearless Records. ‘Pneumonia’ is a sonic and lyrical voyage through death, partly inspired by the passing of guitarist Tim McTague’s father.
Clocking in at just over seven minutes, the track shows Underoath continuing to push their boundaries as a band, serving as one of the most melodic and experimental songs in their career. As the track progresses, the listener is met with eerie guitars, pulsating drums, and an earth-shaking switch from Aaron Gillespie’s lush vocals to Spencer Chamberlain’s intense screams. You can check out the visualiser for the song here and find it on streaming services.
| On the writing process, McTague elaborates:“We started writing the song, randomly, on the anniversary of my dad’s death, and to release it exactly a year from that day is wild. I was in a funk and wanted to make something sad but felt drained. The song ended up becoming an audible journey of death and is called ‘Pneumonia’ because that is what was listed on my dad’s death certificate. It’s also the only song in the history of the band that Spencer and Aaron sat someone down and asked them (me) to help write some of the lyrics, which was truly an honor.” |
| Voyeurist marks the first time in Underoath’s storied career that they took the recording process completely into their own hands. Doing so led to plenty of difficult conversations, but it also provided the ideal situation for artistic innovation. As McTague continues “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.” The result is the most collaborative album of Underoath’s career and, anchored in a profound respect for each other, one that left no stone unturned creatively. McTague adds again “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.”The band refers to Voyeurist as “high-def violence” – technologically advanced, but undeniably visceral. Conceptually, Voyeurist has several interrelated meanings, each tying back to the concepts of how we curate ourselves through social media and how that facade masks a lot of what we actually experience in life. The album is a cohesive listening experience with enough layers to provide fans with a fresh take and new favourite track on every spin. Voyeurist is available for pre-order now, including a deluxe animated vinyl which features a plastic o-card sleeve that activates playback of the jacket’s interlaced video imagery. |
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| ‘VOYERURIST’ TRACKLIST: 01 Damn Excuses 02 Hallelujah 03 I’m Pretty Sure I’m Out Of Luck and Have No Friends 04 Cycle (Feat. Ghostemane) 05 Thorn 06 (No Oasis) 07 Take A Breath 08 We’re All Gonna Die 09 Numb 10 Pnuemonia |
| This far into their storied career, Underoath has unsurprisingly faced their fair share of adversity. Through the trials and tribulations, a commitment to their craft and a sense of accountability rooted in mutual respect for each other has ensured that each new chapter for the band continues to mold their legacy in a positive fashion. With their shared history of remarkable accolades and trying hardships continuing to shape who the individual members are as people, Underoath is still just scratching the surface of what they can accomplish as a band. There are few acts in the annals of rock history that can say their best work is still ahead of them almost two decades into their career. Fortunately, Underoath falls into that category. As the world opens back up in 2021, the band is deeply committed to living up to the high expectations that fans (and themselves) have come to expect for anything associated with the project. It will undoubtedly be something special to witness as this next chapter in the Underoath story manifests. |