The Triangle

Issue date: 10/31/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Brandon Weiss

When Underoath comes to town, they always fill up sizeable venues, so the sold-out concert Electric factory was no surprise when the band hit Philadelphia Oct. 22 with openers The Devil Wears Prada, Saosin and P.O.S.

Underoath put on a blistering performance; the band's set was an ample mix of both old favorites and new gems. Although The Devil Wears Prada, Saosin, and P.O.S. all played well, it was no shock that Underoath made all three seem like mere amateurs.

In an exclusive interview with The Triangle, the band's drummer and vocalist, Aaron Gillespe, explained how this was "the best tour" the band has ever done, and delved into the process of creating the band's latest record "Lost In The Sound Of Separation."

Off the bat, Gillespe explained the significance of the title of the record.

"It speaks about how everyone is kind of separated from God in one way or another, and we have to kind of get back to that," Gillespe said. "We're all kind of lost in that separation."

"I've been listening to the new Jonzetta record and Coldplay record," Gillespe explained when asked what's been on his iPod as of late.

"I've been listening to a lot of country music, too. I think when we get interviewed people expect that we listen to Cannibal Corpse and Hatebreed. That's all well and good but we don't listen to music like that and never have."

This was kind of surprising coming from the singer and drummer of one of the most cutting-edge hardcore bands on the planet.

According to Gillespe, despite its complexity, crafting Underoath's latest record was a sinch.

"There's a lot of weird time signatures," Gillespe said. "We did a lot of snare rolls when tracking drums. … [However,] pretty much making this record was the easiest one so far. We all were on the same page and we knew what we wanted to do and went in and did it."

As for the writing process, the introverted drummer explained: "It was really natural. I think we start writing about six months after a record comes out. After a record comes out, we just write for two years. We don't like to rush ourselves. We were never like 'Oh, we need another song.' We just basically made the record we wanted to make over the last two years. At about nine months or eight months before we said, 'Let's start really writing songs,' but we never really pressured ourselves."

Gillespe noted that one of the most interesting tracks on "Lost In The Sound Of Separation" is a track called "Emergency Broadcast: The End Is Near." This is one of Gillespe's favorite recordings from the album, as it features two completely different drum tracks being played simultaneously. "I kind of played the same thing on purpose, like '70s style, a few times in the song and they're both featured, so that's why it's panned," Gillespe said.

With such liberal creativity, it's no surprise that the band's latest effort is such a progressive and hardcore masterpiece.

Looking for a record that is going to scare the neighbors this Halloween? Check out "Lost In the Sound of Separation," out now on Solid State Records. It will blow your mind and tickle your eardrums.

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