Great Album! At first i was a lil skeptical, but after about 10 listen-thru's, I adore this album. Im actually glad close-minded people dont like it. It takes effort but once you learn to enjoy UO, there's very deep beauty to witness.

Horrible.

Being a teenager in america is so hard I just need to yell and then sing melodically like nsync.

This band keeps getting better! It's a rarity these days, but over the last couple albums Underoath has continued to progress into greater complexity instead of becoming just like every other metal band. I can only hope they continue this trend.

Amazing. This album showcases the fine line Underoath treads between the metalcore scene and the success in the mainstream light.

I don't think anyone thought that they could out-top "Define The Great Line", but I will be the first to admit, they really outdid themselves this time. Absolutely fantastic album.

When Metacritc gave this album a rating of 92, I thought, "this I must have". In my haste to acquire it, I committed the cardinal sin of not sampling it. Big mistake! I listened to ten tracks with increasing bewilderment and pain. What I was hearing sounded like the inchoate ramblings of a wounded gorilla. Only the final track eased my pain. I love music, all kinds of music. For me, this ain't music: it's sonic masochism!… Expand

I think this album is great. I really like underoath and this just gives me more of it.

Horrible.

This is by far the best Underoath album to date.. I have listened to this album at least once a day since it came out, and everytime i listen to it, i find something new.. This cd is so stacked musically and lyrically. Every single song has so many elements that make it so full and jam packed. As in response to the terrible review given by Salman A, which was his opinion.. in my opinion you are an idiot. just because you think you know what sound Underoath was going for and because you know some bands that sound like Underoath doesn't mean you know anything about the process of making this album. The reason Aaron is on so many tracks is because he can sing, he is the only remaining member from the original Underoath (you should know that) and because he is an amazing lyricist. The two elements of spencers singing and aarons singing work so well together, if you lost one of those elements you wouldn't have underoath.… Expand

If i could i would drag my sack across Christ's head to get this sack-smoking band to sack sack sack sack.

There is nothing musical about this album, it is trash, you can't understand a thing the singer is uttering. Quote from a user who liked it: "Not only do these guys add a since of melody to a usually unmelodic hardcore scene, they do it with so much grace and style that you get lost in the screams." What the hell is a "since of melody"? Only an idiot could like this.

While not topping their ridiculously grand 2004 album, They're Only Chasing Safety, underOATH does it again. I am not prone to listening to Christian based music at all, but I make one exception for this Florida screamcore/metal/electric/whateveryouwanttocallit band. Not only do these guys add a since of melody to a usually unmelodic hardcore scene, they do it with so much grace and style that you get lost in the screams.… Expand

Great follow-up to Define the great line which raised the bar quite high. As Chasing safety was the typical ,yet original for the time, album with singles and pop melodies, define the great was the other ditch going all the way on the other side being less joyful and more dramatic and dark all along. Being a one big piece concept album it really was one of the best album I've heard yet. Now they just found the perfect middle where they put a little bit of everything they like, more direct lyrics, a wider diversity of beats and sounds, a wider emotional diversity too, sometime heavier than before other times smoother. They found new catchy melodies that still sounds experimental and that is a great quality of drummer Aaron Gillespie. Also the good idea of splitting the songs in two parts so that the fans who liked more the hopeful and melodic side of underoath (Cahsing Safety) and heavy and dramatic sound of define the great line find there common ground in one song as it is in Lost in the sound of separation. I wouldn't say its a better album or less good than define the great line, a lot of ideas and elements come back from Define in Lost in the sound, though it was already mentioned by the band, still it is not meant to be a one big song like define, its a more easy to love album for the average heavy-melody lover. I believe despite the little weakness it might have, Underoath couldn've done better as a 3rd (Spencer) album.… Expand

Some songs don't sound awesome at first because the cd takes couple plays to start sounding great. But once you get there, you'll understand; the depth is ridiculous, I could listen to this for the rest of my life. Best of 2008.

This is an excellent album from start to finish. Every song is good in its own right. Their songwriting really has matured a lot since DTGL. Its a shame its only 11 tracks

This album is very disappointing. They said it would be their "heaviest album", which is definitely not. Define the Great Line was by far their best one. Lost In The Sound Of Separation is a kind of "a weird version of DTGL" and every song sound the same.

Currently the overall Metacritic score for this album is a 92. This is based on 4 reviews and my guess is that the music is too specialized to be reviewed by anyone else. I doubt Spin, Pitchfork or Rolling Stone will review a metalcore album, and even if they did, the score would be lax, rating it in relation to the genre and not to other music in general. Underoath is polarizing band, so the publications that love them, reeeeaallly love them (AP) and other publications probably consider them a joke, not worthy of reviewing on any level. From what I've hear of their music, I would agree with the latter. Simply put, if this album even slightly cracks Metacritic's year-end best, it will prove that as cool as it seems, Metacritic doesn't really work. Or at least that you can't take most of these scores seriously.… Expand

a change, but not a great change. decent compared to others of their ilk. it is however a JOKE that this album is now #1 on MC.

Haven't heard the album but i know i don't like this band. That aside i just wanted to point out that the average of these ratings is 85 NOT 92! For some reason Metacritic regards the opinions of certain publications more favorably than others. Why? This is stupid and just reveals a gaping flaw in the Metacritic system which is that the overall scores are not accurate!

one of the great things about underoath is that over time they expand their sound. If you like "chasing" u like their more pop stuff this stuff is deeper. Listen to the whole album. Unlike most rock bands they have a meaning

Just before their last album "Define the Great Line" came out, I had never listened to Underoath. I thought it was the typical screamo band that you can't understand and whose music is just all over the place. I bought "Define the Great Line" and thought it was awesome. I also bought "They're Only Chasing Safety" and noticed that there was a definite style change. I was expecting a change for this album but was suprised that it is pretty much the same, just harder. I thought Spencer's vocals sounded excellent and Aarons drumming was awesome (as always). I was hoping for a change in guitar riffs because there isn't a whole lot of variety but they are still great. I would recommend this album to everyone. My favorite aspect of the album is the lyrics. They were definitely more concrete rather than leaving them to question. They make you think about things. I would say "Coming Down is Calming Down" is my favorite song because of the lyrics. I think overall, the album was more in-your-face than the past couple of albums. Good work guys.… Expand

This is trash. And it's corny. Grow up. If this gets a nod for best album of the year and Gza gets snubbed, I might single handedly dismantle the internet. Yessir.

I'm not Steve O's friend. This album isn't as good as Define the Great Line or They're Only Chasing Safety but its dang close. It was recorded with a lot of lows, so turn your bass down and enjoy this record for a very long time.

On a scale from 1 to good, I give it a boo.

I have been an Underoath fan since "Safety". I enjoyed DTGL with much enthusiasm, that it was hard to imagine how to top it, but.... Not only did they match the enthusiasm from the previous record. They unleashed a newer sound from maturity, and the age issue. There were a few moments when it seemed they tried to hard, but all in all... this album pulled through for me.. I listen to it daily.

Epic album, builds on everything they've done so far and just about surpasses it!

this is arguably the best thing UO has ever made! it was thought that DTGL would never be topped, but everyone was proved wrong! this type of style will live you speechless and its unpredictable....may you get lost in the sound....not of separation, but of desperation.

Just to set some facts here before I start this review: I have been listening to Underoath since they've released Cries of the Past. I have listened to every single album, including TOCS, DTGL, The Changing of Times, and Act of Depression. I have also listened to this album three times, and have given it more than enough time to "set in" so that I can possibly appreciate the music. I like(d) Underoath as a band, although they have begun disappointing with their previous album, Define the Great Line, and now with Lost in the Sound of Separation. Where do I begin? Underoath wanted to adopt a "heavier" sound since Define the Great Line. Did they succeed? Far from it. The only thing they managed to do is pay Adam over from Killswitch Engage to show the band how to change the tone of their guitars. That's it. If you think changing the tone of your guitar will automatically change you from a post-hardcore band into a metalcore band, you're mistaken. Underoath was originally a very sincere band. The lyrics in their songs gave glimpses into personal relationships, experiences, and included heartfelt emotion. This all changed after Define the Great Line was released. Spencer no longer wanted to scream like Dallas Taylor, and so he started singing in what the new Underoath audience considered "hardcore". So he growls and whines and keeps on screaming every two seconds in every song. The screaming turns generic, monotonous, and unnecessary. The lyrics he spews out are incomprehensible (unlike in They're Only Chasing Safety where you could actually understand the lyrics). Spencer's screaming in Define the Great Line and Lost in the Sound of Separation reminds me of someone buying a fake Prada bag from Chinatown in order to show off to her girlfriends that she is just as cool as them. And then they added Aaron's vocals into almost every single song. Probably one of the worst ideas ever. The inclusion of Aarons' voice in Underoath songs were rare, and actually special. They made that certain song stand out, and added a special touch to it (take for example, "I've Got Ten Friends And A Crowbar That Says You Ain't Gonna Do Jack" from the Special Edition of They're Only Chasing Safety). Now that every song has Aaron's voice in it, we have a blend of Spencer's computerized screaming combined with Aaron's whiny singing. Don't get me wrong, I used to enjoy Aaron's whiny singing in the background of their older songs, but now it is just excessive and unnecessary. And this leads me to one of my main points: every song seems to have a set structure. This structure is as follows: 1) Create heavy distortion on the tone of your guitar and try to imitate Killswitch Engages' sound (which they'll never get right, by the way). 2) Allow Spencer to scream all the way through the song, and allow absolutely no breathing room for the listener. And make sure that what Spencer is screaming can't be understood. 3) Give Aaron just as many vocal parts as Spencer, in fact, take Aaron off drums and have two vocalists. 4) Create "dramatic" pauses in the middle of your songs, to add a "unique" feel to every song (which soon becomes nullified because they do this on several songs in this album). This structure seems to be replicated in every song on Define the Great Line as well as in Lost in the Sound of Separation. Like seriously, why is every song indistinguishable from one another? It also intrigues me that some songs in Lost in the Sound of Separation include riffs from Define the Great Line (just slightly altered). Take for example the song "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures", how this song begins and how "In Regards To Myself" (from Define the Great Line) begins, is nearly identical. It seems that Underoaths' lack of new guitar riffs has led them to recycle some songs from Define the Great Line. This leads me to another point. Why does this album sound exactly the same as Define the Great Line? Has any Underoath fan (who has heard all or most of their albums), noticed that Spencer was a much better vocalist in his screaming style during They're Only Chasing Safety than he was after that album? Spencer tries too hard to sound "hardcore". His screaming seems very forced and mechanic. Unlike other vocalists (take for example Tim Lambesis from As I Lay Dying), Spencer does not scream in accordance to the music playing. His screaming is all over the place, and seems unorganized. If we look back at They're Only Chasing Safety, Spencer's screaming actually "flows" with the music, and gives a true sense of emotion. Moving on to Aarons' drumming, I must say this: I am impressed. His drumming has certainly gotten better from a technical perspective. However, it saddens me to see his drumming talent go to waste in this album as well as Define the Great Line. As technically marvelous as Aaron's drumming may be, it too, seems forced. If Spencer's screaming could be authentic, I'm sure that Aaron's drumming and Spencer's screaming would fit well. Sadly however, that hasn't happened in Define the Great Line or Lost in the Sound of Separation. Continuing onto guitars. I've already said it--changing the tone of your guitar will not make you sound hardcore. It must be a combination of all the instruments in unison, as well as the vocals, which creates a "hard" sound. However, setting that aside, the guitar work seems very monotonous--just as it was in Define the Great Line. The guitaring does not pull you "into" the music, rather, it seems like it's just there for show. Take for example, the song "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (which Underoath covered in the album ¡Policia!: A Tribute to the Police), or "Reinventing Your Exit" (from They're Only Chasing Safety) the guitar work pulls you in and envelops you into the music, as the drumming and vocals also help to supplement that feeling. However, I didn't seem to be "reeled in" by the guitar work in this album. It seemed non-progressive and shallow, in my opinion. After I finished listening to the album, I said to myself: "Okay, maybe it's because I just listened to it for the first time, maybe I need some time to let the music set in." And so I listened to several songs from the album a few times a day for a week. However, even after a week of trying to appreciate Underoaths' new album, I failed to find anything extraordinary within it. If I were to choose the few songs that I did find somewhat appealing, I would say these are: "Breathing In A New Mentality", "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures", and "Coming Down Is Calming Down". And even though these songs seemed to stand out among the other songs, they didn't satisfy my expectations for this album. If you want to hear good metalcore/metal/hardcore/death metal, give these albums a listen: Whoracle by In Flames. The Jester Race by In Flames. Shadows Are Security by As I Lay Dying. Frail Words Collapse by As I Lay Dying. The Shape of Punk to Come by Refused. Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent by Refused. Slaughter of the Soul by At the Gates. Not comparing bands, just giving out suggestions for those who wish to listen to other bands with good music. So with all this being said, Lost in the Sound of Separation is a disappointing album. With barely any memorable songs, riffs, or melodies, the album seems to have dissipated from my musical conscience within a few days. Underoath was a great band before Define the Great Line, and I thought that with Lost in the Sound of Separation they would return with some great hits, but I am left with an album composed of generic screaming and uninspired instrumental melodies.… Expand

Absolute garbage. From begining to end. If you like this, you're not my friend.

Great Album. A progression from their last Album. How they managed to come out with an Album sounding different to Define The Great Line is an accomplishment giving they still loved that album going into record LITSOS.

Deep Lyrics, Good Music. Its nice to have a band that can chain together really great albums, and keep on improving. And ten to counter that idiot that said 0. At least explain a reason if you give them a 0.

Amazing, perfect. I love this band but I dont think of it as emo music as many people do, i just think of it as hard rock or metal. great job underoath!

Listened to this album 3 times after seeing the critics score on this site. There are some good moments on this album but for the most part, I was pretty disappointed. This album is nowhere near the level of Death Magnetic by Metallica.

Probably not worth a 92 metascore, but this album is absolutely stellar. I rarely listen to any post-hardcore and I've listened to this album more than 100 times through. It's a gem in its genre.

Not as good as Chasing Safety, but this is the next most spectacular Christian metalcore albums, and, with my limited knowledge of the competition, I will say that it ranks with the best of them try listening too the whole album with only the best speakers/ headphones you can find as loud as you can comfortably stand.

This is a truly great album in all of rock music for me, it seems revolutionary what they do on it!

I've gotta say, if you're a fan of 'They're Only Chasing Safety' and not 'Define the Great Line,' then you will be slightly disappointed in 'Lost in The Sound.' The band has not abandoned their new sound that they adopted with their 5th release. Although I prefer 'They're Only Chasing Safety' and 'The Changing of Times' over pretty much any other album of this genre, 'Lost In the Soun' is extremely high up on my list. Deffinately well worth listening to.… Expand

A few years back i was listening to whatever my parents listened to. But now i find myself listening to things that would have scared me. This is one of the first metalcore albums I have bought and while not perfect it is pretty exciting and hard. It goes for a melodic and brutal approach at the same time with pounding drums and guitars that are just all over the place. It is truly one of the most refined albums i have brought this past year.… Expand

Why are people talking about metacritic's system and Metallica? Completely irrelevant. I don't think I can take their opinions serious now. However, the way I view this album, it is transcendent on many levels. Mainly musically. There is a lot of talented displayed throughout the album. Especially from Gillespie. He really dishes out some very difficult rhythms and makes them subtle too. There's a part where the kicks are in 4/4 and his snare hits are in 5/8. Pretty damn incredible. He even sings while drumming rather fast and intricate rhythms as well. This man is very coordinated. They play in some weird meters if you listen closely. This album boasts originality. It's unfortunate people take the time to notice it.… Expand

They are great in concert. way better than last album. pretty damn good.

AMAZING FROM START TO FINISH.

Underoath said that this album was going to be heavier than the past few, and they did exactly what they said. Spencer takes the vocals of this band to a new height while completely rocking out.

As predicted, this is a polarizing album. There are those who love it for what it is, and those who hate it for personal reasons. I offer you nothing less, just my opinion. At first I didn't know what to think of this new beast. I had honestly hoped this would return to the slick and melodic "They're Only Chasing Safety"-era sound, as I prefer more melodic music. However, I didn't get that, and for whatever reason, that did not disappoint me. The melodies are there, I can promise you that. However, the hooks are more burried, less outlandish and much more refined. Like a gemstone discovered in a cave, they make you look a little closer at what's around you. This is a headphone album, no doubt. There are inticacies which can't be picked up on unless it's in your ears and that's all you can focus on. Once you let the music take you where it wants to go, you'll see that this album offers the listener a wonderful sonic experience. Having said all that, this is definitely not for everybody, but it is for me and I will gladly take it.… Expand

Just to set some facts here before I start this review: I have been listening to Underoath since they've released Cries of the Past. I have listened to every single album, including TOCS, DTGL, The Changing of Times, and Act of Depression. I have also listened to this album three times, and have given it more than enough time to "set in" so that I can possibly appreciate the music. I like(d) Underoath as a band, although they have begun disappointing with their previous album, Define the Great Line, and now with Lost in the Sound of Separation. Where do I begin? Underoath wanted to adopt a "heavier" sound since Define the Great Line. Did they succeed? Far from it. The only thing they managed to do is pay Adam over from Killswitch Engage to show the band how to change the tone of their guitars. That's it. If you think changing the tone of your guitar will automatically change you from a post-hardcore band into a metalcore band, you're mistaken. Underoath was originally a very sincere band. The lyrics in their songs gave glimpses into personal relationships, experiences, and included heartfelt emotion. This all changed after Define the Great Line was released. Spencer no longer wanted to scream like Dallas Taylor, and so he started singing in what the new Underoath audience considered "hardcore". So he growls and whines and keeps on screaming every two seconds in every song. The screaming turns generic, monotonous, and unnecessary. The lyrics he spews out are incomprehensible (unlike in They're Only Chasing Safety where you could actually understand the lyrics). Spencer's screaming in Define the Great Line and Lost in the Sound of Separation reminds me of someone buying a fake Prada bag from Chinatown in order to show off to her girlfriends that she is just as cool as them. And then they added Aaron's vocals into almost every single song. Probably one of the worst ideas ever. The inclusion of Aarons' voice in Underoath songs were rare, and actually special. They made that certain song stand out, and added a special touch to it (take for example, "I've Got Ten Friends And A Crowbar That Says You Ain't Gonna Do Jack" from the Special Edition of They're Only Chasing Safety). Now that every song has Aaron's voice in it, we have a blend of Spencer's computerized screaming combined with Aaron's whiny singing. Don't get me wrong, I used to enjoy Aaron's whiny singing in the background of their older songs, but now it is just excessive and unnecessary. And this leads me to one of my main points: every song seems to have a set structure. This structure is as follows: 1) Create heavy distortion on the tone of your guitar and try to imitate Killswitch Engages' sound (which they'll never get right, by the way). 2) Allow Spencer to scream all the way through the song, and allow absolutely no breathing room for the listener. And make sure that what Spencer is screaming can't be understood. 3) Give Aaron just as many vocal parts as Spencer, in fact, take Aaron off drums and have two vocalists. 4) Create "dramatic" pauses in the middle of your songs, to add a "unique" feel to every song (which soon becomes nullified because they do this on several songs in this album). This structure seems to be replicated in every song on Define the Great Line as well as in Lost in the Sound of Separation. Like seriously, why is every song indistinguishable from one another? It also intrigues me that some songs in Lost in the Sound of Separation include riffs from Define the Great Line (just slightly altered). Take for example the song "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures", how this song begins and how "In Regards To Myself" (from Define the Great Line) begins, is nearly identical. It seems that Underoaths' lack of new guitar riffs has led them to recycle some songs from Define the Great Line. This leads me to another point. Why does this album sound exactly the same as Define the Great Line? Has any Underoath fan (who has heard all or most of their albums), noticed that Spencer was a much better vocalist in his screaming style during They're Only Chasing Safety than he was after that album? Spencer tries too hard to sound "hardcore". His screaming seems very forced and mechanic. Unlike other vocalists (take for example Tim Lambesis from As I Lay Dying), Spencer does not scream in accordance to the music playing. His screaming is all over the place, and seems unorganized. If we look back at They're Only Chasing Safety, Spencer's screaming actually "flows" with the music, and gives a true sense of emotion. Moving on to Aarons' drumming, I must say this: I am impressed. His drumming has certainly gotten better from a technical perspective. However, it saddens me to see his drumming talent go to waste in this album as well as Define the Great Line. As technically marvelous as Aaron's drumming may be, it too, seems forced. If Spencer's screaming could be authentic, I'm sure that Aaron's drumming and Spencer's screaming would fit well. Sadly however, that hasn't happened in Define the Great Line or Lost in the Sound of Separation. Continuing onto guitars. I've already said it--changing the tone of your guitar will not make you sound hardcore. It must be a combination of all the instruments in unison, as well as the vocals, which creates a "hard" sound. However, setting that aside, the guitar work seems very monotonous--just as it was in Define the Great Line. The guitaring does not pull you "into" the music, rather, it seems like it's just there for show. Take for example, the song "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (which Underoath covered in the album ¡Policia!: A Tribute to the Police), or "Reinventing Your Exit" (from They're Only Chasing Safety) the guitar work pulls you in and envelops you into the music, as the drumming and vocals also help to supplement that feeling. However, I didn't seem to be "reeled in" by the guitar work in this album. It seemed non-progressive and shallow, in my opinion. After I finished listening to the album, I said to myself: "Okay, maybe it's because I just listened to it for the first time, maybe I need some time to let the music set in." And so I listened to several songs from the album a few times a day for a week. However, even after a week of trying to appreciate Underoaths' new album, I failed to find anything extraordinary within it. If I were to choose the few songs that I did find somewhat appealing, I would say these are: "Breathing In A New Mentality", "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures", and "Coming Down Is Calming Down". And even though these songs seemed to stand out among the other songs, they didn't satisfy my expectations for this album. If you want to hear good metalcore/metal/hardcore/death metal, give these albums a listen: Whoracle by In Flames. The Jester Race by In Flames. Shadows Are Security by As I Lay Dying. Frail Words Collapse by As I Lay Dying. The Shape of Punk to Come by Refused. Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent by Refused. Slaughter of the Soul by At the Gates. Not comparing bands, just giving out suggestions for those who wish to listen to other bands with good music. So with all this being said, Lost in the Sound of Separation is a disappointing album. With barely any memorable songs, riffs, or melodies, the album seems to have dissipated from my musical conscience within a few days. Underoath was a great band before Define the Great Line, and I thought that with Lost in the Sound of Separation they would return with some great hits, but I am left with an album composed of generic screaming and uninspired instrumental melodies.… Expand

This album could only be exciting to someone new to metal. There is nothing here you haven't heard before... Nevertheless, it's a solid piece of work and the recording is masterful. Have your friend burn you a copy.

Amazing! One of those bands that I fell in love with at first sight (well in this case sound). If Underoath is played at just the right sound-level, it is the perfect mixture of metal and calmness. You need a true musician's ear to truly enjoy this epic music.