For those wanting to experience Underoath on a totally different level, Painted Red is a string tribute to everyone's favorite Christian screamers, offering eleven songs (taken equally from They're Only Chasing Safety and The Changing of Times) that are translated from guitars, bass and drums to violins, violas and cellos.
Now, Underoath on strings doesn't necessarily sound like a winning idea on paper, but upon closer examination, it actually works more than it should. The reason is that most of Underoath's songs (especially their earlier, pre-They're Only Chasing Safety material) don't follow a strict verse/chorus formula and even those that do ("Boy Brushed Red" and "Reinventing Your Exit") feature extended sections of pre- and post-choruses, meaning that Underoath's songs are structurally and compositionally complex enough to be adapted for string transcription. Underoath also manage to inject a sense of drama into most of their songs through their frequent use of sing/scream dynamics and inventive chord changes. So despite trading in their screams for strings, these songs sound just as epic even without all the distortion.
Unsurprisingly, the most interesting selections from Painted Red are those taken from The Changing Of Times. Compositionally, these songs (especially "Letting Go Of Tonight" and "Never Meant To Break Your Heart") are far superior to their post-Taylor material and the instrumental interplay displayed by the quartet exhibit the songs' strengths ably. Other highlights include "The Changing Of Times," which sounds just as menacing without all the distortion, and "Some Seek Forgiveness," which is rendered even more beautifully in its vocal-and-guitar-less arrangement.
Although it takes a couple of listens to adjust one's ears to this project, the riffs and melodies are still unmistakably Underoath's - whether they are performed with guitars, keyboards or, in this case, cellos. I would credit the quartet for sticking quite faithfully to the original compositions and honoring the dynamic qualities inherent in each song. It may be nothing more than a novelty to most listeners, but Painted Red succeeds quite admirably in painting these now-familiar compositions in a new light without sacrificing the intensity and imagination that made the originals such a great listen in the first place.
- Review date: 7/10/07, written by Sherwin Frias
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