It’s been just your average, run-of-the-mill Underoath album rollout. Odd early single choices that my or may not be red herrings, a still as-of-this-writing unannounced release date, a possible alter ego band called Locus Ultra opening for Norma Jean? Anything and everything is on the table for The Place After This One.

One thing that has remained constant in the 20+ year run of the Tampa post-hardcore outfit is that Underoath has remained committed to pushing their own boundaries and keeping fans on their toes. The band’s excellent 2022 entry Voyeurist marked the return of heavier, more chaotic elements that had largely been absent since the band’s 2015 reunion. Confirmed tracks from this new album, “Survivor’s Guilt” and “Generation No Surrender” blend that energy with a healthy mix of experimentation and anthemic choruses that give the impression that The Place After This One may have a little something for everyone.

Whatever this new era of Underoath brings, it will be a nice transition from the band’s recent extended victory lap in celebration of 2004’s They’re Only Chasing Safety – an album that stands as a scene pinnacle, but has also spent it’s fair share in the limelight. Underoath fans are ready for something new. When it arrives and in what form, we’re still unsure. But bring it on anyway.

by Kiel Hauck

Kiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple online and print publications and was most recently an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter