When one thinks of Floridian metalcore act Underoath, one does not immediately think of ambient goth music or shoegaze. The band are loved around the world for their emotionally-powerful hardcore, even if they’ve been known to add synth-laden atmosphere along the way. But Underoath just dropped the third single from their upcoming album, titled “Pneumonia,” and damn if it doesn’t feel like the soundtrack to an especially depressing sunrise.
To make it clear, “Pneumonia” isn’t without its hardcore elements — the song definitely ends on a boom, its Deftones-ish sound building into a crescendo of thunderous noise. But the majority of the track is better suited to a cavernous nightclub full of strung-out witches than, say, a venue packed with sweaty Christian hardcore kids in tank tops. While the first single from the band’s new album, “Damn Excuses,” really came out swinging, and the following single “Hallelujah” walked the line between the two approaches, “Pneumonia” seems to go all in on the languid, electronically-oriented sound the band often court.
According to guitarist Tim McTague, the track’s darkness isn’t exactly incidental: “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..”
Check out Underoath’s “Pneumonia” below:
Underoath’s new album Voyeurist comes out January 14th via Fearless Records, and is available for preorder. Catch the band live on their upcoming 2022 tour with Every Time I Die and Spiritbox at one of the dates below:
2/18 – Dallas, Texas @ Southside Ballroom
2/19 – Houston, Texas @ Bayou Music Center
2/20 – San Antonio, Texas @ The Aztec Theatre
2/23 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ The Van Buren
2/24 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Wiltern
2/25 – Anaheim, Calif. @ House of Blues
2/26 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Warfield*
2/28 – Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox SODO*
3/1 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Vogue Theater*
3/2 – Spokane, Wash. @ Knitting Factory*
3/4 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Complex
3/5 – Denver, Colo. @ The Ogden Theatre*
3/7 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ The Fillmore
3/8 – Chicago, Ill. @ Radius*
3/9 – Detroit, Mich. @ The Fillmore
3/11 – Toronto, Ontario @ History
3/12 – Cleveland, Ohio @ Agora*
3/13 – Wallingford, Ct. @ The Dome
3/14 – Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues
3/15 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Stage AE
3/17 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Brooklyn Steel*
3/18 – Silver Spring, Md. @ The Fillmore
3/19 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ The Fillmore
3/20 – Sayreville, N.J. @ Starland Ballroom*
3/22 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ ICON
3/23 – Charlotte, N.C. @ The Fillmore
3/25 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Tabernacle
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Words by Chris Krovatin
