underoath | desolate earth… the End is here.
i have an experiment for you, but let me set it up first.
i’ve always loved this song, and underoath in general. in my mind, they have been and will continue to be the premier christian screamo band. the things they’ve been through individually and together while proclaiming their faith throughout is just inspiring. truth be told i’ve kind of not been following them since drummer/vocalist aaron gillespie left to start his worship project, but i have a healthy respect for them and almost all of their past albums are still on heavy rotation on my ipod.
anyways. i did this when i was at uni [what they say in HK for college..], and i tried it today in the business district of hong kong. i listen to this song as loud as i can, and just immerse myself in the crowds. invariably i get a sense of how lost and hopeless people look, myself included. i look at faces, at posture, and how people carry themselves and i realize how burdened people are. of course, the song ends on a positive note, closing the track and the album with the only lines in the entire song:
“you said there’s nothing left down here.
i roamed around the wasteland.
i swear i found something.
i found hope.
i found God.
i found the dreams of the believers.
oh God, save us all.”
i’d encourage you to try the same thing. if you are a person i can easily get in contact with, i’ll gladly pay you the $1.20 it costs to buy a legitimate version. it’s an encouraging experience for me, and maybe it will be for you too. if you’re worried about it being screamo, don’t worry. it’s extremely, extremely mild, and honestly i often have a hard time keeping tears out of my eyes with it.
cheers.