?I?m the desperate, and you?re the Savior! I?m the desperate…? I listen as Underoath’s lead singer howls faintly in the background. The music pauses and, as if beckoned by a whisper, I lean in and turn up the volume because of the muffled sound. Then the blast of guitars and growls of lead singer Spencer Chamberlain punches me in the teeth with renewed quality (and quantity) of volume.

?Breathing in a New Mentality? is just one of the many songs in Lost in the Sound of Separation that proves many of Underoath’s qualities: intense lyrics, superb musicianship, commanding vocals and ever-improving skill as a band. Peaking at position eight on the Billboard 200, the September-released album continues to give the Florida sextet a sizable dent in the post-hardcore/screamo market, in both mainstream and Christian.

The exceptional composition of Lost in the Sound puts the album above Underoath?s previous works. Where the sophomore release Define the Great Line lacked ingenuity, the new record goes over-the-top with a piece of mastery. The way the songs transition compared to They’re Only Chasing Safety shows the growth in the band; the songs flow together like a story, with the lyrics as the narrative.

All the emotions in the lyrics transfer directly into the music. In ?Anyone Can Dig a Hole, But it Takes a Real Man to Call It Home,? the collaboration of powerful guitar riffs, crazed drums and Chamberlain?s growls sound like a frenzied child lost in dark woods, screaming for his father. Aaron Gillespie’s contentment to stay behind the kit for most of the song brings out the wild drummer in him.

Not content to let Chamberlain carry the album’s vocals, Gillespie leads with his melodic vocals into ?A Fault Line, a Fault of Mine.? From the beginning, Gillespie’s voice defined Underoath’s sound with its unique quality, and the maturation of his voice by lessening its whininess makes Gillespie even more distinct. Another song that features Gillespie?s lilting voice includes ?The Created Void,? a softer-toned track that provides a nice break from Chamberlain?s harshness.

I found a lull in the middle of the album, starting with ?Emergency Broadcast: The End is Near? and ending with ?The Involuntary.” In this section, the songs still hold to creativity and skill, but I felt like the band got stuck in little ruts where the music sounded too heavy and flowed less fluently. In certain areas, the deep caterwauling vocals and guitars didn?t compliment each other, making them sound bulky.

Everything else in the album hits hard to the very end. The single “Desperate Times Desperate Measures” shows Underoath at perfection. The track pulls together with the brutality of a building crashing down in flames and the harmonious ring from Gillespie.

The last two tracks show Underoath cleaning up the lovely mess they created with the production of ?Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear,? an addictive stomp-and-clap ballad, and ?Desolate Earth: The End is Here.”

?You said there was nothing left down here/ Well I roamed around the wasteland/ And I swear I found something/ I found hope, I found God/ I found the dreams of the believers/ Oh, God! Save us all!? Chamberlain cries out from the depths of his soul in ?Desolate Earth.” The last installment of Lost in the Sound, its magnificent instrumentals make it possibly the most accomplished orchestration ever written by Underoath.

The song starts out with Chris Dudley’s somber keys and gradually builds emotion by adding more instruments, this time including crying strings. At the greatest height of the passion, Chamberlain adds his cry out to God in heartbreaking hope, and the song ends.

On their headlining tour, Underoath is touring with Saosin and The Devil Wears Prada. They land in southern California in early November, where labelmate The Famine joins the tour.