Cries of the Past

Released in 2000, 'Cries of the Past' is the second studio album by Underoath and represents the peak of their early, blackened death metal-influenced sound. Featuring a lineup led by Dallas Taylor and guitarist Corey Steger, the album consists of only five tracks, yet clocks in at over 40 minutes. This record is a significant departure from the band's later, more famous work like 'They're Only Chasing Safety,' leaning heavily into melodic death metal, black metal, and early metalcore. The production is notably raw, capturing a period when the band was deeply embedded in the Florida extreme metal scene. Lyrically, the album is a heavy exploration of grief, particularly mourning the loss of a loved one in a car accident, which informs the somber and often desperate tone of the music. It remains a cult classic for fans of 'blackened' hardcore and is a vital document of the transition from 90s metal to 2000s metalcore.