"Now this is progress.

Remember when Grade were good? If not, don’t feel bad; it was a long time ago. However, those of us who do probably have a soft spot in our hearts for albums like And Such Is Progress, where vocalist Kyle Bishop alternated seamlessly between a guttural scream and an angelic croon without it sounding forced or unnatural. Flash forward five years to today, when every metalcore band in the universe can’t go more than 20 seconds without embarrassing themselves with an ill-advised attempt at “singing.” Underoath have way too many gratuitous emo parts to be the next Grade, but they’re better than 99 percent of what else is out there. Here are three reasons: The opener, “Young And Aspiring,” is crushing, melodic and affecting all at once; “Reinventing Your Exit” is so perfectly produced and executed it should scare the shit out of every single one of Underoath’s Warped Tour peers; and “It’s Dangerous Business Just Walking Out Your Front Door” utilizes Refused-inspired electronics and a choir during the breakdown without a hint of pretension—they both belong there. Admittedly, we have no idea how these dudes are going to pull this off live all summer on Warped, but you can bet we’ll be there to find out. (Tooth & Nail; toothandnail.com)

5

Jonah Bayer