Out Of The Badlands is Aaron Gillespie's (Underoath, The Almost) upcoming album, coming out on August 19th through Tooth and Nail Records. Gillespie recorded and produced this album in his own studio in Salt Lake City, UT. The album includes a combination of reworked Underoath and The Almost songs as well as two covers and some original pieces. 

The album opens with a beautifully daunting, acoustic rendition of "A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black And White." The next song is "Can't Make You Love Me" which is a cover of the 1991 Bonnie Raitt song and Gillespie explained that this song and the record as a whole was a big part of the healing process for him as went through a divorce earlier in the year. Gillespie nails it with this enlivened cover, showing a wide array of vocals that expose both an angsty and vulnerable side to him. "No I Don't" is a reworked The Almost song and there is a fun, upbeat and at times southern-rock vibe to this song that I enjoy. "Raspberry Layer Cake" is an emotionally driven original, yet again exposing a more vulnerable side to Gillespie while still maintaining his characteristic grit. "Reinventing Your Exit" is the next reworked Underoath song on the album and it is yet another dynamic acoustic take on the post-hardcore version of the song. "Say This Sooner" and "Summer Weather" are both acoustic renditions of The Almost songs, both very reflective to the overall theme of the album. "Where The Streets Have No Name" is yet another carefully picked cover, putting an acoustic spin on the 1987 U2 song. "The Fox" is an original that also airs on the side of southern-rock, but is an emotionally fueled number dealing with some deep subject matter and even more vulnerability from Gillespie. "You Don't Love Me Anymore" closes the album out in the most idealistic way. This song feels like Gillespie closing that chapter of his life and preparing himself to move forward. 

Out Of The Badlands was a home-run for me; Gillespie put together a well-thought out array of songs from his past and his present to describe a difficult time in his life. This album hits all the points of nostalgia with reworks of classic fan-favorites and gives you a showcase of where he is now. 

Check out a music video for "You Don't Love Me Anymore" below!