Post by Undead666 on Jul 1, 2006 9:33:44 GMT -5
Origin: Tampa,Florida USA
Years Active: 1998-Present
Genres: Post-Hardcore
Labels: Take Hold Records,Tooth & Nail Records,Solid State Records
Members: Spencer Chamberlain
Aaron Gillespie
Timothy McTague
Grant Brandell
Christopher Dudley
James Smith
Underoath formed in 1998 in Ocala, Florida. The members of the band are all Christians which they speak openly about and can also be found in their lyrics. Their first two releases, Act of Depression (1999) and Cries of the Past (2000), showcased the band's original sound. The albums featured songs that averaged six or seven minutes. Prior to the release of Cries of the Past, keyboardist Chris Dudley joined the band.
After the release of Cries of the Past, guitarist Corey Steger left the band. He, along with then-vocalist Dallas Taylor, are credited with giving the band its signature and principle sound. The remaining band members went on to record their first Solid State Records-released album, The Changing of Times. Released on February 26, 2002 the album produced one single, "When the Sun Sleeps". Long-time fans of the band criticized them for losing their touch with The Changing of Times, while many others praised the effort as it went on to outsell both of their previous albums. The loss and addition of different members led the album to adopt a different sound with shorter songs and more melodic song structures.
Following the release of the album, the band joined the Vans Warped Tour in 2003 and during the tour the band had a falling-out with Dallas Taylor and asked him to leave due to personal conflicts within the band. The band decided to drop off of the remaining dates of the tour. That October at the CMJ Fest in New York City, Underoath debuted their current vocalist Spencer Chamberlain of the hardcore band This Runs Through.
Not only has Underoath toured on the Vans Warped Tour but they have also supported organizations to do with teen suicide by participating in the Take Action! Tour. The tour's two-disk compilation includes Underoath's single: I Don't Feel Very Receptive Today, which links into the organization's main cause; to help teens and young adults become more open about getting help.
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They're Only Chasing Safety
During the early months of 2004, the band hit the studio to record their first album with Spencer Chamberlain and their second record for Solid State Records. They're Only Chasing Safety has been the band's most commercially-successful record to date, outselling the combined sales of their three previous albums. "Reinventing Your Exit" and "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door" were chosen as singles for the album. The sound of the They're Only Chasing Safety is vastly different from their previous albums.
Following the release of the album, the band played a number of Warped Tour dates. In the Spring of 2005 the band was asked to participate on the inaugural Taste of Chaos tour. Touring alongside The Used, My Chemical Romance, Killswitch Engage, Senses Fail and A Static Lullaby. Shortly after the tour, the band embarked on its first headlining tour with The Chariot, Fear Before the March of Flames and These Arms Are Snakes. The band premiered two brand-new songs during the length of the tour. They did a short run on the 2005 Warped Tour because they wanted to take time to record new songs.
In October 2005 They're Only Chasing Safety was re-released with four unreleased songs, new artwork, and a DVD with over two hours worth of footage of the band touring in support of the album.
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Define the Great Line
The band entered the studio in January 2006 to record their fifth album. Prior to the release of the album Chamberlain noted that the vocals will sound less like him imitating Dallas Taylor's vocals and more like the vocals of his old band This Runs Through. The album focuses on being more technical and heavier than the band's previous outing and even feature elements of Southern Rock thrown into the mix. Through all of the added brutality there are still those quintessential melodic choruses that made the band so popular in the first place. Breakdowns are apparent on this release, but many believe Define the Great Line is much more complex and above-par than any other post-hardcore album out right now. On March 8, 2006 they announced that the new album will be released on June 20, 2006. A week later Absolutepunk.net reported that the new album would be titled Define the Great Line. An unmastered version of the album was leaked onto BitTorrent websites and P2P services months before the release date. Members of the band released a statement saying that the finished copy of the album would sound much different. They played a release show showcasing some of the new songs as well as the new video for Writing on the Walls in Toronto during the beginning of June. They will also be playing at Vans Warped Tour 2006 this Summer, which will be followed by the Australian Taste of Chaos tour in the Autumn.
Singles:
When The Sun Sleeps
Reinventing Your Exit
Writing On The Walls
