12/20/2006 at 3:27 PM

Underoath is a 6-piece Metalcore/Post Hardcore band from Tampa, Florida and is currently signed to Tooth & Nail. Their latest release, Define The Great Line, released on June 20th, sold nearly 100,000 copies its first week. Earlier works from the 'Act Of Depression' leaned more towards Metalcore and Melodic Death Metal, although their more recent work contains apparant traces of hardcore, post-hardcore, punk and metal influence. All the members of the band are Christians, but they choose not to be marketed as a Christian band. "I think there's more to us than that", commented frontman Spencer Chamberlain. "Tags can be a dangerous thing".

History

When Underoath was formed in 1998, some might argue that their sound was on the borderline of what's been familiarized as screamo, although others would argue that their sound was more closely related to metal or death metal. Their former sound was very brutal and featured an extensive amount of double-kick drumming and intense breakdowns. Their first two releases, Act of Depression (1999) and Cries of the Past (2000), showcased the band's sound. The albums featured songs with lengths of six or seven minutes, sometimes longer. They also released an extremely rare, unknown demo tape entitled My Friend several years before Act of Depression that they released to family and friends. Since then, the demo has been lost and there are only about 15 of these in existence. Prior to the release of Cries of the Past, keyboardist Chris Dudley joined the band.

However, 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 of losing their touch with The Changing of Times, as it seemed to fall into the screamo genre.

Following the release of the album, the band joined the Vans Warped Tour in 2003 and, during a slew of dates, the band had a falling-out with Dallas Taylor and asked him to leave due to personal conflicts within the band. The band dropped off of the remaining dates of the tour. However, at the CMJ Fest in New York City in October, Underoath proved its naysayers wrong when vocalist Spencer Chamberlain of the metal band This Runs Through took the mic and made the role all his own.

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, producing two singles in "Reinventing Your Exit" and "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door." The album has outsold Underoath's previous three albums put together (mostly because there have only been 2,000 copies of Act of Depression and 3,000 copies of Cries of the Past). "Reinventing Your Exit" defined the band as becoming soft and trying to appeal to todays fans, which made old fans angry because they felt the band was playing a different style of music in order to fit in.

Following the release of the album, the band played a number of Warped Tour dates. Then, 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, the band made its name well-known. 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 also played several dates on Warped Tour. They declined to play the entire tour because they wanted to take time to record new songs.

In October 2005, They're Only Chasing Safety was re-released with four rare songs, new artwork and a DVD with over two hours' worth of footage of the band touring in support of the album. The band entered the studio in January 2006 to record its third album for Solid State Records and its second album with Spencer Chamberlain. An interesting fact about the record is that Chamberlain noted that the vocals will sound less like Dallas Taylor-imitating vocals and more like the vocals of his old band, This Runs Through. The album, titled Define the Great Line, was released on June 20, 2006. The album attempts to reach more into its roots, but still doesn't quite hit the metal sound it once had, leaning more towards metalcore/hardcore.

Future plans for early 2007 will see New Zealanders Jonathan Perk and CT Powell joining the line-up for the new record; There's Something Down Under. The demo's leaked of this record are leaning towards the sound more of bands such as; The Mars Volta, The Blood Brothers and Hijacked On Lovers Lane. You can find this band at myspace.com/hijackedonloverslane

Fans of Underoath may be shocked in hearing the new sound, Chris Dudley from Underoath says, "We don't really care what people think, we just do what we like. That's what we did with this one [Define The Great Line] and people seemed to like it".

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12/21/2006 at 9:46 AM

Feb 22 2007 8:00P Bryce Jordan Center Penn State, Pennsylvania
Feb 23 2007 8:00P EMU Convocation Center East Lansing, Michigan
Feb 25 2007 8:00P Boutwell Auditorium Birmingham, Alabama
Feb 27 2007 8:00P Sunset Station San Antonio, Texas
Feb 28 2007 8:00P Palladium Ballroom Dallas, Texas
Mar 1 2007 8:00P Lloyd Noble Center Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Mar 2 2007 8:00P The Pageant St. Louis, Missouri
Mar 3 2007 8:00P Eagles Ballroom Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mar 4 2007 8:00P Myth St. Paul, Minnesota
Mar 6 2007 8:00P Val Air Ballroom Des Moines, Iowa
Mar 7 2007 8:00P Uptown Theatre Kansas City, Missouri
Mar 8 2007 8:00P The Fillmore Auditorium Denver, Colorado
Mar 9 2007 8:00P Salt Air Salt Lake City, Utah
Mar 10 2007 2:00P House Of Blues Las Vegas, Nevada
Mar 11 2007 8:00P Orange Pavilion San Bernadino, California
Mar 13 2007 8:00P UCI Bren Events Center Irvine, California
Mar 14 2007 8:00P The Concourse San Francisco, California
Mar 15 2007 8:00P SLO University Rec Center San Luis Obispo, California
Mar 16 2007 8:00P Grand Sierra (Hilton) Reno, Nevada
Mar 17 2007 8:00P Taco Bell Arena Boise, Idaho
Mar 20 2007 8:00P Northlands Agricom Arena Edmonton, Alberta
Mar 21 2007 8:00P Stampede Corral Calgary, Alberta
Mar 22 2007 8:00P Prairieland Park Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Mar 23 2007 8:00P Burton Cummings Theater Winnipeg, Manitoba
Mar 25 2007 8:00P Community Auditorium Thunder Bay, Ontario
Mar 27 2007 8:00P Congress Center Ottawa, Ontario
Mar 28 2007 8:00P Centennial Hall London, Ontario
Mar 29 2007 8:00P Arrow Hall Toronto, Ontario
Mar 30 2007 8:00P Theatre Olympia Montreal, Prince Edward
Apr 1 2007 8:00P Armory Albany, New York
Apr 5 2007 8:00P Mullins Center Amherst, Massachusetts
Apr 6 2007 8:00P Tsongas Arena Lowell, Massachusetts

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