98 Rockfest 2019

Of the heavy bands that have withstood the seas of shifting genres, internal fights, and the weights of popularity, few have done so with as much grace and tenacity as Underøath. Born from Florida's burgeoning music scene in the late 1990s, the band would go on to become one of metalcore's and post-hardcore's most revered and long-standing acts. Marked by sonic evolution, disbandment periods, and the subsequent triumphal comebacks, their journey is an epitome of resilience and creative ambition. This paper looks into the history of Underøath, their musical progression, and their influence on the broad music scenario.

Formation and Early Years

Underøath formed in 1997 in Ocala, Florida, with drummer Aaron Gillespie and guitarist Luke Morton. Other early members include Dallas Taylor on vocals, Corey Steger on guitar, and Octavio Fernandez on bass, along with, shortly after, the incorporation of Christian type influences. Borrowing a great deal from the burgeoning metalcore scene, Underoath was soon renowned for their visceral, at times frenetic, performance and a sound that wove both metal, hardcore, and Christian themes together.
Their first album, in 1999, Act of Depression, and the follow-up in 2000, Cries of the Past, were pretty rough and raw but turned out to headbang to great promise for the band's future. These first releases were self-produced, distributed through independent labels, and formed the basis for an underground following that was building up.

Breakout with The Changing of Times and They're Only Chasing Safety

The first big change in sound for Underøath came when The Changing of Times was released in 2002. This marked the beginning for the group from their previous, more raw metalcore sound toward something more polished and accessible in nature. The addition of Timothy McTague on guitar and the departure of Dallas Taylor brought Spencer Chamberlain to be the lead vocalist, a change that was headed to set a new direction for this band in times to come.
Underøath started to incorporate more melodic elements with The Changing of Times in 2002, an album which not only contained both clean and screamed vocals but introduced the anthemic choruses as well. However, it was through the fourth studio album by them, They're Only Chasing Safety, that the band was brought into the mainstream in 2004. It did quite well commercially, whereupon this album initially debuted at number 101 on the Billboard 200 and eventually went gold. Songs like "Reinventing Your Exit" and "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door" became anthems of their time, characterized by hook-laden catchiness, emotional intensity, and the seamless wedding of post-hardcore with emo.

Define the Great Line: The Critical Acclaim

What this really means is that off the back of They're Only Chasing Safety's success, Underøath had to cope with the burden of their first major breakthrough album with a sophomore follow-up designed to solidify the young band's status. In 2006, Define the Great Line made its appearance—a record with darker and heavier tones, its complexity evidence of yet another tectonic shift in sound.
Define the Great Line was a huge commercial and critical success, peaking at number 2 on the Billboard 200—the highest the metalcore genre had seen up to that point. The sound was far more experimental, yet heavier, than on the previous record with tracks such as "Writing on the Walls" and "In Regards to Myself," really showing how far along the band had grown, musically and thematically. It received massive praise for the complexity of its song structures, atmospheric production, and, hell, it just went even further with regards to the boundaries that metalcore could push.

Internal Struggles and Lost in the Sound of Separation

As Underøath's popularity increased, so did the stresses on the band. The following years to Define the Great Line were filled with internal tension and personal struggles rugs of which found their way into their music. In 2008, the band released Lost in the Sound of Separation. The record progressed even further in despair, anxiety, and searching for meaning.
Lost in the Sound of Separation continued the band's trend of skillfully melding brutal intensity with melodic sensibility but took a much more dissonant and chaotic approach. The production, helmed by Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage and producer Matt Goldman, was dense and layered; it gave the feeling of claustrophobia that was in step with the lyrical content. Nonetheless, it was another success, no matter how dark the material had been, further melding Underøath's place at the head of metalcore bands.

Disbandment and the Journey to Ø (Disambiguation)

By the time Underøath began working on what would become Ø (Disambiguation), 2010, the band was in flux. As Aaron Gillespie left the band in 2010, Spencer Chamberlain was the only remaining member of the group's original lineup and soon adopted a more central role in designing the band's direction. This resulted in an album that was much darker and more experimental, but also more personal, than anything done by the band previously.
Ø (Disambiguation) was critically acclaimed but also marked the beginning of the end for Underøath as many people had known them. The record gained praise because of its raw emotion along with intricate songwriting and a will to push further on beyond what sound the band was known for. However, after countless years of non-stop touring alongside internal arguments, the members were simply too exhausted and exhausted to carry on any more, therefore the painful decision to disband in 2013 was inevitable.

The Comeback: Erase Me and Beyond

In 2015, to the delight of their fanbase, Underøath announced they would reunite to play a handful of shows, including a performance of both They're Only Chasing Safety and Define the Great Line in their entirety. The response was very positive, and it seemed to rekindle a fire within the band to create music again. This eventually blossomed into the making of their comeback album, Erase Me, released in 2018.
Erase Me departed quite a ways from Underøath's earlier work. This album was more alternative rock than anything, featuring clean vocals and a much stronger showing of electronics. The lyrics were even more personal and introspective, showing the personal turmoil and growth the band members were going through. Songs such as "Rapture" and "On My Teeth" showed the band could grow while still maintaining the emotional intensity characteristic throughout their discography.
While fans tore into Erase Me, saying it wasn't their genre-defining sound, Underøath did find commercial success and opened themselves to a new generation of listeners. The album hit number 16 on the Billboard 200, proving that even post-hiatus, Underøath still held real power and relevance.

Legacy and Influence

Underøath's influence on the metalcore and post-hardcore scenes cannot be measured. They were one of the pioneering bands that brought the subgenre of Christian metalcore into the mainstream, though their appeal reached way beyond any particular tag or genre. Their desire to experiment with their sound and expand the possibilities of what their genre could be has inspired innumerable bands that followed.
This has helped the band explore deeply personal, often painful themes that resonated with fans worldwide in building a connection that goes beyond the music. Underøath has managed to blend raw emotion with technical proficiency, an ingredient that has set it apart from peers, thereby making the band one of the most respected and influential in heavy music.

The road from being an underground metalcore act to international stardom—the Underøath story—is one of perseverance, innovation, and timeless music. Having risen to confront the challenges—personal and professional—Underøath has time and again been a band pushing at the very boundaries of its genre and underscoring music that is at once emotionally relevant and sonically forward-thinking.
The evolution never stops, and with continuous pushing into new creative outlets, Underøath retains its place at the forefront of heavy music. Their legacy does not lie in the albums they have released but in their ability to influence an entire generation of musicians and fans. Through their first, unbridled metalcore records or even the latest ones, forays into alternative rock, Underøath's music keeps inspiring and challenging, firmly securing them a place in the history of modern rock.