Underoath

With a name drawn from “somewhere from the bible”, Underoath was formed by singer Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton in 1997. Fellow church attendee Aaron Gillespie was later invited to join the group on drums, followed by guitarist Corey Steger and bassist Octavio Fernandez during their time in high school. Following a series of festival appearances and local shows in Florida, the band ignore to Takehold Records in 1999 and released their debut full-length “Act of Depression” the same year. The record combined the Christian metal, death metal, and black metal genres, and marked the departure of guitarist Luke Morton.

The five-track full-length studio album “Cries of the Past” arrived in July 2000, extolled by music critics and featuring keyboard player Christopher Dudley. Following a Takehold Records merger with Seattle-based label Tooth & Nail/Solid State, Underoath returned to the studio, the fruit of which marked the group’s most experienced and progressive record to date. Released in February 2003, “The Changing of Times” received positive reviews from the press for its hardcore approach combined with indie rock, loop pedals and melodic vocal harmonies. To the surprise of fellow band mates and a host of fans, vocalist Dennis Taylor left the group during their 2013 Warped Tour, leaving Underoath’s longevity in doubt.

However, with the addition of bassist Grant Brandell, guitarist James Smith and vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, the band persevered to release “They’re Only Chasing Safety” in June 2004. Produced by longterm producer James Paul Wisner, the record again saw a shift in direction compared to its predecessors, with the band adopting a decidedly screamo approach. Led by the singles “Reinventing Yourself” and “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Font Door”, the album proved hugely popular among critics, and won a Dove nomination for Best Rock Album.

The much heavier full-length “Define the Great Line” followed in June 2006, marked by complex time signatures and apt ambience. Peaking at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200, it was their highest charting album to date, as well as the highest charting Christian album since LeAnn Rimes’s “You Light Up My Life”."Lost in the Sound of Separation” hit the shelves in 2008 featuring a darker, more experimental sound, followed by Ø (Disambiguation)” in 2009.