Rialto Theatre (Tucson, AZ)
03/27/23
Florida-founded hardcore band Underoath is no new name to the scene. Established in 1997, the five-piece band has made a sensational and reputable name for themselves amongst the metalcore and progressive hardcore industry for almost two decades. After forming in the late ’90s, Underoath released their first 3 albums, Act of Depression, Cries Of The Past, and The Changing of Times; these releases showcased a darker side of the band, entertaining the line of dark metal. Within these years entailed the bands personal intake on religious beliefs and their introduction to the Christian music scene. But in 2004, after signing with Tooth & Nail Records, their career took an altering ascension into stardom. Underoath underwent an extreme overhaul preceding their 4th full-length release, They’re Only Chasing Safety, that arguably trademarked them as a foreseeable iconic sound in the hardcore industry. The They’re Only Chasing Safety era was a pivotal time for the band as it exploded with experimental and progressive songwriting and electronic percussion. It was a sound new to avid listeners of heavy music, a spin and twist seen by many as Underoath’s finest effort to date, but that was just the beginning of a creative storm the industry had yet to see. The album’s two leading singles, “Reinventing Your Exit” and “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door,” both had music videos that received constant airplay on both MTV2 and Fuse, leading to a great deal of exposure for the band. In 2005, Underoath participated in the first ever Taste of Chaos Tour, and soon embarked on their first ever headlining run and a short run on the Vans Warped Tour. Underoath was beginning to see massive success, and it would only go up from there with the introduction of their fifth studio album.
The band created a unique sound for themselves amongst the souring boom of early 2000s metalcore, sonically known for combining metalcore with elements of post-hardcore and melodic hardcore. Underoath’s 5th album, Define The Great Line, would bring the band even further into the mainstream than before, contributing to not only their unbelievable future success, but the introduction of the term “screamo” to general pop culture as well.
In January of 2013, Underoath played their final show in their home state of Florida that would inevitably lead into a disband. During the 5-year gap, the band released a production documentary of their final tour and played one show with original members at Self Help Fest in California in 2015, later announcing the band would be getting back together. In 2018, Underoath broke away from their well-known religious roots with their 8th studio album, Erase Me, sending shock waves into the Christian music community. To long time fans, it was a breath of fresh air to see the band truly expressing themselves through their own music. Underoath’s sound has tossed and turned throughout their 16-year career, evolving from an uppercut Christian metalcore band into a fluid, dynamic, and energized rock group that adeptly blends emotive melody and energized punk rhythms. Sprinkles of industrial metal and poppy screams have hinted their way through newer releases, taking the band on a turn of a more melodic-core take rather than flat-out metalcore.
Regardless of systematic changes and musical fluctuations, Underoath has proven themselves to be a staple in the music community, superseding any and all expectations of what direction we thought they would take. Needless to say – be on the watch for what they have in store next.
