Underoath
The Scream Team, Underoath embraces a major line-up change

By Emily Zemler

“It wasn’t a typical writing process by any stretch because our drummer left in the middle,” Underoath guitarist Tim McTague says of the metalcore band’s new album, Ø (Disambiguation). “It really can’t compare to anything else. We’ve never had that kind of thing where we’re in full swing with studio time blocked out and we’ve committed to producers and we end up not having that be a big aspect of our band.”

That big aspect is, of course, Underoath drummer and singer Aaron Gillespie, who quit the band in early April. Underoath had been writing and demoing tracks for a new record since Warped Tour of last year and were nearly armed with enough material to enter the studio when Gillespie made his exit to pursue his a solo career and his other band the Almost. If the departure seemed sudden to the band’s fans, it was just as unexpected to the band members themselves.

“It came out of nowhere at first,” McTague says. “It had been a weird tour and things had musically been going in different directions for a while, so it wasn’t out of the blue. But as far as the actual timing and how it unfolded it was definitely interesting and it took us back a bit. But at the end of the day it ended up being the best thing for everyone. We all hung out that night and talked it over and said, ‘Yeah this is definitely the right thing even though it’s going to be weird and how we move on from here is kind of cloudy.’”

The band invited Daniel Davison, former drummer of Norma Jean and longtime friend, to join it in restarting the process of making the album and on the group’s “Cool Tour” earlier this year. The lineup shift actually allowed the band members to gain some much-needed perspective on their situation and redirected their approach to penning the new tracks — something McTague describes as “freak out mode for about a week or two and then it was just moving on — and moving on couldn’t have been any smoother or more productive.”

“I don’t think we realized it at the time but we were kind of set to make a record we didn’t want to make,” he explains. “Aaron leaving was a time of re-evaluation and once our friend Daniel came down and started jamming we saw how much potential we had that we should tap into that we hadn’t had until that point. It was a weird time but it was the best thing that could have happened to us and to the record. Nothing suffered as far as we’re concerned.”

Armed with these new songs, the band entered the studio in late May with producers Matt Goldman and Jeremy SH Griffith, with whom they’d worked on previous albums. The group spent almost exactly six weeks recording, which is about the same as it has spent in the studio in the past. As a result Ø (Disambiguation) is a dark, heavy collection of 11 songs that both sound like Underoath’s past discs and reveal a new tonal direction for the band. The charging guitar riffs and aggressive beats remain, but singer Spencer Chamberlain’s screaming vocals are now matched with McTague’s melodic notes. It’s undeniably a strong album, although it will be up to the fans to determine how it measures up to Underoath’s prior six albums. As far as the band is concerned, though, this disc is a success.

“We spent a lot of time heavily evaluating the record,” McTague says. “Everyone was trying to see what the new Underoath sounded and felt like. Once it all fell into place, it was something we were super stoked on. Looking back now without having any of the creative process in front of us filtering it I think everyone universally agrees that it’s our favorite record we’ve ever done, and we think it’s the best record we’ve ever done. I guess it’s up to everyone else whether they think that.”

This process didn’t only result in an album the band is proud of, but also in a stronger bond between the band members who currently make up this new chapter in the Underoath saga. The group sounds ready to be in this fresh chapter, not mourning these shifts but embracing them.

“We didn’t realize how not on the same page all of us were and how all of us were with Aaron until we all got on the same page,” McTague says. “Nothing has drastically changed, but we all feel more comfortable and confident in what we’re doing. We all trust each other to a greater degree than we did before. This process helped us grow into that.”

Tour Dates

11/2 N. Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues

11/3 Raleigh, NC   Disco Rodeo

11/4                Norfolk, VA                      The NorVa

11/5          Asbury Park, NJ                    Asbury Park Convention Hall

11/6  Allentown, PA                        Crocodile Rock

11/8                Clifton Park, NY                     Northern Lights

11/9                Poughkeepsie, NY                Mid Hudson Civic Center

11/10              Providence, RI                       Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel

11/11              Rochester, NY                       Montage Music Hall

11/12              Toledo, OH                            Headliners

11/13              Louisville, KY             Expo Five

11/14              Grand Rapids, MI                  The Orbit Room

11/16              Milwaukee, WI                       The Rave

11/17              Sauget, IL                               Pop’s

11/18              Des Moines, IA                      Val Air Ballroom

11/19              Oklahoma City, OK               Diamond Ballroom
11/20              Lubbock, TX                          Tequila Jungle

11/21              El Paso, TX                           Club 101

11/22              San Antonio, TX                    Backstage Live

11/23              Mission, TX                            Las Palmas Race Park

11/24              New Orleans, LA                   House of Blues

11/27              Nashville, TN                          Rocketown

11/28              Memphis, TN                         New Daisy Theatre