The dissolution of Florida’s post-hardcore sextet Underoath in 2013 left a hole in heavy music, but after teasers on social media that “rebirth is coming”, the band have officially announced that they will be performing at California’s Self-Help Festival in March next year. This will also mark their first performance with drummer, clean vocalist and founding member Aaron Gillespie since his departure in 2010.
Although this is currently the only show the band has officially announced, vocalist Spencer Chamberlain told Alternative Press in a recent interview that they are open to further activity if their schedules allow it. “I want to leave things open-ended. I don’t think we’re ever going to be a full-time band again, but I don’t like the idea of being so closed off to things. And I think now, the idea is the hiatus is off. Are we writing? I don’t know until we get in a room together. Are we going to do another tour? I don’t know. Like, everyone has their schedules to work around, but maybe we when get home, we decide we could squeeze in Europe or Australia, if the stars align.”
As 2016 will also mark the tenth anniversary of their earth-shattering record Define The Great Line, the band say they hope to play the album in it’s entirety as well as tracks from 2004’s They’re Only Chasing Safety and their 2008 magnum-opus Lost In The Sound Of Separation, the last album released to feature Gillespie. Since Underoath disbanded Gillespie has been working as a solo musician as well as performing with Paramore, and Chamberlain has released an album with his new project, the electronic rock band Sleepwave.
Underoath play Self Help Festival, San Bernardino, California on March 19th 2016.
Words by Joe Gilbertson