And with the opportunity to play the general-market shows and tours, the band feels it’s found an untapped ministry niche. Underoath has the opportunity to reach many non-Christian kids because so many are fans, a result of the band’s music being so authentic and creative. Comments McTague, “You have to know ‘what’s up;’ and if someone doesn’t feel he is connecting with you on a certain level, you aren’t going to break through to him. Half the kids we talk to at shows won’t go near a church. They feel like they need to meet a certain criteria to be accepted, and that’s our ministry — to bridge that gap and show people the love and acceptance of Christ.”

The band members admit, surprisingly, that they weren’t always this bold. The new album ends with the song “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape,” which addresses a period when the guys realized they were too timid.

McTague explains, “The song is about realizing the error of your ways, asking for forgiveness and making a vow to start over and do what’s right. There is a balance in everything, but it seems a lot of Christian bands are willing to be so flexible and so accommodating that they end up putting their beliefs on the backburner and forgetting why they started the band in the first place. When someone used to ask if were a Christian band, we’d be like, ‘Yeah, we are all Christians who believe in God; but we aren’t here to shove anything on you.’ It’s always some beat-around-the-bush answer. No one just says, ‘Yes! This is the real deal; it’s why we are here, and it’s what we do! If you don’t like it, that’s OK. You don’t have to buy our record or come to our show.’”

Truly, a lot has changed; but as longtime fans know, it’s more than just the band’s boldness that’s different. Even though "They’re Only Chasing Safety" is its fourth album, the band’s actually had more than that number of member changes. In fact, drummer Aaron Gillespie is the only original member, which isn’t surprising, considering the founding members were all young teens when Underoath started. After the band’s debut EP, 1999’s "Acts of Depression," Chris Dudley joined on keyboards, while McTague joined soon after 2000’s "Cries of the Past." Underoath then signed to Solid State Records; and, after 2002’s "The Changing of Times," Grant Brandell took over on bass and James Smith on guitar. The biggest change happened last year, though, when the band was slated to play 10 “Warped Tour” dates. Vocalist Dallas Taylor was asked to leave the band two shows in, and Underoath bowed out of the remaining dates.

McTague, who said it involved personality differences, explains, “It’s hard to be in a hardcore band and try to have a regular life at the same time. There’s not a lot of money, you’re always on the road, and you’re never at home. Dallas was older than the rest of us, and he needed to be in a more stable environment. But it’s cool now. We just played Birmingham, and he came to the show; and half of us stayed at his house. He just wasn’t having fun anymore, but now he’s married with lots of stuff going on in his life.”

Pressed on what specific event sparked the split, McTague responds, “It really isn’t relative. I wouldn’t want to say anything to make him or anyone else look bad, and it’s not anyone’s business but his. We’ve straightened out our business with each other, so there’s no reason to bring it back up.”

Whatever the reason, Taylor left the band last October; and, with studio time planned for January, Underoath needed a replacement fast. Fortunately, the right vocalist was not far way. The band knew Spencer Chamberlain from his group This Runs Through and as the fiancé of Dudley’s girlfriend’s roommate. According to the guitarist, Chamberlain was a perfect fit; and Underoath now has a locked-in lineup with its best chemistry ever. In fact, the newfound dynamic inspired the band members to push themselves to make the new album a creative statement.

“We just didn’t want to write the millionth generic hardcore record,” exclaims McTague about "They’re Only Chasing Safety," which hit stores in June. “For the new album, we experimented with drum loops, keyboard samples and overall different feels for each song. We wanted to do something different than [what listeners had] heard before, whether from us or from another band.” After a pause, McTague concludes, “We are a hardcore band, but we just don’t want to be a typical hardcore band.”

© 2004 CCM Magazine.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission.  Click here to subscribe.