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There was a point I made
a few questions ahead relating to UnderOath being like several bands
in one. In fact on their third release, "The Changing of Times," their
latest label, Solid State, appears to have secured a major coup. Bore
of a Metal infused Hardcore climate, or Florida, if you prefer, well
they steam up the tempo as well as anyone with a riff reeling, six
string scaling that rivals any of the traditionally Emo-related arithmetical
Rock acts yet so fluently, they temper aggression with melodic breaks
and harmonic distinction-a finer work of instrumentally absorbable
musical abstraction you're not likely to hear. Ironically while many
are hailing the imminent return of instrumentality to revolutionize
the narrow-mindedness of Rap/Rock and Nu-Metal, there's been an underground
rumbling taking place for a number of years, distinguished in fact
by guitar-driven dynamics and structurally sound song stability-read,
for four and a half minutes, you're bombarded by an eight-in-one song
sequence combining elements of Punk/Hardcore/Metal/Pop. and nearly
anything else you can conjure up that's not consumer driven. Intellect
collides with intensity and leaves behind ten tracks of emotional
deconstruction, intrigue and rebirth, far and away from the circuitous
motion of today's Pop standards. A System of a Down with a spiritually
uplifting purpose. Founding guitarist Tim McTague talks a little about
the bands' arrival, their unifying principles, and the potential for
an Indie Rock revolution overtaking the lever pulling corporate Rock
communal. a "Changing of Times" upon us?
BallBuster:
Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth so help you
God?
Tim: Ha Ha... Sure.
BB: The new release isn't bad for four dumb white trash kids from
Florida-in fact it's a pretty amazing record where each tune holds
its own-it's a "complete" album.
Tim: Thanks... we thought each song kind of said something for itself
as well. We really didn't think about what we were writing at the
time, we pretty much just played what came out and if we liked it
we kept it. By the time we recorded it we realized that it was a really
diverse sounding project and we all think it reflected the transition
period that UnderOath was in at the time of writing and recording
"The Changing of Times."
BB: You formed four years ago-any special circumstances involving
your forming-aside from the typically shared interests of BB gun shooting
and infrequent showers?
Tim: Yeah, basically UnderOath was formed under the principles and
mission to spread the love of Jesus Christ through our music and actions.
Without Jesus this band is non-existent. That is still our main focus
and goal with this band we have just grown into a different form of
ministry. We don't preach at kids or shove things down people's throats,
we just love and accept everyone for who they are and what they believe
and in turn you show love to people.
BB: Okay so "Changing of Times"-what's it all mean? You've called
it an "honest" record, which to anyone reading the lyrics, is very
obvious. It seems, dare I say, almost wholesome and pure where the
lyricism and overall tracks are responsible and personally reflective.
Tim: "The Changing of Times" is about people leaving your life and
things that you are so used to having not being there anymore. That
could mean a band member, friend or family member, girlfriend/boyfriend,
etc. We call this record "honest" because in the Christian scene that
we play to oftentimes puts labels and expectations on you. And a lot
of people who aren't Christians put a stereotype on you as "That Christian
band" and with this record we said forget about Hardcore, forget about
Christian expectations, forget about non-Christians' perceptions and
lets just write what we have in our hearts. We basically wrote from
what we were going through at that time in our life and coupled it
with an attitude of love and of just accepting all types of kids.
We have seen a lot of kids come to respect us as people in all scenes
and that is what this band is going to continue to do.
BB: I'm not really familiar with your first two records-so how's this
one different and better?
Tim: Well the first two records were extremely heavy and "Metal" sounding.
After Corey (old guitarist) left the band a little over a year ago
the whole bands' musical focus changed. We are all about "Poppy" and
energetic music instead of trying to be the scariest and most brutal
band out there. That's what happens when a bunch of Indie Rock kids
are in a Metal band together; it doesn't really turn out very Metal.
As far as lyrically the first album was pretty much a praise and worship
album. A few songs tackled issues like rape and depression, but the
overall feel of the record is very preachy and very forward about
Jesus Christ. Now we have the same beliefs but we write songs about
everyday life and what we go through in everyday life.
BB: You're quoted as saying "This is the first record that everyone
in the band would buy and listen to if another band wrote it..." So
how many different bands actually play on it!! Seriously, so we're
not led in any particular direction-call it growth, progression, or
whatever-what's behind "The Changing Of Times" to influence the end
result?
Tim: Ha Ha... Well a year of member changes, years of spiritual growth,
and a newfound self-confidence in what we believe and what we want
to do coupled with a handful of Indie Rock CDs in heavy rotation.
all forms the driving force between "The Changing of Times"
BB: The first song features clean vocals for the most part then return
to a more "Death-like" growl why the change-or is that the actual
change on "When The Sun Sleeps?" Do we find more tunes like this in
the future-of an experimental nature or "clean" Rock effect?
Tim: Yeah, "When the Sun Sleeps" is pretty much the new vision of
UnderOath. The first song written for the record was "Angel Below"
and the last song was "When the Sun Sleeps" so that should give you
a good audible time table of the changes that UnderOath has been going
through over the past year. As of now we have 3 new songs for a new
record that we hope to record in early 2003 and I can honestly say
they don't have one open chug, or one double bass part, or one breakdown
as of yet. It's all upbeat and has choruses with singing and screaming
and a lot more keyboard effects. If you like "When the Sun Sleeps"
then you'll like the new direction as a whole.
BB: Who've you toured with and who would you like to tour with, or
do you even care to tour at all?
Tim: We've toured with a lot of bands to date... Beloved, Cool Hand
Luke, Seventh Star, Point of Recognition, Copeland, The September
Engagement, and more. We would love to tour with a few bands as of
now such as, Further Seems Forever, Brandston, Thursday, Piebald,
Norma Jean and more. As of now we don't really have a booking agent
so we can't tour as much as we'd like but I can speak for everyone
in the band when I say that when we get to a position to tour full
time we would like to tour 9-10 months out of the year all over the
world with anyone.
BB: The changing face of Rock music-what do we see next?
Tim: I think the next big thing is underground Indie bands. So many
good bands are getting picked up by major labels or getting major
radio play such as Further Seems Forever, Dashboard, Thursday, Taking
Back Sunday, New Found Glory and more. I think it's just a matter
of time before the underground scene isn't to underground anymore.
BB: There's an advent of musicality to your
band and really throughout this new wave of Indie Rock and Emo-core
styles that puts it a step above typically "Nu-Metal" or "Alternative"
so how important is that to you-do you feel it adds to the overall
listening experience?
Tim: Well I think a lot of these "mall" Metal bands and Alternative
bands out now are really good at what they do but I think kids are
getting bored of it. Every band seems to sound like Creed or Disturbed
and it's getting pretty old. That's why I'm stoked that bands like
Jimmy Eat World and Thursday and Dashboard have gotten so big. Kids
are finally realizing that there is so much better music out there
and kids are getting turned on to underground Metal and Indie so much
more now. I see at least five Slipknot or Staind shirts at our shows
these days and I think that's awesome that MTV kids are listening
to us and bands like us.
BB: Which of the old-timer bands do you want to see make a comeback
and what advice would you throw out to younger bands struggling to
make it?
Tim: Hmm... Well I really don't know many old-timer bands but one
band that broke up before their time is definitely At The Drive In.
That band is one of the most amazing bands I have ever heard and they
broke up right after they started to get radio play. As far as advice
for younger bands, all I can say is keep writing what comes natural.
Don't try to fake anything and rock out as hard as you can every night
whether there are five or 500 kids. Always work hard but most of all
have fun.
Discography:
1999 - "Act of Depression" CD
2000 - "Cries of the Past" CD
2002 - "The Changing of Times" CD
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