Underoath @ O2 Ritz (Manchester, UK) on May 1, 2017 [Photos & Show Review]

It’s been 7 years since Underoath released Ø (Disambiguation), their last full album of new material before disbanding in 2013. It was a short-lived hiatus and since reconvening in 2015, the Florida-based Christian metal 6-piece have been concentrating on their live shows. Tonight’s show kicks off a 17-date UK and European tour that will see the band that also takes in one show in Moscow.

Providing support for the tour and kicking off proceedings tonight are Philadelphia’s own mewithoutYou. While not exactly sitting comfortably within the metalcore genre that Underoath inhabits, mewithoutYou are an excellent choice for touring partners with their post-hardcore art rock tunes sounding beefy and large and Aaron Weiss’ boundless energy making sure that the audience takes notice.

The lack of any recent new Underoath material might explain why the balcony area in the venue is closed off, but all that serves to do is concentrate the hardcore fans onto the floor which is packed by the time the band hit the stage. While this tour is not being sold as a greatest hits package, tonight’s setlist consists solely of two albums being played in full, 2004’s They’re Only Chasing Safety and 2006’s Define The Great Line, arguably two of their most acclaimed releases. The short hiatus seems to have worked for the band as they attack the stage with a vigorous energy that only comes with true love for your craft. Spencer Chamberlain has the crowd working to his beck and call all night while Timothy McTague shows off his best impersonation of a guitar playing whirling dervish. With mosh pits breaking out and every lyric being sung with full voice, the fans showed that they are ready for Underoath to emerge from this Rebirth period with some new material, hopefully, sooner rather than later.