I want to be a poser & proclaim I was into Underoath during the Dallas Taylor (Maylene and the Sons of Disaster) era.  It would be baseless, I wasn’t aware of them until 2004.  (They’re Only Chasing Safety) was my inauguration, a high-school buddy, Reggie, recommended it to me.  They became my gateway to ‘Christcore’, allowing myself to give Christian bands a chance despite not being a religious person.  God aside, this record became an all time favorite, true no-skip. 

When I started collecting vinyl, my return to physical media, TOCS was a personal grail–a truly expensive wish list item.  It took me 10 years to track down a copy I was willing to buy; 2021’s Conservatory box set. UO had disbanded, reformed, & released this collection; containing their first three records with Spencer Chamberlain. A few years later they repressed TOCS again for the 2024 anniversary tour. Granting me two more additions for simply attending the concert. Now TOCS is the vinyl I own the most copies of. Irony.