Credit: Photo via locusultra/Instagram
A “new band” is opening for Norma Jean in Tampa this week, but most fans think Locus Ultra is actually hometown hardcore hero Underoath.

Aaron Gillespie, drummer for Underoath, was added to the Emo’s Not Dead Cruise lineup at the very last minute, and Redditors spotted Underoath frontman Spencer Chamberlain on the boat, which set sail from South Florida last weekend. Another user said they saw the entire band onboard, adding that “Locus ultra IS uo.”

It’s hard to know for sure since Locus Ultra plays masked, but the band follows just three dozen, mostly Tampa-centric folks on Instagram, including this writer. Images from Underoath’s Hawaii shows features imagery of Locus Ultra, too.

Fans can expect to find out this week at Orpheum when Locus Ultra—which plays an abrasive brand of EBM—brings a very short Florida tour opening for Norma Jean lands in Tampa.

Underoath, for its part, expects to release a new album, The Place After This One, in 2025, according to Chamberlain. A new song,  “All the Love is Gone,” is already out in the ether, too.

Tickets to see Norma Jean and Locus Ultra play Tampa Orpheum on Wednesday, Feb. 12 are still available and start at $27.50.

Locus Ultra on the Emo’s Not Dead Cruise Credit: Courtesy photo
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This article appears in Feb 6-12, 2025.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...