"Beloved" was an American post-hardcore band from Greensboro and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Beloved recorded and released their debut EP, The Running (on the now defunct Vindicated Records), when they were only in their teens (Josh was only 16 at the time of recording). They caught the attention of Solid State Records and shifted their sound towards melodic hardcore while retaining the emo influences of their youth. In 2003 they released their debut full-length, Failure On. In 2004, drummer Joe Musten got married, and determined that it would not be possible to continue to tour with the band. They discussed replacements, but ultimately determined that the band's sound was largely defined by Joe and they could not continue under the name of Beloved. On January 14th, 2005, in their hometown, they played their final show, along with Classic Case, Underoath, Glass Casket, and a surprise appearance by Norma Jean. Guitarist Dusty currently plays in Dead Poetic and lead singer and guitarist Josh plays in Classic Case. The three remaining members went on to form Advent.