Cave In was formed in 1995, in Methuen, Massachusetts. The first few records from the band took on a distinctive technical hardcore sound, but later albums saw the band moving into a more melodic and ethereal direction. The release of 1999's Creative Eclipses was a shock for most fans, with vocalist Stephen Brodsky singing cleanly almost throughout. The band's RCA debut, though well recieved led to the band being dropped from the major label. After that, the band compiled a number of tracks from the post–RCA era into a new release with former label Hydrahead.