In September 2008, the band's cover of Blue Öyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" was featured on the American dark fantasy television series True Blood.

It was the final album to feature founding member Ian Craig Marsh, who made the decision to retire from music in 2007.

The band intended to release a follow-up in quicker succession and began working on more dance-orientated material approximately a year or so after Bigger Than America.

[1] The band had 100 limited edition copies pressed, which were due to be sold via their official website, but an agreement was then made with small, independent labels for the release of Before After in the UK, Europe and US.

[2] Upon its release, Fiona Mckinlay of musicOMH wrote: "If this comeback is Heaven 17's attempt at making synth-based music cool again, it's not going to work.