Since 1993, the band's longest-tenured members include vocalist Karl Buechner, lead guitarist Scott Crouse, bassist Ian Edwards, and drummer Dennis Merrick.

[6][7] Established in the latter part of the youth crew heyday, where many groups disbanded and their members stopped being straight edge, they wanted to "keep that torch burning", as Buechner said.

[13] 1996's Gomorrah's Season Ends brought a more complex and developed form of metalcore and, shortly thereafter, they were asked to take part in the inaugural Ozzfest, including one song for its live album.

With more emphasis on production and a change of style steered towards nu metal, it drew mixed reactions from critics and fans but had a wider exposure in mainstream music.

[13][19] Their final album before their breakup was 2001's Last of the Sane, which included cover versions of songs by The Rolling Stones, Slayer, Led Zeppelin, Cream and Dead Kennedys.

In 2001, Earth Crisis disbanded on good terms because some members could no longer engage in a full-time touring band due to their personal lives.

[32] A comic book of the Liberator series published by Black Mask Studios was made in collaboration with the band and released simultaneously with the album, sharing similar conceptual ideas and artwork.

[33] Although ideologically tied to the straight edge movement, the initial musical influences of Earth Crisis were mainly from New York hardcore bands such as Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags and Sick of It All.

[34] When asked what ten bands inspired Earth Crisis over the years in a 2016 interview, guitarist Scott Crouse named DYS, Judge, Corrosion of Conformity, Agnostic Front, Slayer, Sepultura, Metallica, Conviction, Zero Tolerance and Iron Maiden.

[35] Their third studio album, Breed the Killers, maintained the previous aggressiveness and its growled vocals were "taken about as far as possible", but it followed a structure more akin to the "post-Judge hardcore of the Path of Resistance record Who Dares Wins", according to Shawn Macomber of Decibel.

[13][19] Buechner declared that, rather than being influenced by other styles, they "resurrected" the sound of All Out War in a proper way, which also had melodic choruses and spoken word verses.

[39] Salvation of Innocents included, in addition, some clean vocals that were compared by one reviewer to the sludge metal band Crowbar, as well as "some elements of melodic metalcore" and faster songs.

Animals enduring violent, useless tests in laboratories, whales being killed with explosive harpoons, elephants, rhinos, and tigers slaughtered to near extinction are all sickening wastes of life.

The name of the band, Earth Crisis, indicates how their members see the current state of the planet and in their lyrics they seek to offer solutions to it; these are either "educational" or encourage direct-action.

On the other hand, they promote straight edge, veganism, self-empowerment and organizations such as Earth First!, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Animal Liberation Front.

[46][50] According to the sociologist Ross Haenfler, Earth Crisis combined "youth crew's outspoken commitment to straight edge with Manliftingbanner's direct politics".

[51] In a 1998 interview with Roadrunner Records, Karl Buechner described Earth Crisis' philosophy: "I want to boil it down to one notion: personal accountability.

[57] Sociologist Ross Haenfler stated in The Vinyl Factory that "Earth Crisis became the face of straight edge throughout the 1990s" through "the convergence of 'radical' animal rights activism, a more aggressive 'metalcore' sound, and hardcore crews", becoming "one of the most controversial bands in the scene's history.

[12][56][58] According to Andrew O'Neill, "Earth Crisis inspired a much more heavy metal sound in hardcore" and "the distinction between the two [genres] started to crumble" shortly after those records were released.

[18][66] They also drew major media attention, having been featured and interviewed by CNN, CBS and The New York Times, while lead singer Karl Buechner was invited to address the Congress about teens and substance abuse.

[67][68] Many artists have cited Earth Crisis as an influence or have expressed their admiration for them, including Davey Havok and Jade Puget of AFI and XTRMST,[69][70] Hatebreed,[71][72] Throwdown,[73] Robb Flynn of Machine Head,[74] Jona Weinhofen of I Killed the Prom Queen and Bring Me the Horizon,[75] Jeremy Bolm of Touché Amoré,[76] Tim McIlrath of Rise Against,[77] Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying,[78] Glassjaw,[79] Andy Hurley and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and Racetraitor,[63][80][81] Igor Cavalera of Sepultura,[63] Paul Waggoner and Thomas Giles of Between the Buried and Me,[63][82] Matt Fox of Shai Hulud,[83] Heaven Shall Burn,[84] Unearth,[85][86] Brian Cook of Botch,[65] Code Orange,[87][88] Guy Kozowyk of The Red Chord,[89] Greg Bennick of Trial,[90][91] Maroon,[92] Deadlock,[93] Marc Görtz of Caliban,[94] Born from Pain,[95] Saving Grace,[96] Twelve Tribes,[97] Dan Smith of The Dear & Departed,[63] First Blood,[98] No Innocent Victim[99] and Clear;[5] as well as activists such as Peter Daniel Young.