Emotion Is Dead is the second studio album by American rock band the Juliana Theory, released on August 29, 2000, on Tooth & Nail Records.

While touring in support of their debut studio album Understand This Is a Dream (1999), guitarist Jeremiah Momper was replaced by Joshua Kosker of Dawson High.

Described as an alternative rock and emo release, Emotion Is Dead took elements from Iron Maiden, Radiohead, and the Smashing Pumpkins.

The Juliana Theory released their debut album Understand This Is a Dream in March 1999 through independent Christian label Tooth & Nail Records.

In August, at the end of the tour, the band were forced to cancel a week's worth of shows due to guitarist Jeremiah Momper leaving; he was temporarily replaced by Joshua Kosker of Dawson High.

They aimed to move away from the punk rock-esque nature of their debut, the songs on which frontman Brett Detar felt were too similar, by writing with keyboards.

"[6] The Juliana Theory spent five weeks between February 8 and March 23, 2000, recording Emotion Is Dead, with Barry Poynter and Detar co-producing the sessions.

[9] It combined the alternative rock stylings of the Smashing Pumpkins, alongside guitar harmonies in the vein of Iron Maiden and Radiohead-indebted experimentation.

[10] The band combined alternative drumming patterns with pop-esque punk rock, soft ballads[11] and touches of new wave.

[12] Its usage of drum machines – spurred on by listening to albums by DJ Shadow and Dr. Dre – and hooks earned it a comparison to Clarity (1999) by Jimmy Eat World.

[9] The majority of the songs follow the structure of quiet verses and loud choruses;[13] Detar utilizes screaming on a few tracks.

[14] Magnusson contributed tambourines, shakers, jingle bells, and various assorted percussion to a few of the tracks; Jeff Jurciukonis played strings on various songs.

[5] The first two tracks, "Into the Dark" and "Don't Push Love Away", start with verse sections in a minor key that later give way to anthemic power chords.

[15] It is followed by part one of a two-part instrumental, "Emotion Is Dead Pt.I",[11] which was attempting to emulate DJ Shadow and Unkle, according to Detar.

[5] The band held an album release show on September 29; it was followed by an October and November tour, and included an appearance at the CMJ Music Marathon festival.

[18][19] The band toured the east coast in January 2001; "Understand the Dream Is Over" was released as the album's lead single on March 26, 2001.

[2][21] Emotion Is Dead was released in Japan on March 6, 2002, through Howling Bull Entertainment, and included the bonus track "This Is the End of Your Life".

"[26] Jesus Freak Hideout staff member Kevin Chamberlin said that "[o]ne of the things that's great about the album is that they break free from the stereo-typical emo-punk genre".

[14] Tanner Cusick of CMJ New Music Monthly wrote that the Juliana Theory's sound was "most engaging when some of the gloss is stripped away and a punkier edge is allowed to jut through".

"[27] In a dismissive review from Punk Planet, writer Russell Etchen saw it as a highly "diverse album, ranging from Creed-like ballad crooning to Refused-like screaming [...] This band will probably be huge, and that makes me so, so sad".

[29] Prior to the release of the band's third studio album, Love, in 2003, Understand This Is a Dream and Emotion Is Dead had reportedly sold over 150,000 copies combined.