The band's debut is considered to be one of the first ever successful albums in the metalcore genre, garnering a re-release five years after its original pressing.

The band wrote the entire album's music without a singer, until Jesse Leach of local band Nothing Stays Gold (who were signed to Dutkiewicz's brother Tobias' record label, Tobias also being the singer for Aftershock) joined the band shortly after its formation.

While writing the album, bassist D'Antonio asked Ferret Music if they could sign his band as a favor since D'Antonio illustrated the covers for some of the albums released through the label.

The tracks "Temple from the Within" and "Vide Infra" were re-released for Alive or Just Breathing (2002), while "Irreversal" was re-recorded for The End of Heartache (2004) and "In the Unblind" was re-recorded for the Alive or Just Breathing 2005 re-release bonus disc.

In 2004,[6] Ferret Music also released a remastered version of the album, with four demo tracks from a 1999 demo, which was originally sold at a show within which Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall and In Flames played together at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts, which apparently sold incredibly well, as said in the documentary feature From the Bedroom to the Basement from the live DVD (Set This) World Ablaze.