Ninety Pound Wuss continued this development further on their post-punk swan song, Short Hand Operation (1999), by not only displaying an increased use of guitar effects and synthesizers, but also by showcasing some of the strongest songwriting of their career.
Ninety Pound Wuss was formed by drummer Marty Martinez, guitarist John Himmelberger and bassist Matt "Gunner" Nelson in Port Angeles, Washington in 1994.
After signing with Tooth & Nail Records, Matt "Gunner" Nelson departed and was replaced with bassist Jiles O'Neal, who was also a member of the MxPx side project The cooties.
Ninety Pound Wuss returned to Robert Lang Studios to record their follow-up, Where Meager Die Of Self Interest, with producer Tim Mac who had previously worked with Babes in Toyland, Today Is the Day and Unsane.
Where Meager Die of Self Interest saw release on October 28, 1997, and differed drastically from their debut, with the music taking on a much darker post-punk dynamic that also introduced the incorporation of Suffering's keyboard work.
In addition to these changes, the vocals would become more frantic and inaudible, yet the lyrics still maintained their beliefs with a newfound sense of maturity, as made evident on tracks like "Queen Maggot" and "Sick and You're Wrong".
Prior to their next album, Ninety Pound Wuss would undergo another member change with Matt Johnson (Blenderhead, Roadside Monument) replacing bassist Dale Yob.
The album marked another drastic shift in the band's music by building on the post-hardcore experimentalism and vivid lyrical imagery of their previous offering, with a noticeable increase in both the keyboard playing of Suffering and the guitar effects of Spalding.
[2] Ninety Pound Wuss tried to reject its association with the industry, which proved unsuccessful in part because Tooth & Nail Records, a predominantly Christian punk label, were contractually owed another album by the band.
Inspired by his music and friendship, Suffering created a blog shortly after Spalding's passing in an attempt to document his own life, which included his ministry at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, where he and Johnson attended and served as pastors.