[10] Morning Again was formed in November 1995, by guitarist and principle songwriter John Wylie and drummer Louie Long.

[7] It was loosely inspired by the story of Adam Walsh, which had become folklore for children growing up in Miami, Florida during the 1980s and early 1990s.

[7] The opening of the song includes a sample from the film, and the ending features backing group vocals performed by all of the members of the band.

[2][26] The 12" vinyl version was delayed by several months, and was first released on a clear medium blue color with black swirl, limited to 300 copies.

[9][34][35] The songs were once again repackaged on the 12" vinyl compilation I, released by German record label Demons Run Amok Entertainment on September 25, 2015.

[4] In promotion of The Cleanest War and its eponymous 7" vinyl (both released in May 1996),[16] the band embarked on its first two-week North American tour, playing shows across the East Coast and Midwest of the United States and Canada.

[5][6][7] Accompanied by Intention Records owner Jon Philips as roadie,[16] the tour spanned from May 27 to June 12, 1996, during which Morning Again played in Atlanta, Georgia, Madisonville, Ohio, Indianapolis, Indiana, Dayton, Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio, Westland, Michigan, Oakville, Ontario, Buffalo, New York, Connecticut, Takoma Park, Maryland, Washington D.C., Gainesville, Florida, Coconut Grove, Florida, and Saint Petersburg, Florida.

[5][6][7] Shortly after returning home from the tour, Moyal and Ervin were fired from the band due to recurring conflicts with Wylie.

[5][36] Unbeknownst to Moyal, Wylie had already made plans to replace him with Kevin Byers, a musician then-based in Dayton, Ohio, with whose band, Outcast, Morning Again had played four days into the tour.

"[41] Fracture's Sean McKee noted that "the band created thick chugging anthems, with scattered and intricate detail and guitar leads straight from the Bay Area thrash metal scene",[32] while Christine Boarts at Slug and Lettuce opined "I absolutely love this band.

[3][39] The band was quickly compared to its predecessor, Culture,[3][40][41] as well as to Despair,[3][39] Unbroken,[32] Snapcase,[39] Deadguy,[39] Chokehold,[41] Earth Crisis,[41] and Slayer.

[38][32][1] However, some reviewers (including Kent McClard of HeartattaCk) singled-out and mocked the lyrics from "America On Line", which dealt with internet dependency, an obscure topic at the time.