The Peace and the Panic is the third studio album by Welsh pop punk band Neck Deep.

The group planned to work on material for their follow-up album by the end of the year, though were unable due to tour commitments.

Following a support slot for A Day to Remember in early 2017, the band began recording The Peace and the Panic in March and April in Los Angeles, California.

The album's songs were written by a combination of the band, Mike Green and Ben Barlow's brother Sebastian.

Sam Carter of Architects, Laura Whiteside, and Ella, Evie, Finlay and Darcy Jones provide vocals to different tracks.

Barlow said the main part of the album's artwork is about "being on a tightrope between 'The Peace' and 'The Panic' – trying to find the balance between the good and the bad".

[5] After two teasers, as well as a support slot for All Time Low, The Peace and the Panic was formally announced, and music videos were released for "Where Do We Go When We Go" and "Happy Judgement Day".

Following performances at Slam Dunk Festival in the UK and Warped Tour in the US, music videos were released for "Motion Sickness" and "In Bloom".

Shortly afterwards, guitarist Lloyd Roberts left the band as allegations were made that he had sent an underage fan explicit messages.

[8] In June 2016, the band posted a picture of what was presumed to be vocalist Ben Barlow and guitarist Matt West working on new music.

[14] After supporting A Day to Remember in the UK and Europe in January and February 2017,[15] the band entered the recording studio to track their next album.

[17] Thorpe-Evans called Green "a proper musical genius", saying he was "super focused – like a laser – and it made us feel really professional".

Barlow mentioned that they had "a tendency to ramble in our songwriting; he stripped that back and he really made us think about every part of our songs.

"[18] Bowden said the band had a lot of "solid ideas that within the first week we knew, 'Okay, this is going to be sick, let’s chill'" and that they "pretty much blasted a song a day".

[5] He added that there was "things in life that you can't avoid – like sadness, failure, anxiety and death – but it's coming to that realisation that's changed me personally, and us as a band".

[14] Barlow's brother Sebastian, who had co-wrote the majority of the tracks on Life's Not out to Get You,[20] was "really involved this time" contributing a lot of ideas.

"Happy Judgement Day", "The Grand Delusion", "19 Seventy Sumthin'" and "Beautiful Madness" were credited to Neck Deep and Green.

[16] He added that, like the majority of the album, the song features the theme of "duality; the verses are about confusion and struggle, but the choruses are about not giving up, not letting hard times get the best of you.

"[13] "Don't Wait", which was written by drummer Dani Washington, was viewed by Barlow a "more of a political song" than "Happy Judgement Day".

[13] The group initially turned down the idea of having guest musicians, "but later we were sat in the studio and I had the brainwave of having Sam Carter.

[13] "19 Seventy Sumthin'", which was written on the group's tour with A Day to Remember, details the story from how Barlow's parents got together until his father's death.

[17] According to Barlow, the main part of the artwork shows "being on a tightrope between 'The Peace' and 'The Panic' – trying to find the balance between the good and the bad".

In addition, Barlow said they've had a character on each of their releases: the aforementioned Ned, a saber-toothed tiger on the A History of Bad Decisions (2013) EP, Zoltar on Wishful Thinking (2014) "and now... this guy", referring to the man on the artwork.

The album's track listing and artwork was revealed, and music videos for "Where Do We Go When We Go" and "Happy Judgement Day" were released.

[26] Ashley Laderer of Alternative Press said the "Happy Judgement Day" video featured "Uniformed students cut loose, dance and throw papers as the band turns the class snooze-fest into a banger.

[28] Between mid-June and early August, the band performed on the Journey's Right Foot Stage at Warped Tour.

[30] The video, which was directed by Elliott Ingham,[31] was filmed while the album was being recorded and features footage from Slam Dunk Festival.

The band said that while the song was "so upbeat and energetic", they did not want the video to be "too serious, so we just hung out on our days off from the studio and stitched all the footage together.

[17] To promote the album's release, the band did a series of in-store acoustic performances and signing events in the US and the UK.

[47] In September and October 2018, the band toured the US again, with support from Trophy Eyes, WSTR, Stand Atlantic and Gardenside.