Sinai Beach

Hailing from southern California's fertile metalcore scene of the 2000s, Sinai Beach's initial entry into the crushing fray was their album When Breath Escapes, issued in March 2003 via Facedown. The guys — vocalist CJ Alderson, drummer Mike Dunlap, guitarists Logan Lambert and Mike Risinger, and bassist Jeff Santo — toured heavily for the next two years in support of the record, playing shows in both North America and Europe, and hooking up with bands like Bleeding Through, Throwdown, and Norma Jean along the way. They ultimately caught the attention of Victory Records, which signed Sinai Beach up in early 2005. Working with producer Eric Rachel (Atreyu, Dillinger Escape Plan), the band recorded its second full-length, Immersed — which was released that April and exemplified the gang's love of groups like Pantera, Danzig, Hatebreed, and Slayer. Directly following Immersed's release, Risinger announced his resignation, and Sean Durham filled his shoes on guitar; bassist Santo was later swapped out for Daniel Barachkov as well. When Breath Escapes was reissued with new cover art in the spring of 2006 by Victory, as the band readied material for its third album.