In 1998, Erik Chapman, Joseph Childres, Justin Cronk, Zach Davidson, and Mike Vermillion formed Vendetta Red. The mid-'90s grunge reign was their primary inspiration, as was the emo-derived urgency of Sunny Day Real Estate. In 1999, Vendetta Red self-released the 6 Kisses a Blatant Reminder of Why We Are Alive EP and toured the West Coast. A year later, they issued their debut album, Blackout Analysis; White Knuckled Substance appeared in October 2001 and was well received on local radio. Epic Records was impressed by the band's ambition and offered Vendetta Red a deal in early 2002. The boys headed into the studio with producer Jerry Finn (blink-182, Green Day, Sum 41) later that year to record a fourth album. Between the Never and the Now dropped in June 2003, and the band supported it with a lengthy North American tour, which included a stint on that summer's Warped Tour. The ambitious Sisters of the Red d**h appeared in August 2005, before the guys called it a day in spring 2006. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide