Phoenix screamo outfit Greeley Estates formed in late 2002. A year after starting, the quintet -- vocalist Ryan Zimmerman, guitarist Dallas Smith, guitarist Brandon Hackenson, drummer Brian Champ, and bassist Josh Applebach -- was already building a cultlike following in and around its hometown with a slickly produced and self-released full-length, Outside of This. The group spent the next few years touring nonstop around the country and eventually found itself playing ~South by Southwest in Austin; in mid-2005 they inked a deal with Record Collection. Greeley Estates then co-headlined MySpace's fall tour, and released their EP, Caveat Emptor, in November 2005. The album highlighted the band's use of catchy melodies and intense vocals, together with a hardcore edge and positive attitude. In January 2006, the band went into the studio to record its second full-length before joining the ~Taste of Chaos tour alongside heavy-hitters like the Deftones, Thrice, and Story of the Year. A spring nationwide headlining tour was completed before the resulting album, Far from the Lies, was issued in June. Summer was next spent on the road with ~Warped. Early in 2007, Applebach departed to return to school, and former Versus the Mirror bassist Brad Murray stepped in to permanently fill the void.

~ Corey Apar, Rovi