Radke's June 2008 remand triggered an immediate crisis for Escape the Fate. The band stood on the verge of mainstream rock stardom following the success of their debut album, Dying Is Your Latest Fashion. With an upcoming tour package and major label pressure mounting, the group could not pause business operations for a frontman serving years behind bars.
The band officially dismissed Radke midway through 2008, bringing in former Blessthefall vocalist Craig Mabbitt. The decision ignited an intense feud across mid-2000s music message boards, with fans trading allegations regarding loyalty, financial betrayals, and drug use. Radke felt abandoned by musicians he helped elevate, while the remaining bandmates argued that his reckless behavior and legal liabilities placed their livelihoods in jeopardy.
Rather than abandoning music, Radke utilized his incarceration to plan his reemergence. Confined inside High Desert State Prison Nevada, located near Indian Springs, he wrote lyrics and song arrangements using acoustic guitars permitted in common areas. He initially named his nascent musical project "From Behind These Walls." Due to copyright and branding adjustments, the project evolved into the Falling in Reverse formation. Radke systematically recruited outside instrumentalists through third-party letters and recorded cell-phone demos, setting the groundwork for an immediate studio effort upon discharge.
