Before the recording of the band's previous album, "Edge of Thorns", Jon Oliva had temporarily left the band and stepped down as lead vocalist, and was replaced on vocals by Zak Stevens. After the recording drummer and founding member Steve Wacholz left the band and was replaced by Andy James, who quit the band immediately after Criss Oliva's death and was also contacted by Zak Stevens and Jon Olivia about tracking drums for HOA but declined to do so. The band's original plan for the next album was to have Jon Oliva rejoin the band on keys and secondary vocals, along with former rhythm guitarist Chris Caffery at a later date, but this was shaken up due to the death of lead guitarist and founding member Criss Oliva at the end of 1993.