In the words of lead guitarist Ben Weinman, the prime mover of The Dillinger Escape Plan, the band's first albums intended to "stir things up", "really try things new", and "challenge people" within the 1990s hardcore punk scene. He felt that many of its bands were trying to sound like their predecessors from the previous decade rather than "encompass the attitude", which influenced him deeply, and others were more interested in "joining into cliques" such as straight edge, religious or political groups, instead of prioritizing their music.