Pre-production and demos were done for their debut album, "What It Is to Burn", at DML Studios in Escondido, California in February and April 2001. They began recording "What It Is to Burn" in June at Big Fish Studios in Encinitas, California with producer Mark Trombino. After tracking guitars in July, recording subsequently continued into August and September. Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw performs guest vocals on "Grey Matter" and "Project Mayhem"; the group had met Palumbo at a Deftones show and had kept in contact with him, later asking him if he wanted to participate.