In 1992 Against All Authority assembled as a punk ensemble determined to embody genuine D.I.Y. principles from the outset. The initial roster featured vocalist and bassist Danny Lore, guitarist Joe Koontz, trombonist Allan Leavell, and drummer Jason Letterman. The group handled its own recording of singles and full-lengths, then organized its own tours to deliver an aggressive, politically charged blend of punk and ska, even producing its own silk-screened merchandise. Although indie audiences embraced the band, it maintained complete autonomy and earned respect among punk circles for its steadfast independence.
Destroy What Destroys You appeared before the group signed with Hopeless Records toward the end of the decade; its first release for the label, All Fall Down, arrived in 1998. The band continued channeling its anti-authoritarian stance and D.I.Y. ethos through the imprint and its affiliated Sub City label, issuing 24 Hour Roadside Resistance in 2000 and the B-sides and rarities collection Nothing New for Trash Like You the following year. Liberation put out the Live at the Fireside Bowl EP in late 2003.
After several split releases across the years, Against All Authority paired with Common Rider—Jesse Michaels’ project following Operation Ivy—for a 2005 split. The next studio album, Restoration of Chaos & Order, emerged in May 2006. At that point the lineup comprised Lore and Koontz alongside drummer Mack Proenza and trumpeter Alan Veronese. A tour with the Code, Brain Failure, and Crime in Stereo ensued.
