Formed in Atlanta in 1999, the outfit first operated as the Remnant and delivered a self-released album before reshaping its approach and adopting the moniker Becoming the Archetype, a title drawn from the belief that Jesus Christ alone lived without sin and therefore serves as the perfect exemplar for humanity. The group, whose members fuse a progressive sensibility and a message of compassion with unrelenting death-metal force, signed in late 2004 with Solid State Records, the metal-focused imprint of Tooth and Nail. Jason Wisdom (bass and vocals), Sean Cunningham and Jon Star (guitars), Seth Hecox (guitar and keyboards), and Brent Duckett (drums) then tracked their debut under the new name, Terminate Damnation, issued in summer 2005. Extensive touring followed, yet personnel shifts preceded the next recording cycle: Star departed in 2006 to work as a recording engineer, prompting the addition of Alex Kenis, formerly of Aletheian, whose prior tours with Becoming the Archetype led to his recruitment. Kenis contributed guitar and vocals whose melodic character offset Wisdom’s guttural delivery. Shortly afterward Cunningham exited, leaving the band to continue as a quartet. Solid State released the resulting second album, The Physics of Fire, in May 2007.
