Behind Crimson Eyes

Behind Crimson Eyes came together in Melbourne during 2004 and initially mirrored the prevailing emo style then prevalent across Australia, an approach sometimes labeled “emu” in jest. Subsequent personnel shifts, among them the arrival of second guitarist Kevin Orr, helped the group evolve toward a harder-edged rock approach. Vocalist Josh Stuart incorporated screaming into his range, Cameron Gilmour adopted the double-kick patterns associated with metalcore, and the contributions of guitarist Aaron Schultz together with bassist Garth Buchanan completed the expanded sonic palette.

From their debut performance onward the band carried a camera, capturing six months of activity that they later condensed into a DVD packaged with their first EP. Issued in 2005, that release, Pavour Nocturnis, was conceived as a thematic exploration of night terrors and tracked at Sing Sing Recording Studios. A follow-up EP, Prologue: The Art of War/Cherry Blossom Epitaph, appeared soon afterward. Sustained airplay combined with an audience of roughly 25,000 MySpace friends convinced the members they could pursue music professionally, prompting Stuart to abandon his engineering studies.

In 2006 the quartet issued their debut full-length, A Revelation for Despair, through Roadrunner Records; the album entered the ARIA charts at number 43. Later the same year they compiled earlier EP tracks and an unreleased demo into the collection Scream Out Your Name to the Night.