Death by Stereo emerged from Southern California as a ferocious blend of metal and hardcore, taking its name from a memorable line in the 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys. Despite constant shifts in personnel over the years, the group maintained an unwavering commitment to its guiding principle of persistence. Formed in 1996, the band issued a demo and a 7" single before unveiling its debut full-length, If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die, on Indecision Records in spring 1999. The lineup at that point featured Efrem Shulz on vocals, Paul Miner on bass, Jim Miner on guitar, Keith Barney on guitar—who had taken over from original guitarist Ian Fowles—and Jarrod Alexander on drums. Following a summer of touring in support of the release, Barney departed that fall to devote more attention to Throwdown and Eighteen Visions, while Alexander left to enroll full-time at the Berklee School of Music. Tim Bender took over on drums and former Eyelid guitarist Dan Palmer joined on guitar, helping the band expand its audience and attract the attention of Epitaph, which soon added them to its roster. The label issued the follow-up Day of the Death in spring 2001. After additional touring, Bender exited and was succeeded by Todd Hennig, previously of Heckle and Seven Years War. Two years later came Into the Valley of Death. By the time of the third Epitaph album, 2005's Death for Life, the roster had stabilized around Shulz, Palmer, Henning, guitarist Tito, and Tyler Rebbe of Pulley on bass. The band maintained its momentum, resulting in the March 2007 release of the live album Death Alive on Reignition Records, captured in Anaheim during the Into the Valley of Death tour.
