Red Animal War

In 1999 musical companions Justin Wilson on guitar and vocals, Jeff Wilganowski on drums, Brian Pho on bass, and Matt Pitman on guitar assembled the indie rock group Red Animal War. Refining their emocore approach into an appealing and attractive sound drew the notice of Deep Elm, which offered the band a contract signed late that same year. Most of 2000 was devoted to sessions at Deedle's Room in Austin, TX, where the quartet captured the tracks for its first full-length album. The resulting recordings surfaced as Breaking in an Angel in 2001 and as a split disc shared with Slowride. Black Phantom Crusades, distinguished by its heightened intricacy and ferocity, appeared the following autumn.