Before the Mourning

In December 2011, Phillip Gonyea, the former percussionist for bands Instinct of Aggression and Against All Will approached Johnny Young of The Kill Corps about performing music. Because the sessions proved to be successful, Adam Ryan, who also performed with The Kill Corps, was brought in to sing, after which time their first track "Dismember" was recorded. Weeks later, the band met guitarist Nikki Stringfield, at which time Before the Mourning began. In August 2012, their first EP, named Remembrance, was released free of charge via Facebook.[7]

The song "Dead to You" is described by Young as being "breakup music for tough guys", focusing on "a relationship that can't work no matter how hard you try".[3] The lyric video for this song was released on 6 September 2012.[8][9] "Before the Mourning", the title track from the album, talks about "focus[ing] on the good times" had with someone that people have lost, "the double entendre within the band name".[3] The music video for this song was released on 17 January 2013.[10]

Halfway through 2013, the band began work on their second EP, entitled Damned and Forsaken. At the end of July, the band released the title track via their ReverbNation page,[11] followed by "Grim" in early August.[12] In the week following, the ensemble then published "The Right to Die" as well as demo "Need to Bleed".[13]

In early 2014, the band performed on The Hell Pop Tour II with In This Moment, Butcher Babies, Devour the Day, and All Hail the Yeti.[14][15][16][17][18][19] Following the tour, Stringfield and the ensemble parted ways.[20]

In June 2014, a lyric video was debuted for "Another Sleepless Night",[21] with "Continuum" published via SoundCloud just over two months later.[22][23] The ensemble, along with American rock band Malaki then visited the western United States for their "Pacific Rim Tour".[24][25][26][27][28][29]

To begin 2015, the group released the official music video for "Another Sleepless Night",[30] directed by Kevin J. Custer.[1][31][32] At the end of July 2015, the ensemble released "The Deception", the third tune from the album. The song is about an abnormal love triangle confounded by the deceptions used by all of the individuals involved. The band made the decision to open the album with "The Deception", as the "happy sounding intro is a complete 180 from the rest of the track" which "drops into a heavy driving groove which doesn’t let up".[33]

In mid-August, a new song entitled "Honestly" was released via ArtistDirect. According to Ryan, the tune is "about that time in your life when you come to a crossroads", "that time when you can either keep on living the way you've been living, or make the choice to be something better". The singer goes on to say that "even then, you still struggle with your inner demons who try and convince you that you've made the wrong choice".[34]

In late July, the group announced that their debut full-length album entitled Etherial End would be available on 21 August 2015.[30] Co-produced by Logan Mader,[35] the work was released via Street Smart Recordings. From August until September 2015, the ensemble toured with Fear Factory, Once Human, and Chicago rock band The Bloodline.[14][36]

On 7 November 2015, it was announced that Ryan and the band had parted ways.[37] Seventeen days later, on 24 November 2015, it was announced that the ensemble had permanently split up.[6]

Guitarist Christopher Cussell performs with bands Corrosion[38] and Forty Winters.[39] Phil Gonyea returned to his old ensemble Instinct of Aggression.[40] Bassist Paul McBride has continued to perform in Florida rock band The Killing Hours.[41] Lead vocalist Adam Ryan started three new musical projects, A Callous Confession,[42] Valor & Vengeance[43] and Alphamega.[44]

• Adam Ryan - vocals (2012–2015)[37][50]
• Christopher "CJ" Cussell[51] - Lead Guitar (2013–2015)[52]
• Phil Gonyea - Drums (2011–2015)
• Paul McBride - Bass (2014–2015)
• Jeff Stevenson - Guitar (2014–2015)[30]

• Johnny Young[3][53][54] - Guitar (2011-2013)[55][56]
• Vincent Ferro - Bass (2012)[57][58]
• Kyle Mayer - Bass (2013)[59][60]
• Nikki Stringfield - Guitar (2012-2014)[3][20]

• Etherial End (2015)[30]

• Remembrance (2012)[2]
• Damned and Forsaken (2014)[4]

• "Before the Mourning" (2012)[10]
• "Another Sleepless Night" (2014)[1][61]