Shear signed a deal in 1999 with the Canadian label Gashed! for a full-length album (Contempt, released in November 1999). Contempt ranked #42 on the DAC Top Albums of 2000 chart in Germany. A second album, Failure, followed in March 2001 and was released by Gashed in North America and Accession Records in Europe. A single from Failure, "Disappoint", was released on Accession in October 2001 and ranked #42 on the DAC Top Singles chart for 2001. The song dealt with Shear's sense of loss after his father's suicide on October 28, 1999, and features a sample from the film In the Line of Fire.
