2002 saw the band continuing to tour throughout the west coast and were signed to Seattle indie label Tooth & Nail Records. The band eventually recorded their first full-length LP The Dying Art of Life in the winter of 2002/2003 with producer Sylvia Massy at RadioStar Studios in Weed, CA. Following the recording sessions, drummer Michael Hoppe decided to leave the band and was quickly replaced by Jon Sontag, formerly of local San Jose band Fan Five (and current member of Bay Area bands Angeles and Northern Son). The band played and toured nationally for the rest of the year in preparation for the release of their first full-length record.
