N.M.E took shape in Pittsburgh, PA during the mid-'80s, stabilizing a lineup of guitarists Michael Weldon and Brian Keruskin, Chuck Robinson on bass, drummer Dave Snyder, and vocalist Jirus. The group spent a full year honing a catalog of hard-charging heavy metal from mid-1987 through July of 1988, at which time they recorded nine songs at Space Station Studios in Uniontown, PA. Originally intended to be released as a full-length album called The End of Innocence, the professional-sounding effort was only issued in limited quantities on dubbed cassettes with handwritten labels.