Sonically melding melodic vocals over a hybrid of post-hardcore, metal, and straight-up rock,
Bedlight for Blue Eyes came together in the early 2000s in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Establishing themselves a loyal fan base on the local scene, a heavy Internet buzz surrounding a three-song demo soon found them national notoriety among an underground punk scene boasting popular bands like
Boys Night Out,
Silverstein, and
Hawthorne Heights. The band comprised vocalist
Christian Guerrero (who had previously studied at the Boston Conservatory of Music on a vocal scholarship), drummer
Itzhak Bishburg, bassist
James Granuzzo, and guitarists
Derek Weber and
Justin Ortiz. Though they had not yet played a show outside of their home state,
Bedlight for Blue Eyes next won a national contest (voted on by fans) to perform at the NJ stop of the Taste of Chaos tour. The band played alongside a festival lineup that included bands like
Killswitch Engage,
My Chemical Romance, and
the Used. Trustkill took notice of all this hype and activity, inking a deal with the group in December 2004. Their label debut,
The Dawn, was issued the following August, and the band hit the road in support. The guys also contributed a cover of
Third Eye Blind's "Jumper" for Fearless'
Punk Goes '90s compilation.
Guerrero parted ways with the band in early 2006; a new vocalist,
Danny Rinaldi, had signed on by spring, after responding to a post on MySpace.
Bedlight for Blue Eyes released the digital EP Waste My Time that August and a month later
Granuzzo exited as well. The guys pressed on and began recording their next album in early 2007. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide