The members of Glasgow, Scotland's Mendeed -- vocalist David Proctor, lead guitarist Steven Nixon, rhythm guitarist Steph Gildea, bassist/vocalist Chris Lavery, and drummer Kevin Matthews -- met as teenagers while attending local Dumbarton Academy, and evolved through a series of different heavy metal styles until settling upon a frenzied mixture of power metal and deathcore in time for 2002's Killing Something Beautiful EP. The group subsequently toured with rising Brit power metallers Dragonforce, among others, and, following the release of 2003's As We Rise and 2004's From Shadows Came Darkness EPs, they transitioned from original indie label Rising Records to the more established Nuclear Blast for full-length follow-ups This War Will Last Forever (2006) and The Dead Live by Love (2007). ~ Eduardo Rivadavia