Winterhawk was originally formed in 1977 by guitarist/vocalist Jordan Macarus in Chicago. However, the original lineup lasted only until 1980. But Jordan Macarus wasn't thinking of giving up just yet. Jordan Macarus developed the idea of the "revival" album with his longtime friend Chris Mazur, with whom he shared a room at Northern Illinois University. The two began digging through a mountain of live and demo recordings to filter out the best material for an album. "I definitely showed myself influenced by Rush at the time," Jordan Macarus continues. "My biggest inspiration in hard rock, though, was Ted Nugent. And Aerosmith. Thin Lizzy I love too, but those double-voiced guitar harmonies were never planned, that came later. In the beginning, it was more Deep Purple that passed for our idols."