Red Tape, a hardcore punk band from Sacramento, California, was formed in 1998. Their debut album, High Revoltage, was released in 2000 through New Age Records, an independent label based in California. Red Tape also self-released the EP Constructivism in 2002. Musically, they blended influences from hardcore punk and metal, drawing comparisons to acts like Bad Brains, Refused, and Iron Maiden. The band's second album, Radioactivist, came out in 2003 under Roadrunner Records. The band toured extensively with notable groups such as Snapcase, Will Haven, Death by Stereo, Bleeding Through, and Tsunami Bomb. Jeff Jaworski, the lead singer of Red Tape, later joined Will Haven after Grady Avenell's departure.