Camp Darkwaters was originally envisioned as First Step to Failure's first LP, slated to contain upwards of twenty selections of original material and cover songs.

The grand scope of the album took its first detour after learning how much it would cost to rent a proper studio for its execution. The decision was made to self-produce and engineer the LP with a portable DAW and several top-tier microphones.

The band's lack of recording experience, however, would prove to be detrimental. Less-than-flattering sounds were captured due to improper treatment of recording spaces and poor mic-placement. The unique and low-fi sound of Camp Darkwaters is very much a product of these steep learning curves. Thankfully, the lessons learned during these sessions would help each of the band members to perfect their craft in the years to come.

Drummer Jason O'Shea and Guitarist Chris Crean recorded the drums in a concrete basement padded with blankets and sleeping bags from floor to ceiling. While the intention was to capture the best drum sound possible, their inexperience yielded the hallow and muted drum sounds featured on the record. In hindsight, O'Shea's natural attack and presence behind the kit is lost in these recordings, a true disservice to the proficient drummer.

Guitarist Vincent Marone did not help matters either, continually lending his untested opinion to the mix (literally and figuratively!) The post-production EQ and mixing errors are largely due to Marone's inexperience and lack of skill, resulting in guitar-heavy mixes drowned out by muddied EQ settings and absence of natural and synthetic reverb.

With all its shortcomings, though, Camp Darkwaters is an interesting body of work to dive into.

Out of the twenty-or-so drum tracks that were recorded, only a little more than half were worked on beyond the drums. Of those twelve-fourteen songs with guitar tracks, only half of those were seen to fruition - leaving many "instrumental demos" left behind on the cutting room floor.

The selections that made the EP were thought to have been the most representative of the band at the time, as they explored darker themes than even its predecessor, No Chance for Salvation, delved into. The music also evolved as well, with a departure from "simple" street punk into more progressive and dynamic song structures, thanks to a strong-armed songwriting approach by Marone in practice sessions.

The drive and direction by Marone alienated many of the band members, who had a different creative vision for what First Step to Failure should be. Along with these tensions came the departure of founding bassist Paul Beyers just before recording commenced. This lineup change created a void that saw a revolving-door of musicians try to fill.

It can be argued that the completion of Camp Darkwaters was the catalyst that drove the band to breakup in 2007. Other factors (like the birth of Marone's children, the instability in the bassist position, and the strained relationships between a variety of band members) also contributed as well. However, these details make Camp Darkwaters all the more interesting to soak in and reflect on.

Eventually, the band would reunite with Beyers to come together long enough to properly finish many of the songs originally intended for this EP. And while certain relationships remain stronger than ever to this day, others sadly did not last, leaving First Step to Failure forever an element of the past.