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Formed in 1997 under the moniker Claymore with the membership of David Thom (drums), Melinda Justice (guitars/bass (bass until sometime before 2000)), Michael Thom (vocals/guitars) and Jeremy Jones (bass; joined in 2000) where they recorded the The Beauty of Suffering EP in 2001; the band would reform in 2004 as Afterlife.
The act's sound would conjure attitude driven songs with demon inspired hooks that demanded attention. Though it is difficult pin down an influence Afterlife wears on their sleeve, they do cite influences, such as: Black Sabbath, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Pantera, Ozzy Osborne, Danzig, Monster Magnet, Acid Bath, Down, and Corrosion of Conformity. Another element that added a unique facet to their sound is that they incorporated male and female lead vocals. Though their hometown is not their ideal demographic, they averaged 500 plays a day on their Myspace profile where they quickly attained a following of 23,000+ fans. They spent two years working with a nonpaying indie label out of Oklahoma City called 'Infinite Records', where they were exposed to many large audiences in Oklahoma and received admiration after their high energy headbanging stage performances. Their music received regular rotation on local radio: 95.3 "The X" in Fort Smith, 104.5 "The Edge" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, an d 100.5 KATT in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The release of their first full length CD From the Outside In E Minor in February 2005 saw local success. Afterlife would then share the stage with Byzantine, Six Feet Under (USA), Krisiun, Decapitated, Face Down In Shit, Abysmal Dawn, Fuck The Facts, Neurosonic, Through The Eyes Of The Dead, The Knife Trade, Slow The Knife, Bongzilla, Skinless, Unmerciful, Vore, Hell Within, and Internal Suffering, featuring the line-up of: Melinda Justice (bass/vocals), Jeremy Whitset (drums), Jarrod King (guitars), Michael Thom (guitars/vocals).
After 2005 Afterlife went silent to emerge again as Staring Into Fire in 2009 with a self-titled release in 2013.
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