Overcast was formed in 1990 in Boston, MA by vocalist Brian Fair, guitarists Shawn Rounds and Pete Cortese, drummer Jay Fitzgerald and bassist Mike D'Antonio. Releasing two albums before their disbandment in 1998, they are considered an early pioneer of metalcore. In 1999, D'Antonio and Fair went on to develop globally successful staples of the metalcore genre, cofounding and joining Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall respectively.