The foundation for Vindicator was laid in South Amherst, Ohio during Summer of 2005 when long time friends Marshall Law and brothers Vic and Jesse Stown got together with a singular vision. The band drew influences ranging from first-wave Bay Area and Teutonic thrash to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. As one of the frontrunners of what has come to be known as the "New Wave Of Thrash" Vindicator quickly gained a strong local following. Word of the three-piece metal powerhouse from the American Midwest spread rapidly throughout the U.S. and Europe, leading to an invitation from Heavy Artillery Records in 2006 to contribute a track to the "Speed Kills...Again" compilation album. Not able to provide a track within the necessary time frame, Vindicator was forced to decline the offer but maintained close ties with the label.