One of the first hardcore punk bands (forming in 1980), 7 Seconds was also one of the first to embrace the straight-edge lifestyle, abstaining from alcohol and drugs of any kind. Unlike many other bands on the hardcore scene, 7 Seconds had evolved well beyond the limiting blueprint of the genre by the late 1980s, incorporating more traditional rock and new-wave elements. The 1999 album GOOD TO GO, however, heralded the band's return to its hardcore roots nearly two decades after it helped create the sound.