Control Denied was a band formed by Chuck Schuldiner to create progressive heavy metal. The band started in 1996 as Schuldiner wanted to procure a more melodic style than was possible with Death. The project was interrupted by Death's release The Sound of Perseverance in 1998, but finally the debut album The Fragile Art of Existence was released in 1999. A second album, tentatively titled When Man and Machine Collide, was partly recorded, but the death of Schuldiner in 2001 put the recordings on hold. Remaining band members have expressed a wish to complete and release the material.

However, there existed a longstanding legal dispute over the rights of the material with Karmageddon Media, further postponing the completion and release of the album. Part of these incomplete recordings were released without authorization in the Zero Tolerance two-part bootlegs of Chuck's B-sides and unreleased tracks. However, Schuldiner estate lawyer Eric Greif settled all matters with the label by December 2009, allowing for the possibility of completing the album.