 The band first began writing songs at their rehearsal space in their hometown of Minneapolis , which they nicknamed the " Dungeon " , due to its ability to " suck the life and energy out of the band . " For Pierre , the album came at the brink of a transitional period for him , in which he began to seek treatment for alcohol abuse . He left the band during the writing stages for Los Angeles where he moved in with Epitaph founder Brett Gurewitz and began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings . Afterwards , the band rejoined Pierre in Los Angeles to begin recording demos for a month ; the change of scenery brought about new energy for the group , according to Pierre . Commit This to Memory would be the first album by the band to feature material crafted by each musician in the group , as previous releases had featured songs written in the years prior to each member joining . In addition , the band had more time and funds to spend time working on the album . " It was also the first time we had a lot more time and money to go in and feel like we were making a real record this time , whereas I Am the Movie was recorded in little segments here and there and eventually pieced together , " said drummer Tony Thaxton . 
