ampa , ▁Florida ▁in ▁mid - 2 0 1 1 ▁by ▁vocal ist , ▁guitar ist , ▁song writer , ▁and ▁producer ▁Andrew ▁Z ink . ▁After ▁he ▁left ▁his ▁previous ▁group , ▁Z ink ▁began ▁to ▁write ▁and ▁record ▁songs ▁on ▁his ▁own ▁and ▁released ▁them ▁on - line ▁which ▁drew ▁some ▁attention . ▁He ▁then ▁rec ru ited ▁several ▁music ian ▁friends ▁to ▁learn ▁the ▁material ▁with ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁having ▁it ▁performed ▁live . ▁They ▁settled ▁on ▁Ak eld ama ▁as ▁their ▁name , ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁alias ▁Z ink ▁had ▁used ▁on ▁various ▁online ▁for ums ▁and ▁video ▁games ▁accounts . ▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Ak eld ama ▁released ▁their ▁three - track ▁self - t itled ▁EP ▁as ▁a ▁free ▁download . ▁It ▁was ▁recorded ▁in ▁Z ink ' s ▁home ▁facility ▁Z ink ▁Audio , ▁and ▁he ▁is ▁cred ited ▁as ▁the ▁sole ▁producer , ▁mix er , ▁and ▁prominent ▁song writer , ▁with ▁the ▁other ▁members ▁adding ▁their ▁own ▁sections ▁to ▁Z ink ' s ▁ideas . ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Ak eld ama ▁performed ▁a ▁set ▁at ▁the ▁e ighth ▁edition ▁of ▁the ▁heavy ▁metal ▁Euro blast ▁Festival ▁in ▁C ologne , ▁Germany . ▁Z ink ▁and ▁Re ib ling ▁had ▁asked ▁its ▁founder ▁John ▁Spr ich ▁if ▁the ▁band ▁could ▁perform ▁at ▁the ▁event , ▁to ▁which ▁Spr ich ▁agreed ▁on ▁the ▁condition ▁that ▁they ▁fund ▁their ▁trip ▁to ▁C ologne