DEPARTURE PLAN was founded in the autumn of 2003 by Oslo students former LOST IN TIME guitar player Steffen Stebbing, ex-SCENIC BEAUTY keyboard man Ketil Ronold and second guitarist Tony Kåreid. The first version of a full band unit, completed in July 2004, involved LOST IN TIME's Åge Trøite on vocals, DELUSIVE BLOODTHIRST's Øystein Hansen on bass and ex-INTERCEPTOR musician Kristoffer Øyen on drums. Previous to stabilising the rhythm section the group rehearsed with Kristian van Rien of DELUSION and DELUSIVE BLOODTHIRST plus Lex-Icon from THE KOVENANT.

A debut album's worth of material, dubbed 'Reference', was recorded but then shelved as Åge Trøite. HIGHLAND GLORY's Jan Thore Grefstad duly took his position. Further changes witnessed the exit of Øystein Hansen, Ronold switching to bass and the induction of CIRCUS MAXIMUS and CARNIVORA keyboard player Espen Storø.

As a side project, Kristoffer Øyen established AFTER ETERNITY, recording a 2006 album utilising Jan Thore Grefstad, Ketil Ronold and Espen Storø.