Volvo: Brakes, volvo 850, brake fade

Question
I have a 1996 Volvo 850 and today i've noticed today how hard I have to press the breaks. If I am driving slow and pump the breaks it's fine, but if i'm going faster and I need to slam the breaks it squeals and takes a longer than it should to come to a complete stop. The brakes are fairly new, within a year. Hasn't been driven much in the past year until about a month ago.

Answer
Will,
Make sure there is vacuum at the brake booster. If the brakes you had installed are of a very hard and durable material you maybe getting brake fade and will need to go back to original pads and rotors for a smoother and quieter stopping experience.