Today Is the Day

Today Is the Day

Today Is the Day in 2003
Background information
Origin Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Genres Noise rock,[1] avant-garde metal,[2] grindcore,[3] post-hardcore
Years active 1992–present
Labels Amphetamine Reptile, Relapse, SuperNova, BMA, Southern Lord, The End
Associated acts Alien In The Land Of Our Birth, Lethargy, Mastodon, Amber Asylum, Lamb of God, Circle of Dead Children, Wetnurse, Leviathan, Burn Your Halo, Crisis, Three Question Marks, Hate Eternal, Enabler, Taipan, Anal Cunt, Burn The Priest, Rwake, Complete Failure, The Esoteric, The Voodoo Organist, Know Nothing, Eyes Upon Separation, UXO
Website todayistheday.us
Members Steve Austin
Trevor Thomas
Douglas Andrae
Past members Brad Elrod
Mike Herrell
Scott Wexton
Chris Reeser
Mike Hyde
Bill Kelliher
Brann Dailor
Chris Debari
Michael Kilpatric
John Gillis
Aaron Kotilainen
Graham Leduc
Derek Roddy
John Judkins
Ryan Jones
Curran Reynolds

Today Is the Day is an American noise rock/experimental metal band from Nashville, Tennessee. They have a diverse sound that includes influences from alternative rock, grindcore, avant-garde music and progressive rock among other genres. Most of the band's recordings are experimental in nature, displaying an extensive use of dissonance and sampling as well as psychedelic features. Lyrical themes include violence, altered states of consciousness, personal struggles, depression, warfare, drug abuse and mental problems such as psychosis and paranoia.

Biography

Early years and releases with Amphetamine Reptile (1992-1996)

The band was founded by Steve Austin and Brad Elrod in Nashville, Tennessee in the early 1990s. The band released its debut EP, entitled How to Win Friends and Influence People, in 1992. This self-financed release garnered the attention of Amphetamine Reptile Records (AmRep) who signed the band (at this time consisting of Austin on vocals and guitar, Brad Elrod on drums, and Mike Herrell on bass guitar) in February 1993. The full-length Supernova was released later that year.[4]

In September 1994, Today Is the Day saw its popularity in the metal underground increase with the release of their second album, entitled Willpower. That same year, Willpower was followed by the Clusterfuck '94 split EP with labelmates Chokebore and Guzzard. Today Is the Day also contributed to the tenth volume of AmRep's Dope Guns and Fucking in the Streets 7" series with Brainiac and Steel Pole Bath Tub.[4]

Today Is the Day's self-titled album was released in March 1996. This album was the first of the band's releases recorded at Austin's own studio, Austin Enterprise, in Nashville. For this release, Steve Austin shifted the band's sound slightly and opted to replace bassist Mike Herrell with keyboardist Scott Wexton. Today Is the Day was the band's final recording for AmRep.[4]

Years with Relapse Records (1997-2004)

In 1997, Today Is the Day left AmRep and signed with Philadelphia-based metal label Relapse Records and released Temple of the Morning Star in September 1997. For this release, the band's lineup changed significantly, adding bassist and keyboardist Christopher Reeser and drummer Mike Hyde to the band. In addition to Temple of the Morning Star, Today Is the Day also contributed to the In These Black Days 7" series, released by Hydra Head Records, with their rendition of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", which can also be found as a secret track at the end of Temple of the Morning Star.[4]

For Today Is the Day's July 1999 release, entitled In the Eyes of God, Reeser and Hyde were replaced with bassist Bill Kelliher and drummer Brann Dailor, formerly of Rochester, New York's Lethargy and current members of Atlanta, Georgia's Mastodon.[5] This new lineup first appeared live at the Milwaukee Metalfest and the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. Having moved to Massachusetts in 1998, this was the first Today Is the Day album to be recorded at Austin Enterprise's new location in Clinton, Massachusetts.[4]

The years 2000 and 2001 were relatively quiet for Today Is the Day in terms of releasing new material. Live Till You Die was released in August 2000, and included live tracks recorded during the tours in support of Temple of the Morning Star and In the Eyes of God, covers of songs by The Beatles, Bad Company, and Chris Isaak, and various songs compiled from studio sessions held at Austin Enterprise during the late-1990s. In 2001, new Today Is the Day songs were released on splits with Metatron and 16, the first new material since 1999.[4]

The new songs put out on the split releases later appeared on Today Is the Day's double album Sadness Will Prevail, released in 2002. This album kept with Steve Austin's habit of rotating band personnel, and Kelliher and Dailor were replaced by Chris Debari and Marshall Kilpatric, respectively. Today Is the Day also released their second live album, entitled Blue Blood, in 2002.[4]

Today Is the Day returned in June 2004 with a new album entitled Kiss the Pig, which featured the debut of new drummer Mike Rosswog, previously of Circle of Dead Children. Rosswog replaced Anal Cunt's John Gillis, who performed live with the band in 2003. Kiss the Pig was the last album released by Today Is the Day on Relapse Records.[4]

Post-Relapse years (2005-present)

In December 2006 it was announced that former Hate Eternal drummer Derek Roddy had joined the band and would appear on their next studio album, Axis of Eden, released in 2007 through SuperNova Records, a label originally set up by Steve Austin to reissue out-of-print material of the band.[6] By 2008, Austin and Roddy's relationship soured, and Roddy left the band.[7]

In April 2010, it was confirmed Today Is the Day would join former AmpRep label mates Melvins, Boss Hog, and others at Amphetamine Reptile's 25th Anniversary bash in Minneapolis on August 28, 2010.[8] In July 2010 Black Market Activities Records announced that they were welcoming Today Is The Day to its roster. Black Market Activities released Today Is The Day’s ninth studio album, Pain Is a Warning, in 2011. This album saw the debut of Curran Reynolds on drums and Ryan Jones on bass, and was produced by Kurt Ballou of Converge.[9]

In November 2013 Austin announced on the band's Facebook page that work had commenced on their 10th studio album with a new lineup featuring Sean Conkling on Bass (Burn Your Halo, Sidra).[10] In June 2014, Austin announced that Today Is The Day has joined Southern Lord Records, for the release of its tenth studio album, Animal Mother, which was released on October 21 of that year.[11] By late 2015, Steve Austin, along with Chris Spencer from Unsane, formed a new project called UXO, which also featured bassist Aarne Victorine and drummer Patrick Kennedy.[12] Their debut self-titled album was released on January 29, 2016 through Reptilian Records.[13]

On September 26, 2016, it was announced that Today Is The Day joined The End Records for the release of their eleventh studio album, which is expected to be released in 2017.[14] The group also announced via their Facebook page that they plan to reissue almost their entire discography (including their debut self-issued How To Win Friends And Influence People demo) to coincide the 25th anniversary of Temple of the Morning Star.

Musical style and influences

Today Is the Day is often described by critics as a noise rock band[1] and are also often categorized in multiple different subgenres of heavy metal music, such as math metal,[15] avant-garde metal, doom metal,[16] post-metal,[17] sludge metal, extreme metal,[18] and grindcore.[3] Post-hardcore has also been used to describe their sound in the past. The band is often credited as being one of the first few artists to combine noise rock with heavy metal, and their first three albums with Amphetamine Reptile Records Supernova, Willpower, and Today Is the Day often receive high praise from critics for their style. Their first two records with Relapse Records, Temple of the Morning Star and In the Eyes of God incorporated elements of grindcore into the band's sound.

Electronics have always played key roles in the band's music since Supernova, and their 1996 self-titled album lacked any bass guitars, instead utilizing the keyboard as a replacement. Their 2002 double album Sadness Will Prevail introduced string instruments and piano.

Steve Austin has mentioned that the music and bands released by record labels such as Earache Records and Touch and Go Records played a major role in the development of the band's style.[19] Other influences include Death, Slayer, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, U2, Butthole Surfers, Eyehategod, Miles Davis, Unsane, and The Jesus Lizard, to name a few. The band is considered by critics as an important part of the development of metal-related music during the mid to late 1990's. Last Rites editor Andrew Edmunds mentioned in his review of Supernova on how it "would lay the groundwork for a seemingly never-ending wave of spastic metal bands".[20] Patrick Kennedy of allmusic described Supernova as a "landmark recording".[21]

SuperNova Records

Main article: SuperNova Records

In 2006 Steve Austin launched his own record label, SuperNova Records, which was founded in order to properly release material by Today Is the Day, among others. As of April 2007, SuperNova has released DVDs of live Today Is the Day shows from 1995 and 1996, as well as reissuing a remastered version of their Willpower record, previously released on Amphetamine Reptile Records. The label also released a film Axis of Eden based on the album of the same name.[22] The label has now been defunct ever since Today Is the Day signed to Black Market Activities in 2010.

Members

Current
  • Steve Austin – lead vocals, guitars (1992–present)
  • Trevor Thomas – bass (2015–present)
  • Douglas Andrae – drums (2015–present)
Guest appearances
Former
  • Brad Elrod – drums, percussion (1992–1996, 1998–1999)
  • Mike Herrell – bass (1992–1996)
  • Cody McCall – bass (1996–1996)
  • Scott Wexton – keyboards (1996)
  • Milan Dietz – bass (1997)
  • Chris Reeser – bass, keyboards (1997–1998)
  • Mike Hyde – drums, percussion (1997–1998)
  • Bill Kelliher – bass (1999)
  • Brann Dailor – drums, percussion (1999)
  • Chris Debari – bass (2000–2008)
  • Marshall Kilpatric – drums, percussion (2000–2002)
  • John Gillis – drums, percussion (2002)
  • Mike Rosswog – drums, percussion (2004, 2008)
  • Aaron Kotilainen – keyboards (2005)
  • Jeff Lohrber – drums (2005, 2013–2014)
  • Graham Leduc – drums, percussion (2006)
  • Derek Roddy – drums, percussion (2007–2008)
  • John Judkins – bass (2008–2010)
  • Julien Granger – drums (2009–2010)
  • Ryan Jones – bass (2010–2013)
  • Curran Reynolds – drums, percussion (2010–2013)
  • Sean Conkling – bass (2013–2014)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Video releases

EPs and singles

Compilation appearances

Music videos

References

  1. 1 2 Schulte, Tom. "Review of Temple of the Morning Star". AllMusic.com. AllMusicGuide. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  2. ↑ Wilson, Ari. "Animal Mother Review". CvltNation.com. Cvlt Nation. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  3. 1 2 Serba, John. "AllMusic review of Kiss The Pig". allmusic.com. allmusic. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kennedy, Patrick. "Today Is the Day Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  5. ↑ Harris, Chris; Wiederhorn, Jon (July 27, 2007). "Today Is the Day Hope Their Day Has Arrived". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Ex Hate Eternal Drummer Derek Roddy Joins Today Is The Day - Blabbermouth.net". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  7. ↑ Rosenberg, Axl. "Today Is The Day's Steve Austin: The Longest Metal Sucks Interview Ever". metalsucks.net. Metal Sucks. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
  9. ↑ "TODAY IS THE DAY: Sign To Black Market Activities, Announce Tour". SMNnews.com. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  10. ↑ "Today Is The Day". Facebook. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Today Is The Day Signs With Southern Lord Recordings For 'Animal Mother' Album - Blabbermouth.net". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  12. ↑ Grow, Kory. "Hear Unsane, Today Is The Day Members Revel In Noise In New UXO Song". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  13. ↑ Kelly, Kim. "Meet UXO, the Gnarly New Procject from Members of Today Is the Day, Unsane, and Vattnet Viskar". noisey.vice.com. Vice. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
  14. ↑ N/A. "Today Is The Day Signs With The End Records". blabbermouth.net. Blabber Mouth. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  15. ↑ York, William. "Sadness Will Prevail". Allmusic. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  16. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Axis Of Eden Review". allmusic.com. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  17. ↑ Heaney, Greggory. "AllMusic review of Animal Mother". allmusic.com. Allmusic. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  18. ↑ "Interview: Steve Austin of Today Is The Day". InvisibleOranges.com. Invisible Oranges. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
  19. ↑ Smith, Evil. "Today Is Another Day". lordsofmetal.nl. Lords Of Metal. Retrieved 2004. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  20. ↑ Edmunds, Andrew. "Review of Today Is The Day - Supernova (Reissue)". yourlastrites.com. Last Rites. Retrieved April 2008. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  21. ↑ Kennedy, Patrick. "Supernova". Allmusic. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2009-11-11.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/5/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.