Biography
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.
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.
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.
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
.
For Today Is the Day's August 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
Mastodon. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
SuperNova Records
2006 saw the launch of Steve Austin's 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.
Members
Current members
- Steve Austin – guitar, vocals
- John Judkins – bass guitar
- Julien Granger – drums
Previous members
- Brad Elrod– drums (1992-96) (1998-99)
- Mike Herrell – bass guitar (1992-96)
- Scott Wexton – keyboard (1996)
- Chris Reeser – bass guitar, keyboard (1996-98)
- Mike Hyde – drums (1997-98)
- Bill Kelliher – bass guitar (1999)
- Brann Dailor – drums (1999)
- Chris Debari – bass guitar (2000-08)
- Michael Kilpatric – drums (2000-02)
- John Gillis – drums (2002)
- Mike Rosswog - drums (2004, 2008)
- Jeff Lohrber – drums (2005)
- Aaron Kotilainen - keyboard (2005)
- Graham Leduc – drums (2006)
- Derek Roddy – drums (2007-08)
Guest appearances
- Seth Putnam – vocals on Sadness Will Prevail
- Mark Morton – guitar on Sadness Will Prevail
- Kris Force – violin on Sadness Will Prevail
- Jackie Gratz – cello on Sadness Will Prevail
Discography
Studio albums
- Supernova
(1993), Amphetamine Reptile
- Willpower
(1994), Amphetamine Reptile
- Today is the Day
(1996), Amphetamine Reptile
- Temple of the Morning Star
(1997), Relapse
- In the Eyes of God
(1999), Relapse
- Sadness Will Prevail
(2002), Relapse
- Kiss the Pig
(2004), Relapse
- Axis of Eden
(2007), SuperNova
Live releases
- Live Till You Die
CD (2000), Relapse
- Blue Blood
CD (2002), Rage of Achilles
- Willpower
DVD (2007), SuperNova
- Today Is the Day Live
DVD (2006), SuperNova
- Live in Japan
DVD (2008), Supernova
- Live at the Whiskey A Go-Go
DVD (2008), Supernova
EPs and singles
- How to Win Friends and Influence People
EP (1992), self-released
- I Bent Scared
7? EP (1993), Amphetamine Reptile
- In These Black Days vol. 3
split 7? with Coalesce (1997), Hydra Head
- Zodiac Dreaming
split Mini CD with 16 (2001), Trash Art!
- Descent
split CD with Metatron (2001), Dark Reign
Compilation appearances
- Clusterfuck '94
(live) with Chokebore and Guzzard (1994), Amphetamine Reptile
- Dope Guns 'n Fucking in the Streets vol. 10
(1994), Amphetamine Reptile
- Recollection: Relapse Video Collection
DVD (2003), Relapse (contributed video for "Pinnacle")
- Dope Guns 'n Fucking Up Your Video Deck vol. 1–3 1990–1994
DVD (2004), Amphetamine Reptile (contributed videos for "6 Dementia Satyr" and "Realization")
- Relapse Records Contamination Fest 2003
live DVD(2004), Relapse
- Recollection 2: Relapse Video Collection
DVD (2004), Relapse (contributed video for "The Descent")
- Recollection 3: Relapse Video Collection
DVD (2005), Relapse (contributed video for "Mother's Ruin")