Today Is The Day is an experimental rock/metal band founded by Steve Austin… Read Full Bio ↴Today Is The Day is an experimental rock/metal band founded by Steve Austin and Brad Elrod. The band saw its beginnings take root in Nashville, USA in the early 1990s when Today Is The Day released their 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 percussion, and Mike Herrell on bass) in February 1993 and released the full-length Supernova later that year.

In September 1994, Today Is The Day saw its popularity in the metal underground gather steam 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 made another appearance on 7" that year, as they contributed to the tenth volume of AmRep's Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking In The Streets 7" series with Brainiac and Steel Pole Bath Tub.

Today Is The Day's eponymously-titled March 1996 effort furthered the band's legacy within the metal community. This album was the first Today Is The Day release 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 would be the band's final recording for AmRep.

In 1997 Today Is The Day left the AmRep fold and signed with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based metal label Relapse Records. Temple Of The Morning Star was released in September of 1997. For this release, Steve Austin built an entirely new lineup, this time joining forces with bassist/keyboardist Christopher Reeser and drummer Mike Hyde. In addition to Temple Of The Morning Star, Today Is The Day added to their 1997 output by contributing to the In These Black Days 7" series. Released by Hydra Head Records, this series is comprised of six volumes of Black Sabbath covers performed by the following bands in addition to Today Is The Day: Anal Cunt, Eyehategod, Converge, Brutal Truth, Coalesce, Cavity, Cable, Jesuit, Overcast, Cave In, Botch, Neurosis and Soilent Green. For this series, Today Is The Day contributed 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, Steve Austin once again altered Today Is The Day's lineup. For this record 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-based Mastodon. Audiences got their first glimpses of this new lineup 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 of 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 odds and ends compiled from studio sessions held at Austin Enterprise during the late-1990s. In 2001 fans were treated to new Today Is The Day songs that were released on splits with Metatron and 16, the first glimpse of new material since 1999.

The new songs put out on the split releases in 2001 would prove to be but the tip of the iceberg, as these songs would appear on Today Is The Day's monolithic release Sadness Will Prevail. Sadness Will Prevail was released as a double album in September of 2002 and clocks in at approximately 2 1/2 hours. Taking roughly three years to record, mix, and master, Sadness Will Prevail is the band's most ambitious project to date. In addition, 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. Despite the sheer size of Sadness Will Prevail, Today Is The Day also released their second live album, entitled Temple Of The Morning Star Tour, in 2002.

Today Is The Day returned in June of 2004 with an incredibly fast, brutal, and short album entitled Kiss The Pig. While Sadness Will Prevail plays like a progressive rock album, Kiss The Pig exists to be its predecessor's antithesis. Kiss The Pig 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, due in 2007. Roddy is the latest entry in Today Is The Day's rotating drummer slot, following short stints by drummers Jeff Lohrber and Graham Leduc.

In 2008, French drummer Julien Granger (Four Question Marks, Darkness Dynamite) joined the band.

Expectations Exceed Reality
Today Is The Day Lyrics

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Want to be the best of me
Bless my soul
I am God
Strange new fate
No time to hate
Lookin' down
I am God

Hungry
Broken
Eyes sad
I'm broken
Honesty burns in me
Thankfully I'm broken

Reach inside
Downward slide
Past the burn
I am God
Take my hand
Hold on tight
Reaching down
I am god

Hungry
Broken
Eyes sad
I'm broken
Honesty burns in me
Thankfully I'm broken

Fear inside
Scarred so bad
Free myself and win
Hope and pray

It's the end
Be myself again

Overall Meaning

The song "Expectations Exceed Reality" by Today Is The Day is a powerful and introspective track that explores themes of self-worth, self-acceptance, and personal growth. The lyrics of the song convey a sense of struggle and pain as the singer grapples with their own sense of identity and purpose. The repeated refrain "I am God" is a powerful statement of self-affirmation, but it is also tempered by the honest admission of brokenness and vulnerability that permeates the rest of the song.

The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics, as the singer wrestles with the deep-seated desire to be the best version of themselves. This desire is coupled with a sense of divine purpose, as the singer proclaims their god-like status, but also acknowledges the strange new fate that has led them to this point. Throughout the song, the lyrics oscillate between moments of strength and moments of vulnerability, as the singer reflects on their own emotional state and struggles to find a sense of peace with who they are.

One of the most poignant lines of the song comes towards the end, as the singer speaks of freeing themselves and becoming who they truly are. This final message speaks to the universal desire to break free from the constraints and expectations of society, and to embrace our own unique paths and identities. Overall, "Expectations Exceed Reality" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that highlights the struggles and triumphs of the human experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Want to be the best of me
I am striving for greatness

Bless my soul
I'm hoping for spiritual guidance and help

I am God
I have great confidence and power within myself

Strange new fate
I am experiencing unexpected changes and developments

No time to hate
I am focused on getting ahead and improving myself, not wasting time on negativity

Lookin' down
I feel superior to others

Hungry
I am craving success and achievement

Broken
I am flawed and experiencing pain

Eyes sad
I am struggling emotionally

I'm broken
I am admitting my weaknesses and struggles

Honesty burns in me
I am compelled to be truthful, even when it hurts