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.
The Descent
Today Is The Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't live I can't eat
Time has risen land of the free
It is no gift honesty
It is my life don't promise
Me shit drunk sad fuck
Live your life don't live mine
Leave me alone I don't wanna be sane
I don't wanna be safe leave me alone
Wait and see what you'll get
The best is yet to come there
Ought to be truth inside honestly
I've nothing to hide you aren't
The victim you are the plague
I stand for freedom I'm not a slave
Lost away locked inside here
I stand the test of time time
Has risen land of the fake it
Is no gift honesty
The Descent by Today Is The Day is a song about feeling lost and hopeless in a world that values dishonesty and conformity. The opening lines - "Why am I pissing blood, I can't live I can't eat" - paint a picture of physical and mental anguish. The singer feels like they are deteriorating both physically and mentally, and cannot find relief in basic needs like food and water. The next line - "Time has risen land of the free" - is a play on the classic American phrase "land of the free," suggesting that time, rather than freedom, is what rules us all. The following lines criticize the idea of honesty being a gift, and the singer distances themselves from the promise of a better life, calling it "shit" and describing themselves as a "drunk sad f\*\*k."
The chorus - "Live your life don't live mine, leave me alone I don't wanna be sane, I don't wanna be saved, I don't wanna be safe leave me alone" - encapsulates the singer's desire to be left alone to live their own life, free from outside influence or pressure to conform. They reject the idea of being "saved" or "safe," preferring instead to live a life of their own choosing. The verse "Wait and see what you'll get, the best is yet to come there, ought to be truth inside honestly, I've nothing to hide you aren't the victim you are the plague" seems directed at whoever is causing the singer to feel this way - suggesting that they will eventually get their comeuppance. The idea of "truth inside honestly" is a nod to the importance of transparency and authenticity, and the line "I've nothing to hide" indicates that the singer is being true to themselves. The final line of the verse sets up an interesting dynamic - the antagonist is not the victim, but rather the catalyst for the singer's suffering.
The final verse - "I stand for freedom I'm not a slave, lost away locked inside here, I stand the test of time, time has risen land of the fake it is no gift honesty" - is a statement of defiance. The singer claims to stand for freedom, and emphasizes that they are not a slave to anyone or anything. They feel lost and trapped, but are determined to withstand the test of time. The last line echoes the sentiment earlier in the song - that honesty is not a gift, but an essential part of living a true and authentic life.
Line by Line Meaning
Why am I pissing blood
I am physically or emotionally drained, and I don't know why.
I can't live I can't eat
I am experiencing extreme physical or emotional pain that is making it hard to carry out basic life functions.
Time has risen land of the free
The passage of time has led to a society that claims to be free, but is actually built on falsehoods and corruption.
It is no gift honesty
Being honest and truthful is not something that is given lightly or easily, it takes a lot of effort and courage.
It is my life don't promise
My existence is my own responsibility, and I don't need or want empty promises from others.
Me shit drunk sad fuck
I am feeling worthless and miserable, and am possibly self-medicating with alcohol or drugs.
Live your life don't live mine
Everyone has their own life to lead, and I don't want others to try to control or influence my path in life.
Leave me alone I don't wanna be sane
I am rejecting society's norms of what is considered 'normal' or 'sane', and want others to leave me to my own devices.
I don't wanna be saved
I am rejecting the idea that I need to be rescued or 'fixed' by others - I am my own person and can make my own decisions.
I don't wanna be safe leave me alone
I am rejecting the notion that safety or security is the most important thing - I want to take risks and live my life on my own terms.
Wait and see what you'll get
You will reap what you sow, and there will be consequences for your actions.
The best is yet to come there
There is still hope for a better future, despite the current state of things.
Ought to be truth inside honestly
Honesty should be valued above all else, and people should strive to always tell the truth.
I've nothing to hide you aren't
I have no secrets or hidden motives, and you are not the victim you perceive yourself to be.
The victim you are the plague
By wallowing in victim-hood and blaming others, you are spreading negativity and causing harm to yourself and others.
I stand for freedom I'm not a slave
I value my individual freedom and autonomy, and will not submit to the control or manipulation of others.
Lost away locked inside here
I feel lost and trapped within myself or my surroundings.
I stand the test of time time
I am resilient and will endure through the passage of time and life's challenges.
Has risen land of the fake it
Society has become a place of lies, illusions, and phoniness, rather than authentic living.
Is no gift honesty
Being honest is not something that can be taken lightly, as it requires personal courage and sacrifice.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAURENCE ANDREW TOLHURST, ROBERT JAMES SMITH, SIMON GALLUP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ks-hh1cf
Why am I pissing blood
I can't live I can't eat
Time has risen land of the free
It is no gift honesty
It is my life don't promise
Me shit drunk sad fuck
Live your life don't live mine
Leave me alone I don't wanna be sane
I don't wanna be saved
I don't wanna be safe leave me alone
Wait and see what you'll get
The best is yet to come there
Ought to be truth inside honestly
I've nothing to hide you aren't
The victim you are the plague
I stand for freedom I'm not a slave
Lost away locked inside here
I stand the test of time time
Has risen land of the fake it
Is no gift honesty
@destroyerofstupid7073
The riffing on this song is 10/10. Best band out there.
@Bandug
This is easily their best cut by far. Don't get me wrong, as much as I love this band, nothing I have ever heard even comes close to the sheer intensity and destruction that this song invokes. I've probably listened to it at least 50 times and it never gets old. I also adore the erratic editing in this video, perfectly matches with the music.
@StarBellySneetch
temple of the morning star live was a memory that changed my life. INSANITY. Sent me on a journey.
@wizardmasterdeath
Sadness Will Prevail is a wild ride
@kesdunu937
Loved the production on this album.
@beauty.of.the.struggle
Seeing this music video on Fuse when I came home from high school was my introduction to TitD... I've been obsessed ever since.
At the time I was mostly listening to techy shit with garbage disposal vocals and blast beats the whole time. I remember turning on the TV in time to catch the ending of this... This super doom-y song with the drummer just beating the shit out of the toms... it was the heaviest thing I'd ever heard and blew my world open.
So happy that there's finally a high Def cut of this video uploaded now
@TheSonicDeviant
These guys are on another level.
@VHNdrums
holy shit!!! Steve Austin is bringing back the classic videos in great quality!
@mahatmagamgee1831
can't believe I saw this as a kid :D Loved the song ever since, thanks for the reupload!
@huhwowproductions
I remember when I first saw this video as a kid. This was the heaviest ish I had heard up until that point. Still slaps