Steve Austin Talks Four Crucial Today Is the Day Songs
Today Is the Day is a band's band — an outfit behind multiple legendary records that influenced your favorites, indirectly changing the landscape of heavy music as we know it. LPs like Supernova and Temple of the Morning Star are certified classics, but you would be hard-pressed to not find grade-A material on virtually any TITD release. Members of bands ranging from Mastodon and Slipknot to Leviathan, Hate Eternal and Rorschach have all contributed to Steve Austin's noise-rock / metal army. Simply put, TITD are an institution.
Austin, founding member and evil genius behind the band, is celebrating 25 years of Today Is the Day. In that time, he's released 10 studio albums that boast heavy anthems like "My First Knife" and "This Machine Kills Fascists." With these LPs on their way towards reissue via The End Records, we asked Austin to comment on some of the most important songs of his career. His thoughts are below, alongside a sampler of some of TITD's career highlights.
"Adult World" (Supernova)
Living in Nashville as a young punk that grew up out in the country was quite an eye-opener. At times, it seemed like my life was a cross between Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver and Midnight Cowboy. Nashville downtown was a pretty seedy place during the early 1990s. There was a strip bar with the windows blacked out called “Adult World,” and the place always looked like the kind of place that once you go inside, you may never come out again — or possibly on a stretcher.
"Pinnacle" (Temple of the Morning Star)
During the making of Temple of The Morning Star, I found myself alone and in a massive depression fueled by anger. I had a falling out with one of my very closest friends. He had done me wrong and left me hanging. I was so pissed off that I wanted to make a song that was an attack. Something that would really screw with the enemy psychologically. So, I went about putting together "Pinnacle." Drums, bass (keyboard) and vox only. Stripped-down, ready to destroy. The song is about when somebody fucks you over and your revenge is their worst nightmare. Revenge they will never forget.
"In the Eyes of God" (In the Eyes of God)
"In the Eyes of God" was written at very turbulent time. The ATF had just attacked the compound in Waco that housed David Koresh and his followers. The media painted a picture of a bunch of religious nuts that were endangering children. So, the ATF basically stormed in with tanks and burned the compound down to the ground with everyone inside. Men, women and children were all burned alive. I wanted to write a song about the idea of a false messiah. I had myself felt left for dead by God. All of the things I had been taught as a little boy were blowing up right in front of my face. Everything I ever believed about right and wrong, the government and religion, started to appear as one big huge lie.
"This Machine Kills Fascists" (Kiss the Pig)
This song is a battle cry from me and all of the people who live in the USA. The militarization of the police had become out of control. It really seemed that lines were being drawn — normal citizens against the Man. In the midst of this, lyrically, I needed to reassure myself about who I am, and pass on that knowledge to others. Everything was out of control. People had become so desperate and self-preserving that things like dignity, honor and a man’s word became meaningless. I took a hard look at my own self, tried to assess all of my weaknesses. Realized that the answer was inside me and that I wasn’t going to take it anymore. I needed to be an example of what it means to be a good man. Mean what ya say, say what ya mean — be an honest man again. It just felt like myself and our country had been under attack by its own people, and I was sick of it. "This Machine Kills Fascists" is a call to arms to not only fight and bring it to the enemy, but to bring it to the enemy inside of you as well.