Today Is The Day - No Good To Anyone
“I felt like I had no value and no worth, and I’m most likely going to die.”
Today Is The Day frontman Steve Austin went through hell on Earth during the six year period between Animal Mother and the production of No Good To Anyone. A debilitating illness (Lyme Disease), a horrific road accident, the death of his dog, immense pain - self pity, embarrassment and doubt. But Steve, crawled out the other end, and the result of that torment and anguish is No Good to Anyone, their 11th studio album, and a highlight in the experimental group’s remarkable 30 year career.
Despite consistently trudging through the depths of despair, it is a sonically varied album. Austin adding that No Good To Anyone is "14 different paintings of a gloomy, dark New England landscape,” and it does take you from shade to shade, while remaining dark and intense. Considering the hell he went through during pre-production, Austin sounds better than ever, a fortuitous mix of Ozzy Osbourne, Perry Farrell, Marilyn Manson and Neil Young. And the guitars sound great on this album, drenched in this thick distortion that add to the the weight, and makes the fleeting flourishes that border on melody shine brighter. It is a well self-produced album, mirroring the emotion pouring from the lyrical content.
The album opens with the crushing title track, a slow methodical doom crawl drenched with pain and pity. Occasional blasts of splatter the track, but there is this low and deep cloud that looms over the song that never dissipates. The dark and ominous warning that is Attacked By An Angel immediately follows - you can’t see, you got it coming. It is however, a surprisingly catchy track, and the album as a whole is not difficult to grasp, with several moments that quickly etch into your psyche. Son of a Man is Type O Negative like, but there is no humour or sarcasm in this, because it really happened.
You’re You’re All Gonna Die doesn’t offer us much hope either, before Austin’s son Willie offers a glimmer of love and beauty with the piano piece Orland. There is beauty in here, you have to get better. There is a Mike Patton feel to Cocobolo, a hint of sarcasm, but probably not "I’m so excited Ive lost all control.” The album continues to stun and deliver. Callie is a heartfelt and heartbreaking acoustic track about his dog. The unconditional love Callie had for him, and vice versa.
It is not a perfect album by any means, there are are few tracks from OJ Kush through to Born in Blood that push the album over that 40 minute barrier, where an album seeped with so much emotion edges on too long. However, the album finishes strong. Mexico has hypnotic qualities, and a mesmerising opening riff, and the final track Rockets and Dreams takes you to the brink of helplessness, and pushes you out of hell with America the Beautiful (again played by his son). How fitting! He came out alive, strong enough to feel and love again.
