It Dies Today Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Like most young bands unsure as to whether they'll even have a second chance to record, It Dies Today seemed intent on cramming every one of their ideas and influences into their compositionally scattered 2004 debut album, Caitiff Choir, a nevertheless promising effort whose many loose ends simply required a little more maturation on the band's part to get tied together. That maturity was subsequently acquired over the course of grueling tours with veteran road warriors like Shadows Fall and Poison the Well, so that when It Dies Today were asked to begin work on album number two, the core songwriting duo of guitarist Mike Hatalak and vocalist Nick Brooks were truly ready to make the best of the opportunity. The resulting Sirens, despite flirting with discreet notions of Greek mythology on several tracks (much like its predecessor quietly alluded to Dante) is, in most every sense, a collection of sharp, focused, scrupulously assembled singles -- with very few loose ends, if any, to be found. And it doesn't get any better than opening track "A Constant Reminder": an irresistibly catchy, evenly balanced, three-and-half minutes of metalcore breakdowns and counterpoint riffs, post-emo melodies, and clean-sung choruses, which together constitute the sort of near-perfect single record labels love to bank their budgetary peace of mind on. Then, with that technical knock-out punch safely cocked and loaded, it's evidently a confident band who deliver nearly-as-impressive follow-up jabs like "The Bacchanal Affair" and "Black Bile, White Lies"; occasionally interspersed with unexpected hooks and uppercuts outside the safe commercial metal ring usually proves equally effective. These include the slightly more ambitious arrangements and twin-guitar harmonizing of the title track (very Killswitch Engage), the Pantera-like coda for "Through Leaves, Over Bridges," the Metallica-by-way-of-Trivium qualities of "Sixth of June," and the shamelessly At the Gates-ish (but still praiseworthy) "On the Road (To Damnation)." Groundbreaking invention will unfortunately have to wait until album number thee, but considering that inspired discipline (however safe) was It Dies Today's chief goal for album number two, that next step seems very much within their grasp. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As told by abrasive opener "My Promise," it would appear that, unlike other wussy bands like Unearth and Killswitch Engage, It Dies Today doesn't waste precious time with silly frills like melody and traditional song structures. But then Mr. Prospective Single comes a-knocking in the shape of the cleverly titled but predictably sweetened "Severed Ties Yield Severed Heads" to prove such claims of inaccessibility were a tad premature after all. Sure enough, ensuing offerings such as "The Radiance," "A Threnody for Modern Romance," and the two-part title song prescribe much the same medicine as most contemporary American metal bands: a volatile cocktail of soul-searching lyrics, harmonically dense guitar riffs, and musical vocals, interchanged with equal measures of crushed larynx grunting, full-mosh outbursts, and, occasionally, a surprise passage. In terms of the latter, the first breaks down for a momentary slice of atmospheric near-silence, the second contains a spate of punk-like shout-outs, and the last pair spew out a mind-bogglingly verbose show of wordplay along with interesting use of backing synthesizer strains. As is often the case with metalcore acts, distinctively metallic influences such as flashy guitar playing and actual solos are the exception, not the rule, and often to be found buried deeper in the mix -- as if the members of It Dies Today are a little self-conscious of their respectability factor. Of course, the group is simultaneously reckless about its far more frequent lyrical transgressions, as if pretentious moralizing is defensible where pyrotechnic guitars are not. No matter, as the final balance here is of a solid if unspectacular album where the pieces -- impressively diverse though they might be -- never quite gel into truly unforgettable tunes. If nothing else, the band's ability and promise are without question, boding well for things to come. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
