It Dies Today is:
Nick Brooks • vocals
Mike Hatalak • guitar
Chris Cappelli • guitar
Steve Lemke • bass
Nick Mirusso • drums
It Dies Today formed in 2001 in the Buffalo area. Soon after they released their "Forever Scorned" EP, after which their popularity exploded. After touring extensively, and adding a second guitarist, It Dies Today had found their sound, and released The Caitiff Choir on Trustkill Records. Cutting a swath through the multitude of metalcore bands, It Dies Today are, and promise to keep being one of the best bands in the genre.
Track One: My Promise
The CD starts off to some random noise, so you aren't quite sure what to expect. Soon after, however, it hits you. The drums pound the beat right in your face and the guitars follow right along. The drums keep going, the guitar fades off for a second, and then we take a pickslide dive into the song. The drums continue to blast, the guitars switch into a decent riff, and the vocals come in. Nick Brooks' talent doesn't really show in this song, as the guitars and drums seem to overpower him. A little later, the songs picks up pace again, and eventually comes to a breakdown-esque part. Some back and forth guitar work, into another semi-breakdown, and the songs over.
Track Two: Severed Ties Yield Severed Heads
Quick little drum fill, and we're into one of my favorite songs of the album. A snare drum lead beat and some metalcore riffage, and then we're into the chorus. And something you don't expect. Nick Brooks shows his singing for the first time on the CD, and it's suprisingly good. A very melodic, almost keyboard sounding lead guitar backs up Nick's singing about jealousy. Into the second verse, similar to the first, although it has better lead guitar work. Chorus again, leading right into the breakdown. Now, It Dies Todays breakdowns might seem a little cliched, but they'll definatly get you moving. The breakdown ends with some quite melodic singing, leading right into the last chorus.
Track Three: The Radiance
Again the drums lay down a great beat for the intro, which the rhythm guitar flows well with. Into the verse, and unlike the first two songs, the vocals are sung. A quick, well placed pause, and into the chorus. A well mixed rhythm/lead guitar riff backs up Nicks lyrics of lonelyness. Another verse and chorus, and we're into another breakdown-like passage. Which breaks down into a clean part, builds back up, and we go into the last chorus. One of the weaker songs on the album, minus the lyrics, as it gets quite repetative.
Track Four: The Depravity Waltz
One of the heavier songs on the album, this track gets right into it. Some very well done throat work by Nick Brooks, and as with most of the songs, very well done drums and guitar. Break into a scream/sung interlude led by a hammer-on based riff. Back into it, and then again we're into a different riff, this one a mix of some palmmuted rhythm and dissonant sounding bends. Back into the forementioned interlude, and then we begin the pounding near-end section. Very aggressive sounding vocals here, and some great, heavy sounded instrumentation. Then, the songs over quite suddenly.
Track Five: A Therondy For Modern Romance
This is the big single off The Caitiff Choir, and the best song in my opnion. A great sounding intro, really the first time we see any sizeable amount of double bass on the CD, which is suprising for metalcore. This song had great lead guitar work throughout. The lyrics sing of romance that has faded away. The choruses have some great guitar work, and then, a SOLO! Somewhat of a rare thing in metalcore these days, this solo is actually pretty well done. Into a drums only first part of the chorus, one you can just see everyone getting into at a concert. Through a modified ending chorus, and sadly this songs over.
Track Six: Marigold
Like The Radiance, this track is singing lead, rather than screaming. Also, like The Radiance, it gets fairly repeative. Still, great musicianship nonetheless. The guitar work in the verse is sparse, but fits in well, giving a nice break from most metalcore, which is just in your face constantly. Also, the choruses have some great staccato riffs in them.
Track Seven: Freak Gasoline Fight Accident
Starts off pretty damn heavy, with a tremolo picked riff and some pounding double bass. The music lets off a little in the verse, but very aggressive vocals. The chorus lets off a little more, it's sung, and has more of the technical riffing. The chorus ends in a soloish lead piece, which leads right into the breakdown. The accuentating feature of this breakdown is the use of a china cymbal, which sets it off well from just being palm muted/double bass. After a little, we go into another sung chorus, which again ends in a solish lead piece. At the end we get some nice double bass and feedback, into a final breakdown that just wants to make you hit someone.
Track Eight: The Caitiff Choir: Revalations
The first of a two part song bearing the name of the album. Great work overall in this one, with more of the lead guitar work that I've come to love from It Dies Today. Drums are pounding right in your face as usual, for It Dies Today is a quite drum driven band, I'm happy say. This is also one of the heavier songs on the album, with some great dissonant sounding lead parts in it. The vocals also show the flexability of Nick Brooks, to switch between low growling screams and high pitched shreiks almost. A nice breakdown at the end, another one that just gets you fired up.
Track Nine: Our Disintigration
A great riff starts this one off, and this continues the heavy set of songs we're getting in the middle of the album. This track has some great drum fills in it, although it's fairly heavy on double bass. The chorus is sung though, and follows with the trend of It Dies Today having great lead guitar work, but also managing to have some great chugging rhythm. Again here, we see Nick Brooks many talents, as he goes from singing, to growling, to shreiking withing 30 seconds or so. Make sure to check out the drum fill before the last chorus. Another breakdown ending, which is also becoming a trend with this CD. So you breakdown haters may get tired of it. Although it has some great drumming in it.
Track Ten: Naenia
The CDs almost over, but this is a great track. Awesome guitar work in the intro, leads into singing into screaming verse, which has some great chug in it. The chorus is very spacey, and sounds very much like theres a keyboard in there, mixed in with the lead guitar. Second verse, singing into screaming, chugged for the first part, but lets off the chugging as it goes into the chorus. The chorus in this song is amazing, quite spacey, as I said, which is pretty rare in metalcore, and the vocals are very well done. Following the second chorus, we get some heavy/spacey back and forth action, with great musical work overall. Goes into an extended chorus to finish the song off, and lead into our last song.
Track Eleven: The Caitiff Choir: Defeatism
The second part to the title track, this one clocks in at over seven minutes, fairly longer than the rest of the songs. We get some more great guitar work in the first few minutes, and the vocals stand out in places. We get into a very spacey sounding chorus, great singing, and I swear theres a keyboard in there. If there isn't, someone worked wonders with the lead guitar. We get into the second verse, which is similar to the first. Back into the chorus, which is great, because the chorus is awesome. This one definatly has a keyboard in it, there's some synth going on that leads out of the chorus. After the chorus we get into a very heavy part, pounding drums, in your face guitar, and Nick Brooks is sounding like he wants to kill someone. And then..was that acoustic guitar? I think so. Into the chorus again, with even more synth. This is one great sounding chorus, and it keeps getting better every time. Synth leads out again, into a guitar/synth driven breakdown. Deep, growling vocals and chugging rhythm guitar go under. Into a break, no vocals, synth leading into some guitar work and light drumming. Even lighter, we get into some spacey effects in the background of a lightly distorted riff. Now almost six minutes into the song, everything is gone except the guitar, still repeating it's riff, and now we're floating in the effects. This is a great chill part, definatly a break if you're getting tired of the metalcore-ness. An eletronic drum beat comes in low in the back, and we've still got our effects and riff. Repeat until end of song.
Overall, I'd have to say that this is one of the best metalcore albums I've heard in a long time. Yes, theres metalcore cliches (like a crapload of breakdowns) but It Dies Today stands out from the pack. A lot of singing compared to most metalcore bands, and some very good guitar work.
Reccomended Songs
Severed Ties Yield Severed Heads
A Therondy For Modern Romance
Naenia
The Caitiff Choir: Defeatism
