As visionary noise rock/metal outfit Today Is The Day continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, the band presents a special remastered vinyl repress of their seminal Willpower LP, along with a new visualizer video for the track “Sidewinder.”
Today Is The Day’s second album, Willpower was originally released in September of 1994 on the infamous Amphetamine Reptile roster. Having gnawed their way into the scene on their Supernova debut, Willpower showcased the same lineup as its predecessor yet delivered an even more expansive and monstrous demonstration of the band’s demented and singular sound. Drummer Brad Elrod, bassist Mike Herrell, and vocalist/guitarist/producer Steve Austin delivered what would become an instant benchmark in underground metal which remains a fan favorite among the band’s vast catalog nearly three decades later.
Following a CD reissue through Steve Austin’s own SuperNova Records in 2007, and a subsequent vinyl repress through Relapse Records in 2010, Willpower has since remained out of print until now. For its 2022 resurrection, Austin went back to the original analog masters and gave it only slight adjustments to bring the most raw and original sound of the album, expertly crafted for a modern vinyl release. The record sees the original eight songs as well as the bonus track “Execution Style,” found on an installment of the AmRep compilation series Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking In The Streets.
The 2022 Willpower reissue sees the remastered album pressed on Gold vinyl in a run of 300 copies, alongside a reboot of the classic shirt design from the album’s original release featuring Satan and the decimated US flag.
“This new master made from the original Willpower mixes that were unmastered. I worked to make this sonically accurate to the way it sounded in the studio, in 1994, with the vintage analog outboard gear running into state-of-the-art Audio to Digital converters. This is Willpower in all its glory. I can feel it. I can’t wait for you to experience it.”
The track “Sidewinder” from the new remaster has been resurrected through a new visualizer, directed by David Brenner (Gridfailure) utilizing promo and live photos of the band, the studio gear used on the album, and other graphics and scanned ephemera reflective of the Willpower era.
The Willpower LP reissue can be ordered – where many exclusive items including test pressings, signed LPs, and other unique merch and products from the Today Is The Day vault are available – at the SuperNova Records webshop.
Willpower was also reissued digitally last year alongside the rest of the Today Is The Day catalog which can be found at various streaming services.
Today Is The Day will announce additional back-catalog reissues in the months ahead as well as new music. The current recording lineup gathered at Austin Enterprise in Orland, Maine in March and recorded the bulk of the band’s fifteenth full-length which will be completed for release through SuperNova in early 2023.
