Today is the Day – Never Give In Review

When we last heard from noise mastermind Steve Austin and his legendary project, Today is the Day, it was with No Good to Anyone, a partly seething, partly mournful, and all-too-sincere portrait highlighting loss, despair, and anger that also possessed an undercurrent of hope. I dug the album considerably, and still view it as an album that should have, by all intents and purposes, brought new eyes and ears towards the band’s direction. Sadly, No Good to Anyone released in early 2020, just as the world was shutting down while Austin and company were on tour for that album. This would understandably send Austin into a depressive tailspin, but one he would claw his way out of, not only by re-opening his label, SuperNova Records, and buying back his entire catalog, but also with the middle finger to adversity and depression, Never Give In.

And before I continue, I just want to toss out a major caveat to those who’ve already made up their minds about the band. Never Give In isn’t going to change your mind if you haven’t connected with Austin or his band before, or if you just flat-out fucking hate their music. Today is the Day has been and always will be operating from a place of sincerity as told through the eyes and throat of its creator without any regard to the listener. Whether it’s the two-plus-hour double album Sadness Will Prevail or the all-out assault of In the Eyes of God or Temple of the Morning Star, Austin’s unflinching vision and honesty isn’t for everyone, as it’s told using what he feels is best for his message, not what others expect from him.

Now with that out of the way, Never Give In, much like its predecessor, sees Austin and company throwing even more curveballs and moods your way, but still retaining the viciousness and transparency of their best work. Opener “Divide and Conquer” comes closest to the industrialized grindcore of their early days, and even then, Austin keeps to a croon throughout, save for the backing screams. Outside of that, though, there are some eyebrow-raisers. “Secret Police,” another grindy slab of punked-out riffage, features a horn section that reminds me of Cake in an odd-but-good way.¹ Closer “The Cleansing” channels Austin’s inner Neil Young, pulling his love of Americana into a tale of a love gone wrong.

With all that said, not all of Never Give In sticks its landing. “I Got Nothin'” meanders a bit too long in one spot until the song’s final third, which is when Austin switches things up a little. “Pain and Frustration,” while featuring some phenomenal drumming by Colin Frecknall, also gets a bit stagnant as the song wears on. In fact, looking over my notes, it’s when Austin goes outside of his (and the listeners’) comfort zones that yield the best results on Never Give In. Going a bit further, I can say the same with Today is the Day’s collective output: the more daring the approach and delivery, the more visceral the result.

But at the end of the day, I’m but a witness to the storytelling of someone who’s not afraid to share his experiences in all their glories and ugliness, and the fact that we have yet more Today is the Day, given all that Austin’s had to endure, between loss, homelessness, and car crashes, is to be celebrated. It takes guts to paint an honest picture, and no one is as unflinching at it as Steve Austin. Like Chat Pile, Never Give In (and Today is the Day in general) may not be for everyone, but for those who appreciate it, they will have a lot to look forward to.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: SuperNova Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 3rd, 2025