At the onset of the new millennium, Germany was positively overrun by an army of metalcore acts, so that by time of Since the Day's arrival in the mid-'00s, they might actually run the risk of being branded belated bandwagon hoppers. Such is the fleeting state of musical trends in these attention-deficient times of ours, but, although they've hardly taken measures to revolutionize the style, this quintet has more than enough to offer and add to it on their own terms. Specifically, these offerings manifest in their preference for slower, sub-thrash velocities characterizing the still-quite-violent tracks of their debut, the oddly Spanish-titled El Mensajero No Es Importante. Once also the prime directive of fellow scenesters Heaven Shall Burn (since significantly sped up), this doom-laden approach seems to work surprisingly well when applied to the metalcore framework, as showcased by memorable examples like "For Too Long," "Silva," and the non-interlude "Interlude." Perhaps it's because it gives more room for Since the Day's layered guitar riffs to breathe, perhaps its just a fresher, less beat-to-death perspective, or maybe it helps heighten the impact of the less frequent bursts into hasty thrashers "Welcome to the Show" and "En Vogue." Also of note, obvious focus track "From Day to Day" expands into the realm of melodic singing, offers a true chorus section, and builds on distinctive cyclical harmonies leading up to a nicely musical guitar solo, while the closing ballad "Mascara Eyes" is an outright anomaly in the face of all that came before. Together, these two songs could potentially shed light on Since the Day's future work, but despite their new and mostly positive revelations, one almost wishes the band won't go there, but keep exploring their current vein instead. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi
