A Day of Nights is the only studio album by American post-metal band Battle of Mice. It was released on October 6, 2006 through Neurot Recordings label.[2]

A Day of Nights
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 6, 2006 (2006-10-06)
GenrePost-metal
Length46:02
LabelNeurot
Battle of Mice chronology
Triad
(2006)
A Day of Nights
(2006)
Jesu / Battle of Mice
(2008)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

According to singer Julie Christmas, the album is "written in a timeline that mirrors what was happening between Josh [Graham] and me in our growing, and then rapidly decaying, relationship."[3][4]

Background edit

Battle of Mice formed in 2005 when vocalist Julie Christmas' band Made Out of Babies played South by Southwest with guitarist Josh Graham's band Red Sparowes. The two "hated each other immediately", according to Christmas, but when they toured the West Coast together, a "long-distance relationship ensued, the furious and occasionally harrowing nature of which is reflected in the music of Battle of Mice," with Graham in Los Angeles and Christmas in New York.[5] The band then added Pere Ubu's Tony Maimone on bass and The Book of Knots' Joel Hamilton on guitar.[6]

The album's track ordering chronicles the disintegration of Christmas and Graham's relationship. The band finished tracking five of the album's seven songs before the toxicity between Christmas and Graham created a working environment that was too uncomfortable for Maimone to continue in.[6] By that point, the pair refused to be in the same room as each other, leading the guitars and the vocals to be completed on separate days. Christmas' vocals were recorded in one take without pre-written lyrics.[6]

The song "At the Base of the Giant's Throat" contains a 911 call that Christmas states took one take to make. "I am actually not allowed to talk about that," she said.[5] Before the album's closing song "Cave of Spleen" was recorded, a band member was reported to have "accidentally" fallen down a staircase.[6]

Track listing edit

No.TitleLength
1."The Lamb and the Labrador"6:56
2."Bones in the Water"5:21
3."Sleep and Dream"5:58
4."Salt Bridge"5:49
5."Wrapped in Plain"5:32
6."At the Base of the Giant's Throat"9:10
7."Cave of Spleen"7:16

Personnel edit

References edit

  1. ^ A Day of Nights at AllMusic
  2. ^ Koczan, J. J. "Battle of Mice: A Day of Nights | The Aquarian". www.theaquarian.com. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  3. ^ Seaver, Morley. "MorleyView: Julie Christmas". Rocknworld.com. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  4. ^ "Battle Of Mice - A Day Of Nights (album review ) | Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  5. ^ a b "Interview with Julie Christmas of Made out of Babies - Heavy Metal / Hard Rock". Retrieved 2022-12-18.
  6. ^ a b c d "Battle Of Mice Named Number One Independent Album On Decibel Magazine's Top 40 Albums Of The Year!". Top40-Charts.com. Retrieved 2022-12-18.