Biography

This US metalcore band was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1997 by Mike Shaw (vocals), his brother Gary Shaw (bass), Randy Wehrs (guitar), Mike Golen (guitar), and Colin Frangicetto (drums). Building up a grassroots following in their native Pennsylvania, the band issued Fragments Of An Untold Story Born By Shunning The Opportunity in 1999. The album’s mixture of metalcore and screamo styles was raw and unsophisticated, but packed an undeniable punch. A move to the larger Eulogy Recordings label led to the release of the accomplished The Transient Effects Of Light On Water (the band’s penchant for pretentious titles was unfortunately still present). Vadim Taver was brought in to replace Wehrs on the band’s next release, the Kairos EP, which saw them tempering the more extreme screamo style with passages of clean singing. A contract with the Equal Vision label ensued at the end of 2002, by which time Brendan Ekstrom had replaced Golen. The following year’s In Response developed the move towards conventional songwriting initiated on Kairos, and was well received by mainstream critics if not the band’s loyal fanbase. It was to prove to be This Day Forward’s final release with the band breaking up amid some acrimony at the end of 2003. Frangicetto and Ekstrom went on to join post-hardcore band Circa Survive.