by Ed Rivadavia
Guitarist Barre Gambling and drummer Jesse Haff formed Daylight Dies in Raleigh, North Carolina as early as 1996, but their first demo was only recorded three years later with the help of session musicians. Vocalist Guthrie Iddings joined in 2000 to perform on the Idle E.P., and bassist Egan O'Rourke completed their line-up a year later, at which time Daylight Dies was picked up by Relapse Records. Released in 2003, No Reply, their official debut for the label, displayed an archetypal doom/death metal sound reminiscent of European acts like Anathema and Katatonia.