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As I Lay Dying - The Powerless Rise

Published June 02 2010


*
=Staff's pick

Beyond Our Suffering*
Anodyne Sea
Without Conclusion
Parallels
The Plague
Anger And Apathy
Condemned*
Upside Down Kingdom
Vacancy
The Only Constant Is Change
The Blinding Of False Light


Genre Metalcore
Tim Lambesis/Josh Gilbert
Vocals
Tracks 11
Phil Sgrosso
Guitar
Runningtime 44 Min.
Nick Hipa
Guitar
Label Metal Blade
Josh Gilbert
Bass
Release 11 May 2010
Jordan Mancino
Drums
Country USA
-
Keyboard
Producer Adam Dutkiewicz/Band    
Similar artists Killswitch Engage, Atreyu

As I Lay Dying is, so I've heard, the biggest selling artist on the Metal Blade-roster. The Christian metalcoreband does have a frantic following, and has produced 4 full-length albums prior to the album we have here. While there are a few metalcore bands worthy of praise, the subgenre is, sadly, filled to the brim by bands that offer little in ways of originality. The mixture of powered aggression mixed up with some more melodic influences can be, and have become, somewhat of a curse for the genre. But, I'm the first one to give any record a fair chance - if it works, it works regardless of genre.

And the record starts up pretty well with Beyond Our Suffering, a fairly energetic and aggressive tune with some nice screaming done by Lambesis and Gilbert and some pummeling drumming from Mancino. But then the record take a sharp turn left straight into the ditch. As long as As I Lay Dying is playing in the aggressive way, they are quite enjoyable, but every so often the mix with the more melodic elements, a.k.a clean vocals, they lose me. And also, the more aggressive parts, with the ever existent breakdowns soon lose their appeal to my ears.

The production is, of course, nice and fat - a mix of smoothness and aggression, and just dangerous enough to appeal to a broad audience without scaring off too many not used to heavier music. Personally I would appreciate a little dirtier sounding mix, because now with the songs on the record "The Powerless Rise" gets too streamlined for me.

Halfway through the album I'm not entertained. The first few minutes of Condemned though rescues "The Powerless Rise" from complete failure. I'm sorry As I Lay Dying, but "The Powerless Rise" sounds somewhat like the title, powerless, and though the band is screaming at the top of their lungs, the sound isn't relishing to my ears.

See also review of: An Ocean Between Us , Shadows Are Security

Performance
Originality
Production
Vocals
Songwriting

6

5

7

6

5

 
Summary



5 chalices of 10 - Martin


Related links:

www.asilaydying.com
www.myspace.com/asilaydying