As I Lay Dying Frail Words Collapse

Metal is getting old. It seems that certain elements are given in any new metal-core, violence-doom, or speed-math-death-core release. You can from the beginning assume that they'll have a skull on the cover of their album. No? How about the back, or on the CD? Still no? Then look at the label it was put out on... yep just as I thought. The Death Jury Record Company. Or Skull Blood Ditch Records. Or something like that, the point is the logo will have a skull on it, and it will be respected. Even though I find cover art on "hardcore" bands records' funny, (check out Haste The Day's cover art, I kid you not, a crying, goth-angel!) I still find myself checking the Z section at record archive for new Zao releases, and heaven help me if I find an Underoath cd, much less Sinai Beach. You really can't judge a cd by its cover, but you sure as shootin can talk junk about it on your blog. So anyways... now that I've thoroughly embarrassed myself, onto the music.

The third release from the over-dramatically titled As I Lay Dying, (It should be noted that its the title of a Robert Faulkner book as well.) finds the band joining the ranks of the other bazillion metal-core bands, while fighting for their own distinct sound. More times than not, As I Lay Dying succeeds and the result is some brutal, mathematically intimidating, music.

One of the things that immediately impressed me, was how tight the band can lock into their drummer's double bass pedal rolls. I mean, at times these guys sound like a machine. The first song, "94 Hours" opens the album and makes to buts about it. Starting with a lead guitar line that sounds like as metal as it is punk, the band within 30 seconds, has gone from a speed punk beat, to a nasty breakdown. This is a theme for the band, although they don't repeat a whole lot of things, they do like breakdowns, and quick changes and of course the double bass. As a result, the bands best songs are the shortest. The first 4 songs are not that short, but they definitely hold their own, until the albums fifth, and best track: "Distance Is Darkness" Clocking in at 2 minutes and a half, the song brutalizes its song structure, time signatures, and speed metal breakdowns with bombast. The guitars swell into another breakdown, and then build into a chorus that finds the vocalist singing some suprisingly erie and amazing lines as the band lays down an emotional, epic backdrop behind him. Trust me. This song is unbreakable.

The vocalist deserves mention here, as Tim Lambesis is willing to stretch his dynamic ranges across the boards from a low, guttural, growl to a high shrieking thing. He also can sing very well... which makes me wish he did a bit more.

I don't mean to be a yes-man music critic here, but this album is very good. If I hadn't heard Sinai Beach or Nodes of Ranveir (or Norma Jean) I would put them in the top 2 or 3 metalcore bands around. The thing that holds them back is 3 songs. There are three songs on this record that just don't do it for me. They just seem to repeat the boring parts of the song rather than the good parts. But 3 out of 12 ain't bad is it? No, it isn't you snob, so push your bifocals up your long nose, and check out the band the next time they play a show round heeah. (or for me, at cornerstone.) Shoot. Ya'll act like you own this place or sumtin.