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As I Lay Dying
The Powerless Rise
(Metal Blade Records)
I’ll be the first to openly admit that I enjoy well-executed ‘…Christian…’ Metal as much--if not more--than the average red-blooded American male. In fact, for as long as I can remember, I have had a genuine and sincere appreciation for acts such as Deliverance, Tourniquet and to a lesser extent, the woefully unsung Whitecross. Cliché-ridden stereotypes aside, I know great music when I hear it. However, contrary to popular belief, what I have never enjoyed is the overall lack of creativity, imagination and skilled musicianship many acts of suck ilk insist on incorporating within their dreadfully shortsighted arrangements. Needless to say, when I was initially approached regarding writing a feature on The Powerless Rise, the latest highly-anticipated offering from San Diego, California-based stalwarts As I Lay Dying, I was only more than happy to re-indulge.
On the brilliant The Powerless Rise (2010), an expertly assembled eleven song collection of delightfully overwrought, Metalcore-tinged Heavy Metal, each track, beginning with the maddeningly infectious first single “Beyond Our Suffering”, and the incendiary “Without Conclusion”, instantly commands the rapt and undivided attention of even the most jaded and unimaginative of listeners. Effortlessly swaggering through a tastefully varied array of thought-provoking material that deftly highlights their virtuosic abilities, the group scores major points early and often without succumbing to the mindless, payola-driven tactics typically employed by the genre’s elite. With their trademark mosh-inducing mantra serving as an idealistic catalyst for a still burgeoning tonality, the group effectively reaffirms their well-deserved reputation as a valid creative force.
Continuing with the scathing “The Plague”, and the relentlessly pummeling “Anger And Apathy”, the steadfast--to say the very least--combination of vocalist Tim Lambesis, lead guitarist Nick Hipa (ex-Evelynn), rhythm guitarist/pianist Phil Sgrosso, bassist Josh Gilbert, and drummer Jordan Mancino steamroll ahead with what can only be described as a sickening ease. Armed with a wisely renewed focus on the compositional prowess that initially propelled them to the dizzying heights of international stardom, the group wastes little--if any--time punctuating each key focal point with an awe-inspiring barrage of menacing vocals, searing fretwork and imaginatively punishing rhythms. The resulting sonic onslaught(s), while not necessarily groundbreaking and obviously far from revolutionary, are once again quite easily worthy of the ‘highest of critical distinctions’.
Produced and mixed by a seemingly unlikely tandem of acclaimed Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam ‘D’ Dutkiewicz, Daniel Castelman, the legendary Colin Richardson (Cannibal Corpse, Fear Factory, Trivium) and Martyn Ford, other standouts, including the thunderous lament “Upside Down Kingdom”, and the equally impressive closer “The Blinding Of False Light”, only add to an already undeniably ingenious overall performance. Even if you somehow find yourself unable--or, at the very least, persistently reluctant--to wholeheartedly embrace the group’s oft-publicized penchant for boldly proclaiming their spiritual beliefs, one must, at the very least, sincerely admire the quintet’s seemingly ceaseless honing of their proverbial chops, an increasingly rare characteristic that is ‘…destined…’ to separate them from their few legitimate contemporaries.
Still not sure you can truly dig a ‘Christian’ Metal band? Believe me; I know what you’re probably thinking. But don’t let that stop you from thoroughly enjoying the group’s refreshingly imaginative, quasi- Metalcore-infused approach. Easily surpassing both the stunning An Ocean Between Us (2007) and curiously-overlooked Shadows Are Security (2005), the majority--if not all--of the decidedly pummeling wares contained herein are intertwined with enough testosterone-fueled ferociousness and mind-boggling technical prowess to satisfy even the most hopelessly pessimistic of enthusiasts. Thus, if you’ve found yourself in search of an exceedingly emotion-laden alternative to the painfully ‘…mindless din and clatter…’ that is so often force fed en mass, then this, my friends, might just be the high octane cure for whatever ails you. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Select Discography
The Powerless Rise (2010)
This Is Who We Are (DVD) (2009)
An Ocean Between Us (2007)
A Long March: The First Recordings (2006)
Shadows Are Security (2005)
Frail Words Collapse (2003)
As I Lay Dying/An American Tragedy (Split) (2002)
Beneath The Encasing Of Ashes (2001)