003As I Lay Dying - Shadows Are Security

posted by admin on March 1st, 2008

When I reviewed their last album I said I was looking forward to hearing more from As I Lay Dying in the future. Well, the wait has been worth it.

As I Lay Dying are taking death metal to a whole new level. I hesitate to even refer to them as death metal, because that tag is really too constrictive for them. The vocals remain safely within the realm of death metal (though there are sometimes clean vox as well) but the music is so much more than traditional death metal. I really don’t know who I could compare them to musically, but while still very heavy it is also very melodic and riff oriented.

What they do is working just fine for me, but I think on their next release I’d like to hear more of the clean vocals mixed in with the harsh vocals, ala Beyond the Embrace’s “Insect Song.” Mind you, I don’t want them to get rid of the harsh vocals; I just would like to hear it mixed up more with clean vocals. That seems to give the music more dynamics, making the harsh vocals even harsher when laid alongside clean vocals.

The production on this disc is very slick. It sounds great. I wish more bands could produce albums that sound this good.

As I Lay Dying are now part of the American metal elite, leading the vanguard with Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, and Beyond the Embrace.