As I Lay Dying - The Powerless Rise Review
by Miguel
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Discriminating metalheads are only too happy to consign As I Lay Dying to the fringe, uncaring of the fact that they are, without a doubt, one of the decade's biggest selling metal bands. Call them trendy and even gay, but the truth is Tim Lambesis and the four warm bodies behind him are an accomplished unit who've blazed their own trail in a musical landscape full of imitators. Despite their proven abilities at crafting enjoyable songs, their latest album doesn't stray too far from the same formula that gave them success in the first place. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to declare As I lay Dying the AC/DC of the NWOAHM. (Let's not call it metalcore, please?)This brand new "The Powerless Rise" gets started on a hefty note whose empowering message of selflessness is hidden under layers of buzzsaw riffs and Jordan Mancino's seismic percussion artillery. Though Tim and the gang are a cohesive unit in fine form throughout the eleven song here, this writer feels compelled to single out Mancino for special praise. His drumming lends every tune a larger set of cojones, elevating them above the dross that's the result of so many similarly styled bands who go by names such as Unearth, All That Remains, Killswitch Engage, etc. etc. "Anodyne Sea" marks a change in direction as the band go the melodic route without resorting to clean vocals. This particular device doesn't show up until the muscular "Without Conclusions" showcasing the band's death metal urges. But it all goes full circle as the quintet are soon knee deep in the catchy stuff for the chest thumping "Parallels" where Tim sings his heart out with such vigor, he might just have a stroke. As is their wont, "The Plague" is a step back into aggressive territory and this marks the pace of the album as a whole: brutal song, melodic song, brutal song, melodic song
That said, the less frantic tempo of "Anger And Apathy" should come as no surprise. On its flipside, the incinerating two minute and a half thrash jaunt "Condemned" is As I Lay Dying at their harshest and, rather predictably, it's followed by the staid "Upside Down Kingdom" and from here on in, it's pure filler. Rather disappointing, but hey, when bands usually reach their fifth album, the consistency begins to suffer. "The Blinding Of False Light" is pretty epic though. Tracklisting 1. Beyond Our Suffering 2. Anodyne Sea 3. Without Conclusions 4. Parallels 5. The Plague 6. Anger And Apathy 7. Condemned 8. Upside Down Kingdom 9. Vacancy 10. The Only Constant Is Change 11. The Blinding Of False Light
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As I Lay Dying - The Powerless Rise Rating:7.5
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