As I Lay Dying-The Powerless Rise

Last Updated (Wednesday, 09 June 2010 14:50) Written by Miguel Blardony Tuesday, 18 May 2010 12:18

Release Date: May 11, 2010

Label: Metal Blade Records

Genre: Metalcore

Rating: 7.5/10

Comments: One of the decade’s most influential bands are still going strong.

Christian metalcore. It’s like a bad thing twice over. Christian. Bad. Metalcore? Worse.

But should we be this judgmental? It isn’t the Christian thing to do—

Alright, now hold it. Cut the religious crap and listen to this album with ears wide open. If you’ve always dug As I Lay Dying, “The Powerless Rise” is golden. For the newbies charitable enough to give it a try, its eleven songs pack enough grit and vinegar that will color you several shades of impressed. But if As I Lay Dying have always been on your hate list, why, fuck you. Go read the rest of this week’s entries. Yeah, you’re welcome.

With his Arnie itch scratched on those Total/Double Brutal albums he released two years in a row, Tim Lambesis rejoins his band mates for another soul-searching and uplifting jaunt across musical territory  where thrash coexists with melodic death metal. The album launches on a furious note for the testosterone-driven romp that’s opener “Beyond Our Suffering” whose guttural enunciations and aggression belie a selfless message. Consider this yucky, but it’s still a solid start for the band. “Anodyne Sea” is a far more memorable affair and marks the arrival of uplifting choruses and melody galore. It becomes apparent by song number three that drummer Jordan Mancino is one of the album’s highlights. His beats are simply crushing. Whether it’s against the saccharine pop croons of “Parallels” or the thrash barrage “Condemned” the bastard’s in top form throughout. As for his buddies, Tim is just Tim, scream-and- growlsome as ever, while the Phil Sgross-Nick Hippa guitar tandem are always better at buzz saw riffs despite the tasteful solos they execute once in a while. Let’s not forget bass commando Josh Gilbert. Uh, he’s okay.

“The Powerless Rise” may strike you as an odd title for an album, but as a collection of music, it’s pretty goddamn (oops) solid. The production, the songs, the musicianship. At the beginning of the decade As I Lay Dying were inventive enough to find themselves a niche immediately. As the years go by, it becomes apparent they’re very comfortable in their own little space. The real beef this scribe has with the album is…half the songs are filler. No kidding. At least half the songs are of the type that became super popular (not to mention super trendy) around 2004-2006. That said, “The Powerless Rise” may not be a masterpiece, but it has its fun moments.