As I Lay Dying - Decas Review
An essential listen for long-time fans; more of an intriguing listen for newcomers. An album that is as exciting as it is satisfying.
rating: 4
For you literature buffs, you may only know As I Lay Dying to be the name of the novel written by William Faulkner. And that wouldnt be a bad thing, given how famous and influential the novel is. However, theres also a band named after the book a band who are now one of the most prominent in the metalcore genre and can even be classed as one of the leaders or one of the enduring pioneers in the contemporary metal scene. Even though the band share the same name as the book, the theme of the bands music doesnt draw a parallel to the themes of the novel. The band has made this clear throughout their career the name wasnt chosen because the book has played a big part in their lives, it was chosen because it just seemed to fit with the image and beliefs the band possess. That is, of course, that all five members are devout Christians, and when you think about the name in-depth there are obvious connotations to do with faith. Tim Lambesis (vocalist) has stated: I believe that change should start with me first, and as a result, our lyrics do not come across very preachy. Many of our songs are about life, struggles, mistakes, relationships and other issues that don't fit entirely in the spiritual category. However, all of these topics are written about through my perspective as a Christian. As you can see, the band take their faith seriously but dont necessarily believe they need to push their faith across to the listener all the time. They want to appeal to non-religious people as well, which is a wise move as theyre not categorising themselves. This formula has evidently paid off for them, seeing as theyve been going since 2000 and dont show any sign of letting up yet. As I Lay Dying was formed by Tim Lambesis and is now made up by himself, Jordan Mancino (drums), Nick Hipa (lead guitarist), Phil Sgrosso (rhythm guitarist), and Josh Gilbert (bass). This current line-up has been solid since 2007, after Gilbert replaced Clint Norris. The band has gone through a majority of member changes and the only constant members have been Lambesis and Mancino. The band has released seven albums, along with one split album with American Tragedy (2002) and a DVD, This Is Who We Are (2009). The most successful of these albums is arguably An Ocean Between Us, but that is primarily based on sales alone, and each fan will have their favourite release. Shadows Are Security is the album that first brought the band to the attention of a lot of people, though, and this is partly due to guitarists Hipa and Sgrosso adding a stronger, melodic sound to the mix. The tracks Confined and The Darkest Nights still remain metalcore anthems to this day. But, saying that, each As I Lay Dying album has had an anthem, whether it be 94 Hours (from Frail Words Collapse), The Darkest Nights (Shadows Are Security), I Never Wanted (An Ocean Between Us), or Anodyne Sea (The Powerless Rise).This shows that the band are capable of creating tracks that still hit a nerve and are effective with the listener just as much as when they first began their career. The fact that they are now older hasnt hindered them at all, and this is even more evident on this release, Decas.
Decas is being released to commemorate and honour the band being a decade old. And what an album it is to signify and justify the bands place in metal. Its a compilation album meaning that the album contains the bands own songs, covers, and remixes. What makes it even more satisfying is that on this release, they are still plying their trade doing what they do best: melodic guitars, heavy breakdowns, catchy choruses, and harsh, raw screams from Lambesis that emanate anger. Even on songs theyre covering on this album, such as Electric Eye (Judas Priest), As I Lay Dyings sound filters through. This is an album that will ensure As I Lay Dying to be a band who will remain as popular as ever, and it may even result in new fans joining the already massive fan base. First track, and the first single off the album, Paralyzed, starts off with a chugging riff accompanied by a delicate, melodically picked guitar which then soon transgresses away as the song becomes more focused on Lambesis vocals, which are as angry and as focused as ever. The chorus is typical As I Lay Dying, with Gilberts clean vocals doing an excellent job of evening out the aggressiveness of Lambesis with the tenderness and catchiness his voice deploys. The guitar solo is excellent; it captures traditional solo work of older metal and also contemporary metal. The guitar then slides effortlessly back into the rhythm of the track. Moving Forward begins with a commanding drumbeat which remains a constant and as domineering throughout. Gilbert sets off the vocals, which then let in Lambesis, and both sets of vocals (clean and harsh) work well with the winding, excellently structured guitar work. Credit also has to be given to the band in the way that the vocals are as charismatic and as firm as they are, as even though the music is the most rewarding part of the track, the presence of the vocals is still there and remains an effective (though not the strongest) part of the track. Out of the covers, the rendition of Electric Eye by Judas Priest is the stand-out track. However, that isnt to say that the others are poor far from it. Each of the covers is a well-done, intriguing listen, as As I Lay Dying put their own twist on tracks that obviously influenced their career. Electric Eye will go down well with Judas Priest fans as much as As I Lay Dying fans: the original tracks style of older metal can be felt but there is a more contemporary, more aggressive overall sound. Lambesis does well to tone down his vocals and the solo is just as effective as it was in the original. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa-vt9Vk90Y Even though the remixes may not be to every listeners taste, they still provide an intriguing and worthwhile listen. The remix of Confined by Kelly Carnage Cairns is a particular favourite, as the beats are slow and seem to float on the surface of the rhythm which moves along pleasantly. The vocals are also an interesting aspect when paired with this type of dance/trance/dubstep, especially the harsh vocals, as the aggressiveness still comes across. This shows how well Cairns has done with the remix, and demonstrates superbly that even such a traditional metalcore sound can be altered into something completely diverse. This isnt a typical As I Lay Dying album, but its not supposed to be. Its an album that celebrates the bands achievement of As I Lay Dying being around for a decade or more. And, in a musical climate such as today, there are only a few that have been together and are still producing quality material especially those in the metal genre. This album does indeed celebrate the bands achievement, as it will fit more into a fans collection rather than someone who is about to pick up their first As I Lay Dying CD. The tracks that are originals, though, are very good and they are enough to show that As I Lay Dying, are in fact, anything but dying. An essential listen for long-time fans; more of an intriguing listen for newcomers. An album that is as exciting as it is satisfying. As I Lay Dying's new album Decas is released on Monday.