As I Lay Dying recently released the album: Awakened. I've been a fan of this band for quite some time, maybe not since day one, but definitely since I saw them at Ozz Fest in 2005. And then seeing them repeatedly at almost every concert I went to after that, they came to grow on me. I can't really say I'm into a lot of metal, unless it's melodic metal, but this band really pulls it together quite well, to be both heavy and melodic simultaneously.
Unfortunately this is a band that doesn't really grow or change that much, musically, as the years go by. Which can be a great thing for the fans who want a band to stay true to what the fan likes about them. I still see a lot of reminiscing qualities in this new album that carried over from The Powerless Rise, which is great, because it was a really amazing album. Honestly, at first glance I was disappointed in this new album because it felt like the band was just throwing out songs without really going in deep. So at quick glance nothing really struck me, nothing stood out. But, I really do respect this band for what they do, so of course I bought the album and put it on my Ipod, and keep the CD in the player of my car. I pretty much, forced myself to listen to the album and really give it a chance.
And I am extremely pleased that I gave this album a chance to flourish in my mind. The more of the lyrics I listen to and the more of the melody I heard, the more this album took its rightful place within my heart. When I first heard, "Cauterize," the opinion was not a good one, because the song starts out with obnoxious, wordless screaming. But when you push through it, it has a beautiful chorus, very melodic. Then further in you get to the bridge which shows the strengths of the guitar, and though I personally don't enjoy long guitar solo's, you have to admit the beauty in a really good solo. And then to top it all off, they end the bridge with the words, "Promise me the patience to wait for me to heal." Then right back into the magnificent chorus. The duel vocals really adds to the appeal for me, with this band. I'm a sucker for lyrics and vocals.
Of course, for the true metal fans they have a great song dedicated to moshing. "A Greater Foundation." Even in the video they get a pit going. It's fast paced, heavy, and the vocals are just amazing. I don't think there is any better way to do this song. Even though it's not fully my cup of tea, this song makes me want to get up and run around hitting people. Then, you hit the part where they slow it down, giving the moshers a nice little rest, just slays me. It's done so elegantly, that it just fuels the passion that goes into the next set of heavy riffs and gets the pit going even crazier for the second round. This song makes me want to see them live again, and believe me I've seen them live enough times that you'd think I'd be on first name bases with them by now. It's kind of a ridiculous amount of times. I would love to just stand back and watch the crowd react to this song, and be a part of the energy that would enfold them as they did the dance of the pit.
Alas, my favorite song on the album has to be, "No Lungs to Breathe." I'm not even sure why, like I feel a little silly singing along with it because the lyrics seem strange, "Stranded in the desert with no lungs to breathe." I don't know why but that lyric raises a red flag of; this doesn't seem quite right. But that could just be my picky mind, who knows. For me, this song really just sums up the constant struggle that this band has had trying to find their way in this world, both personally and professionally. Watching their videos and reading through their song lyrics, they've come a long way as individuals and it's nice to see it portrayed with their music. The music is typical As I Lay Dying, but I think this song just sells me with the lyrics. "I fought who I am inside. Until I wanted, I wanted to die. Instead of finding balance I found hatred. Consumed by failures and ignoring my own strengths."
In conclusion, the album is worth owning if you're by any means into metal. They are a wonderful band and they fulfill the inner need to scream loudly, run in a circle, and punch things to insanely loud music. Even I partake in such activities, and I really need to see them play songs from this album live so that I can bask in the glory of it.
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