The Gothenburg sound of In Flames, At the Gates, Dark Tranquility, and Soilwork, by the way of American metalcore like Killswitch Engage, and you have San Diego's As I Lay Dying. Eschewing normal lyrical fare of death and violence, As I Lay Dying focus on more spritual topics, yet make no mistake about it, this is some heavy stuff, with plenty of growling vocals, complex and pounding guitar riffs, and loads of sledgehammer rhythms. As with the Swedish melodic death metal/thrash style, As I Lay Dying utilize their two axe players, Phil Sgrosso and Nick Hipa, to their fullest extent, as the two have created here an abundance of crunchy riff-o-rama, lots of intricate leads, and more than enough textured melody to help this band gain plenty of buzz. Lead singer Tim Lambesis goes from gutteral screams to gentle melodic clean passages with ease. His blood-curling delivery on "Repeating Yesterday" is as richly powerful as it is frightening, punctuated perfectly by Jordan Mancino's relentless drum attack and a bevy of well-thought out guitar riffs. There's not a weak track here, with one pounder after another the listener barely has room to breathe, which to some might be a detriment as there is little variety to the CD. However, these guys play so damn well, and deliver massive, catchy riffs and memorable vocal melodies so convincingly, there's no way but to predict big things for them.
For a touch of the Swedish death metal scene in the body of a killer American metalcore band, you can go wrong with Shadows Are Security by As I Lay Dying. Check it out.
Track Listing
1. Meaning in Tragedy
2. Confined
3. Losing Sight
4. The Darkest Nights
5. Empty Hearts
6. Reflection
7. Repeating Yesteday
8. Through Struggle
9. The Truth of My Perception
10. Control is Dead
11. Morning Waits
12. Illusions
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