 As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us Review
by Jeff Krause
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In a genre that is saturated with subpar metalcore, wanna-be poser bands trying to cop the latest "trend" in metal, and generally garbage-filled tripe, As I Lay Dying unleashes easily the strongest album of their career, and in the process, lay waste to 90% of the rest of the metal scene with an album that stands head and shoulders above their nearest rival."An Ocean Between Us", AILD's 4th full length release together, is a step up from an already amazing group of releases that preceded it, including 2005's "Shadows Are Security" and 2003's "Frail Words Collapse". It seems with every release, AILD just gets harder and better, all the while reinventing what it means to be a metal band.
The album gives the perfect build-up in its opening track with "Separation", a brief musical interlude that tears right into the band's scorching first single and video track, "Nothing Left". What ensues is a brutal onslaught of metal that doesn't let up the closing refrain of the album's last track, "This Is Who We Are". Musically, AILD is consistent and simply amazing. Well-written songs, scorching leads, none of which come off clichι or forced, fill the album from beginning to end. Lyrically, it is clear that Tim Lambesis is unashamed and upfront about his Christian beliefs. In all that is said, however, just like in past releases, there's no thumping over the head with a Bible, and certainly no air of shoving a "holier than thou" attitude down the listener's throat. It is apparent that while there may be a difference in beliefs between the band and their listener, it's not something that As I Lay Dying would ever try holding over their fans head.
This is without a doubt the best metal album of the year. As I Lay Dying, according to an interview in Metal Edge earlier this year, wanted to write and record a memorable album, not a collection of songs that would be easily forgotten, but a release that would stick with the listener for a long time to come. With "An Ocean Between Us", they've done just that. This is an album that will stand the test of time, and will stay in the listeners "now playing" rotation for some time to come.
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As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us
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