As I Lay Dying
‘Awakened’
[Metal Blade]
As far as metalcore is concerned, few have made the impact that As I Lay Dying have achieved. Arguably pioneers of the movement, and still its leaders, ‘Awakened’ is As I Lay Dying‘s 6th studio album. Expectations for the record are high.
As a whole it doesn’t disappoint; laden with meaty riffs and a tried and tested scream and clean vocal pattern, ‘Awakened‘ is quintessentially an As I Lay Dying record. Blasting in with ‘Cauterize‘ (which was offered as a free download in advance), the band’s intent is made clear from the the first note.
Tracks like ‘Resilience‘ show why the band have stayed close to so many hearts over the years; delicious shredding, tight drums, intoxicating melody and powerful vocals. Tim Lambesis is ever the dominant front man, with a scream second to none, his vocals resound over the music full of strength delivered at high intensity.
Despite ‘Awakened‘ having numerous positives, its hard not to compare it to previous full length, ‘The Powerless Rise’ and unfortunately it doesn’t quite match up. However, this isn’t a real criticism as it is hard to compete with the perfection displayed on their 2010 release. Nonetheless, ‘Awakened‘ will go down as one of this years best metal albums.
Words: Emma Wallace
