As I Lay Dying – An Ocean Between Us
Metal Blade Records – 3984-14632-2 – August 21, 2007
By Jason Jordan
Ever since
Beneath the Encasing of Ashes (2001), San Diego’s metalcore kings
As I Lay Dying have released a full-length album every two years –
Frail Words Collapse in ‘03,
Shadows Are Security in ‘05, and now
An Ocean Between Us in ‘07. While there was a much-needed production jump from
FWC to
SAS, it’s clear that this quintet don’t plan on changing anything else about their approach, which makes
AOBU a consistent, if unnecessary, record. Nevertheless, it’s also a safe bet for the average, metalcore aficionado who doesn’t mind repetition.
Following the intro
‘Separation,’ ‘Nothing Left’ touches down with more than a pinch of Gothenburg influence in tow, evidenced by a melodic chorus that parallels
In Flames. As always, it’s almost second nature to nod along since
As I Lay Dying prove adroit at hooking one in with catchiness. When blazing through
‘Within Destruction,’ ‘Comfort Betrays,’ ‘Bury Us All,’ ‘The Sound of Truth,’ ‘Wrath Upon Ourselves,’ and
‘This Is Who We Are’ it becomes clear that there’s nothing inherently wrong except the unshakable feeling that we’ve been here before, though
‘Forsaken,’ ‘I Never Wanted,’ and
‘Departed’ mix things up by providing light, tender beginnings.
‘Departed’ is actually a breather before the group launch into their last two songs. Not to be overlooked are the facts that the annoying Adam Dutkiewicz (
Killswitch Engage) co-produced
An Ocean Between Us, along with the band, and that several guest vocal performances come courtesy of Chad Ackerman (
Destroy the Runner), Tommy Garcia (ex-
AILD), and a couple other individuals.
So all in all,
An Ocean Between Us is more of the same from a slick, talented metalcore outfit that sells, and as a result, hits all the charts.
As I Lay Dying don’t need to change drastically – they certainly won’t – but even an immaculate recording such as this reminds me of how tired I’m getting of the same ol’ stuff. Despite that,
AOBU is good for what it is, even though the replay value doesn’t seem too high. Only the devoted need apply.
Official As I Lay Dying Website
Official Metal Blade Records Website
