As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us

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RIYL

Killswitch Engage
Caliban
Heaven Shall Burn
Shadows Fall

Release Date

08/21/2007

Label

Metal Blade

Tracklist

1. Separation
2. Nothing Left
3. An Ocean Between Us
4. Within Destruction
5. Forsaken
6. Comfort Betrays
7. I Never Wanted
8. Bury Us All
9. The Sound of Truth
10. Departed
11. Wrath Upon Ourselves
12. This is Who We Are

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3 ratings

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You may know As I Lay Dying as metalcore gods that 90 percent of today’s metalcore bands seem to continuously rip off. Or you may know As I Lay Dying because virtually everyone in the world likes them. Yes, it’s true, even your grandmother rocks out to As I Lay Dying. With their new release, An Ocean Between Us, the band told us to expect something different, and they did indeed write a different album… compared to their previous ones. The problem is that it’s still not at all an innovative album, but it’s definitely a solid one.

The first noticeable thing that As I Lay Dying did do to separate this release from previous ones is that their songs are intensely fast. You’ll notice in track two, “Nothing Left”, that the amount of speedy double bass and thrash-like riffs really make the bulk of the song and it never once slows down or loses your interest. The soaring clean singing vocals in the chorus of this song are also something to mention. This is a very tight and energetic opener, but it could do without one of the two guitar solos. It seems like a few songs on this CD were written in hopes of them getting a spot on Guitar Hero III.

Speaking of thrash, the song “Within Destruction” is another incredibly intense song with raging fast guitar parts and drumming. The section in the middle of the track is a great way to separate the viciousness and it shows off As I Lay Dying’s more progressive side. Unfortunately when this song breaks back into madness, it then almost completely repeats the beginning of the song, which is more than a sign of lazy song writing.

The repetitiveness on this album really kills some of the songs as they will introduce very intricate guitar riffs, but then they get old by the third or fourth time they are played towards the end of the song. In all, this really isn’t that much different than one would expect, due to the band’s statement, but pursuing uniqueness, especially in metalcore these days is a very tough thing to do. For what it is, An Ocean Between Us is another solid release by As I Lay Dying that could have been better if they hadn’t dumbed down several tracks with tedious repetitiveness.

--Chris Pandolfo

Author

cloudscollide
Last updated: 09/29/2009 08:59PM

Comments

MariusDaFunk
09/04/2007
07:15AM
Age: 26
Location
Berlin, Germany
thanks for this review.. I was afraid that this cd would get hyped like so many cds lately on this site. AILD always seemed to me to be like the metalcore's backstreet boys, the repition is pop-formula - they just want these parts to be stuck in your head. They are just not heavy and there is no sense in pretending so.
HEARTandSYNAPSE
09/04/2007
08:05AM
Location
Manchester, England
i struggle to come to terms with peoples dislike for something that is 'catchy'?
i thought that was like, the sole purpose of music, to be memorable and get stuck in your head.

MariusDaFunk
09/04/2007
08:12AM
Age: 26
Location
Berlin, Germany
Hm, dear Alex, I do not dislike 'catchy' music. However, I do not think it is the sole purpose. Catchy music is rather entertainment that doesn't challenge you much ( or often it is like that at least ), but there is music, which conveys a different feeling that I cannot explain, and thats what music is all about for me.

Back to the topic: I think the score is justified ... note: don't take the Backstreet Boys comparison too seriously.
jared
09/04/2007
08:24AM
Age: 30
Location
Minneapolis, MN
As much as metalcore can be generic and uninteresting, you have to admit As I Lay Dying has a knack for writing some pretty bad ass music. The first songs they wrote as a band after being together only 2 weeks were very good and they've since shown they can write album after album of quality metal.

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Spartan E7
09/04/2007
08:43AM
Age: 25
Location
Infinitely Inwards
I mostly agree with the review. This CD is better than SAS to me now, but during 2005 it would have been less repetitive. This one is very infectious as a couple of listens. However, Frail Words Collapse will always be my favorite from them. They blew me away when that one released.

Ever Forthright - Ever Forthright
Fallujah - The Harvest Wombs
The New Law - The Fifty Year Storm
The Mars Volta - Noqtourniqet
Aborted - Global Flatline
Spawn of Possession - Incurso
Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind)The Crafty Ape

thebled88
09/04/2007
09:17AM
Location
Boca Raton,FL
i agree with the review....but the track 'wrath upon ourselves' should have been mentioned....i believe it to be the standout of the record
Sins Of Arcadia
09/04/2007
09:22AM
Age: 28
Location
Florida, USA
HEARTandSYNAPSE
i struggle to come to terms with peoples dislike for something that is 'catchy'?
i thought that was like, the sole purpose of music, to be memorable and get stuck in your head.

Holy shit you're stupid.

Anyway, great review, Chris.
Spartan E7
09/04/2007
09:25AM
Age: 25
Location
Infinitely Inwards
thebled88
i agree with the review....but the track 'wrath upon ourselves' should have been mentioned....i believe it to be the standout of the record
Fuck Yeah It Is! That song has my favorite chorus on the album. :D

Ever Forthright - Ever Forthright
Fallujah - The Harvest Wombs
The New Law - The Fifty Year Storm
The Mars Volta - Noqtourniqet
Aborted - Global Flatline
Spawn of Possession - Incurso
Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind)The Crafty Ape

Zach Roth
09/04/2007
10:23AM
Age: 24
Location
Fishers, Indiana
I felt kinda bad reading the conclusion of your intro paragraph and then seeing a 2 1/2. As if a "solid album" is actually below average nowadays.

I probably won't be giving this a listen. I'm sure a track will be on GHIII, and I'll just judge from there (haha). But... I think I can speak from experience regarding bands that insert the exact same piece of music into one song far too many times.

Take... Panic! For all the things they do well, there are too many songs where they repeat an entire verse verbatim, and then the chorus is a one-liner repeated a few times. Irks me so.

So while I won't listen to this album, I know exactly what you're getting at, and I understand the score.

(And I'm really sorry for somehow getting Panic! into an As I Lay Dying review.)

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Rick Gebhardt
09/04/2007
10:39AM
Age: 31
Location
Minnesota
Man, I think I'm in the minority here (and I figured I wouldn't be), but this was an extremely solid album that is almost all meat and no fat. This is some lean, American metalcore with a little European metal riffing tossed in. Simply based on the simple fact that this album is solid, catchy, and flows, I would have given it a 3.5 at least. Great follow up to Shadows are Security.

Find me EVERYWHERE:

Dave Spak
09/04/2007
11:13AM
Location
Boston, MA
I never thought much of this band and it sounds like this isn't going to be the album to change my mind.

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el badman
09/04/2007
01:18PM
Age: 31
Location
El Paso, TX
i thought that was like, the sole purpose of music, to be memorable and get stuck in your head.

Well, not for everyone trust me. There's "memorable-cannot get it out of my fucking head" and "memorable-cannot wait to play it again, but don't need to have to have it stuck up there 24/7", at least personally.
I'm probably not gonna buy this album even though I really like the first 2. From what I heard, it just doesn't sound like there's anything really new in there, so i don't wanna buy it just to have one more metalcore CD in my collection. I'm sure it has its moments, but well...
Chris Conlan
09/04/2007
03:38PM
Age: 27
Location
Dubuque
I really enjoyed this record. That's my take.

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jam11es
09/04/2007
03:53PM
rmgebhardt
Man, I think I'm in the minority here (and I figured I wouldn't be), but this was an extremely solid album that is almost all meat and no fat. This is some lean, American metalcore with a little European metal riffing tossed in. Simply based on the simple fact that this album is solid, catchy, and flows, I would have given it a 3.5 at least. Great follow up to Shadows are Security.


Don't worry man, you're not. I thought this album was amazing, exactly what I want from a metal record.
tim
09/04/2007
03:56PM
Age: 28
Location
Green Brook, NJ
i thought this album was a continuing improvement for the band. i disagree with the rating.
ATOMIChaelBOMB
09/04/2007
04:25PM
Age: 31
Location
Claremont, CA
i think this album is amazing. also...life in pictures...wow. guy's got some good taste for production.
ltj_nufan
09/05/2007
06:34AM
Age: 22
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
I'm really enjoying this album.
AndyY9587
09/05/2007
09:57AM
Age: 25
Location
Cincinnati, OH
Wow I would have given this a 4. I can't stop listening to this.

scott.m
09/05/2007
10:24AM
I agree with the review. As always AILD writes and performs solid metalcore, but it's just more of the same. And, at least for me, more of the same is boring.

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NevermindMotherFrance
09/06/2007
09:05PM
Age: 23
Location
Miami, Fl
scott.m
I agree with the review. As always AILD writes and performs solid metalcore, but it's just more of the same. And, at least for me, more of the same is boring.

Me too