As I Lay Dying
Shadows Are Security

THE REVIEW

To introduce this album, I am reminded of the words of my philosophy of law professor once I finished the exam: "I'll give you 28 even though you have all the means to reach 30."

The rationale behind that statement can be transferred and developed into the musical immanence plane unique to As I Lay Dying's "Shadows Are Security" released by Metal Blade, a very good album, which could have been a masterpiece in its field, with the band having solid foundations and means at their disposal.

Even though it falls under the metalcore genre that has said everything and its opposite in recent years, we are actually faced with an atypical product that does not abuse the classic formula of screamed verse - clean chorus - screamed verse - clean chorus - bridge - finale that has brought success to bands like Atreyu and Killswitch Engage. The same song structures are almost never completely linear, alternating within the same song, between very rapid drum passages and violent breakdowns, a perfect backdrop for Tim Lambesis' feral growl/scream, which consistently dominates almost the entire duration, with clean interludes being sparingly used like a precious commodity in a few sporadic episodes, among which "Confined" and "The Darkest Nights" stand out, two little masterpieces, that for as much as they are the two most conventional and "melodic" tracks, they penetrate inside and never leave, positioning themselves among the most beautiful songs that this genre has ever produced and that my ears have ever heard.

However, it's important to reiterate that the main references here are in the Swedish melodic death of the '90s of In Flames and Dark Tranquillity, as evident from the typically Swedish riffs from the dual axes of Phil Sgrosso and Nick Hipa that dot the album. An example of this are the excellent "Meaning Tragedy," "Losing Sight," "Reflection," and "Truth Of My Perception," where there is still no trace of the criticized clean vocals of the new bassist, who will make his debut on the subsequent An Ocean Between Us.

The only moment of (false) calm on the entire platter is the beginning of "Repeating Yesterday," which, however, takes little time to explode furiously with an excellent Lambesis that plunges us into a heavy and leaden atmosphere, making us understand that we are not dealing with one of the many carbon copies of Killswitch Engage. The Californians will make many happy with this work, we are certain, striking a chord especially with a more mature audience more inclined towards sonic impact rather than melodic directions, which will recognize the quality of the offering that steers clear of certain stereotypes and explicitly commercial temptations or operations like Bullet For My Valentine.

Returning to the discussion at the opening of the review, perhaps a greater variety (it's a pity the solos are almost off-limits) would have pushed the thermometer even further, for a judgment that remains very flattering for a band of which this third album represents a sort of watershed between the old and the new, more canonical and ordinary, but nonetheless worthy As I Lay Dying.