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After a not-so-bad first CD, a decidedly avoidable second effort, and the qualitative leap with the penultimate masterpiece "An Ocean Between Us," As I Lay Dying have indeed come a long way since they could at most be labeled the best friends of their hometown peers Killswitch Engage: several thousand fans worldwide, hugely successful tours, even the risk of winning a Grammy award for "Best Metal Performance" in 2007.
But like any band worth its salt, sooner or later comes the time when taking risks is the only way forward from an artistic standpoint, and this new release undeniably represents the first true turning point in the band's career. Out (almost) entirely with the early Hardcore attitude, in with much, very much, Heavy Metal: in two words, "The Powerless Rise" is a purely and proudly Thrash Metal album, nothing more, nothing less. While the elements that have characterized the group so far among the millions of NWOAHM sound clones are still present (Adam D. at the console once again), what surprises in this new work is the preponderance of intricate riffs, lightning-fast solos, a pounding rhythm section, and although for many it was a bitter disappointment and for many others a transitional album, "The Powerless Rise," though not without fillers and lesser episodes ("The Blinding Of False Light" feels déjà vu, "Without Conclusion" says it all in the title), is a mature album, impeccably played and produced, and features songs that could become absolute classics of the already vast band repertoire, without paling next to the much-celebrated "Forever," "Confined", and "Nothing Left".
All this without falling into the banal and obvious, in a scene where trends matter more and more and are sinking more and more bands (just look at how Cryptopsy have ended up... ). Are you a fan of the band? Keep your prejudices at bay and listen to the album without hesitation, while for everyone else, go see one of their concerts first, saying they rock is an understatement.
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