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As I Lay Dying (band)

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As I Lay Dying
As I Lay Dying 2006.jpg
As I Lay Dying in 2006. From left to right: Phil Sgrosso, Jordan Mancino, Tim Lambesis, Nick Hipa, and Clint Norris.
Background information
Origin San Diego, California, United States
Genres Metalcore, melodic metalcore
Years active 2000–2014 (on hiatus)
Labels Pluto, Metal Blade
Associated acts Austrian Death Machine,[1] Wovenwar, Allegaeon, Pyrithion, Point of Recognition[2]
Website www.asilaydying.com
Members Tim Lambesis
Jordan Mancino[3]
Past members Noah Chase
Evan White
Tommy Garcia
Jason Krebs
Aaron Kennedy
Clint Norris[3]
Phil Sgrosso
Nick Hipa
Josh Gilbert

As I Lay Dying is an American metalcore band from San Diego, California. Founded in 2000 by vocalist Tim Lambesis, the establishment of the band's first full lineup, which included drummer Jordan Mancino, occurred in 2001. As I Lay Dying has released six albums, one split album, and two compilation albums.

As I Lay Dying's fourth studio album An Ocean Between Us peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, and No. 1 on the Top Rock chart. The band has performed at events such as Wacken Open Air, With Full Force, Soundwave Festival, Sounds of the Underground, Warped Tour, Bloodstock Open Air and Taste of Chaos. In 2007, As I Lay Dying won the "Ultimate Metal God" award from MTV2 at the first annual "All That Rocks" special; was named "Artist of the Year" at the San Diego Music Awards in 2005,[4] 2007[5] and 2008;[6] and was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award for the song "Nothing Left."[7] Their fifth studio album The Powerless Rise was written over a three-year period, and was released in May 2010 to widespread critical acclaim. Their most recent album, Awakened, was released on September 25, 2012.

The band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2014 when Lambesis was incarcerated and sentenced to six years in prison. The remaining members left and formed Wovenwar with Oh, Sleeper vocalist and guitarist Shane Blay.

History

Formation and first releases (2000–2004)

After leaving the band Society's Finest, in which he played guitar, vocalist Lambesis formed As I Lay Dying in 2000.[8] Starting out as a duet with drummer Mancino, they first met as a band in February 2001. They both were in the hardcore punk band Point of Recognition.[2] The band's name came from the novel of the same name by William Faulkner that was published in 1930; although the band's lyrics and music are not directly inspired by the novel.[9][10]

Shortly after the band's formation, Pluto Records offered As I Lay Dying a recording contract and, after accepting the offer, the band entered the studio one month later to record their first album Beneath the Encasing of Ashes, released in June 2001. The band then recorded five songs for a split album, again through Pluto Records, with San Diego post-hardcore band American Tragedy.

As I Lay Dying realized it needed to expand to a five-piece band to include another guitarist and a bassist. Mancino commented "we started going on tour and we needed obviously more people than that."[11] As Lambesis and Mancino were the only permanent members, the band recruited friends to perform with them and subsequently underwent several lineup changes: bassist Noah Chase departed in 2001, while Brandon Hays, and his subsequent replacement Aaron Kennedy, departed in 2003.[11] During early 2003, when As I Lay Dying's Pluto Records contract expired, the band pursued deals with other record labels. After extensive touring and an increase in popularity, As I Lay Dying was offered a record deal with Metal Blade Records in March 2003.[12]

Phil Sgrosso became the band's rhythm guitarist in Autumn 2003.

In July 2003, the band's second studio album Frail Words Collapse was released. Produced by Lambesis, the album peaked at No. 30 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart and No. 41 on the Top Heatseekers chart.[13] William York of Allmusic thought the band "doesn't really add anything new to the mix from a musical standpoint" with the release, while also praising it for being "solid enough and well executed" with "adequate" production.[14] Sherwin Frias of Jesus Freak Hideout had similar sentiments and commented "As I Lay Dying didn't exactly break many boundaries in making this record", but praised that each song is "executed so well (and with such precision) that nary a song misses its target."[15] Touring then occurred to promote the album, with support from bands Himsa, Shadows Fall, The Black Dahlia Murder, Killswitch Engage, In Flames, Sworn Enemy, and Hatebreed. Music videos for the songs "94 Hours" and "Forever" received rotation on networks such as Fuse and MTV2's Headbanger's Ball.

Mainstream success (2005–2009)

As I Lay Dying entered Big Fish recording studio in Encinitas, California, US in January 2005 to record their third studio album. Shadows Are Security was released in June of the same year and debuted at No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart. It was also the band's first release to enter the Billboard 200—at No. 35[13]—and sold about 275,000 copies. Wade Kergan of Allmusic called it "one of the strongest releases of 2005," and commented that new guitarists Phil Sgrosso and Nick Hipa make the band "stronger."[16] Rod Smith of Decibel Magazine commented: "Tim Lambesis's finely honed roar in bittersweet instrumental matrices augmented by occasional clean vocals by bassist Clint Norris. Guitarists Phil Sgrosso and Nick Hipa whip up a melodic cyclone on 'The Darkest Nights'."[17] By this time, guitarist Evan White had quit the band for personal reasons after his mother died. All the singing was done by Dave Arthur of Kings to You, because it sounded more powerful in the studio in comparison to Clint Norris's singing.[18]

As I Lay Dying began touring to promote the new record by making appearances at Hell on Earth, Winter Headline Tour, and Ozzfest, as well as a tour with Slipknot and Unearth. The band was on the second stage alongside Rob Zombie, Killswitch Engage, Mastodon, The Haunted, and It Dies Today.[19] The band raised its profile in 2006 through its support slot on the Taste of Chaos tour in the US, alongside bands such as Deftones, Thrice, Dredg, Funeral for a Friend, and Story of the Year.[20] In May 2006, Beneath the Encasing of Ashes and the songs from the split album were re-released through Metal Blade Records as A Long March: The First Recordings. The album contained the original and re-recorded versions of the songs from the split album—the band preferred to re-release the material, as they didn't want their fans paying large sums of money to listen to early releases. The re-release peaked at No. 3 on the Independent Albums chart and No. 129 on the Billboard 200 chart.[13] In mid-2006, As I Lay Dying was the headline act at the Sounds of the Underground Festival.[21]

Norris left the band on good terms in November 2006 with a desire to focus on his marriage. The band auditioned ten bassists, but none proved successful. Lambesis received demo tapes from a band called This Endearing, of which bassist Josh Gilbert was a member; however, Lambesis chose to "sit on it" and waited for the band to record more material. This Endearing subsequently disbanded and Gilbert was recruited as As I Lay Dying's new bassist.[8]

File:As I Lay Dying-8331.jpg
As I Lay Dying live at With Full Force 2007. From left to right: Sgrosso (background), Lambesis and Hipa.

In 2007 As I Lay Dying started recording a new album titled An Ocean Between Us, which was released on August 21, 2007. Debuting at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Rock chart, with first-week sales of 39,000 units, the album was the highest charting release for the band.[22]

Co-produced by Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz and As I Lay Dying, and mixed by Colin Richardson, the album received generally positive reviews.[citation needed] Christa L. Titus of Billboard commented: "Whatever the differences between As I Lay Dying's personal desires and what its fans demand, this album surely acts as a bridge," praising the song "Comfort Betrays" for its guitar solo.[23] Scott Alisoglu of Blabbermouth.net described the album as "a well-rounded and often thrashy metalcore album, as the band has struck an effective balance between aggression and accessible melodies."[24] Thom Jurek of Allmusic praised the band for expanding its musical range by including melodic singing and choruses, as they had previously done on "Confined" from Shadows Are Security.[25] It was the first time that bassist Gilbert recorded a studio album with the band.

To promote the album, As I Lay Dying performed at the Warped Tour 2007 in August,[26] and toured through Europe in September with Darkest Hour, Himsa, and Maroon.[8] The band was awarded the title "Ultimate Metal God" by MTV2's "All That Rocks" special,[27] and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of "Best Metal Performance" for the song "Nothing Left". The other Grammy Award nominees included winner Slayer, King Diamond, Machine Head, and Shadows Fall. The band played a portion of the 2008 Warped Tour, as well as the Taste of Chaos UK 2008 Tour with headliners Atreyu.[28]

On April 9, 2009, the DVD This Is Who We Are was released in Europe, and was released in the US on April 14, 2009. The DVD was certified Gold in the US almost a month after its release.[29]

The Powerless Rise and Decas (2010–2011)

After recording through 2009,[30] the band's fifth record The Powerless Rise was streamed on the MySpace Music website on May 7, 2010 up until May 10, 2010.[31] The album was officially released on May 11, 2010 and received generally positive critical acclaim, with one critic saying: "Fans of metalcore in general, and As I Lay Dying in particular, will be more than satisfied with The Powerless Rise, as the band's gradual progression and consistency makes this their best album."[32]

As I Lay Dying performing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in March 2011

In 2010 the band toured in support of The Powerless Rise, headlining the majority of their shows. In the first half of the year, the band embarked on a US tour with Demon Hunter, blessthefall, and War of Ages. This was followed by a mid-2010 headlining tour titled "The Cool Tour" across the US, and a headlining tour across US/Canada that also featured All That Remains, Unearth, and Carnifex. The band's final headline tour of the year was in Europe, with Heaven Shall Burn, Suicide Silence, and Sylosis.[citation needed]

In February 2011, the band headlined a US tour with support from Winds of Plague and After the Burial. The band then toured in late April/early May with Trivium, in support of Disturbed, on the "Music as a Weapon" tour in Australia and New Zealand. Then at the end of May and beginning of June, the band headlined a few performances with Heaven Shall Burn.[citation needed]

On November 8, 2011, As I Lay Dying released a compilation, Decas, in honor of the band's ten-year anniversary. The album featured three new, original songs; four cover versions of songs by bands such as Slayer, Judas Priest and Descendents; a re-recorded medley that uses parts of several songs taken from Beneath the Encasing of Ashes; and four remixes, consisting of one song from each of their albums since Frail Words Collapse. The album's first track "Paralyzed" was released as a lyric video on September 13, 2011, and as a free download on iTunes on November 7, the day before the album's release. The band embarked on the "A Decade of Destruction" tour, coinciding with the release of the album, from November to December 2011.[33]

Awakened, Tim Lambesis' trial (2012–2014)

On January 25, 2012, an announcement revealed that the band would be playing the Mayhem Festival 2012[34] with Slipknot, Slayer, Motörhead, Anthrax, The Devil Wears Prada, Asking Alexandria, Whitechapel, Upon A Burning Body, I, the Breather, Betraying the Martyrs, and Dirtfedd. The band announced in April 2012 that Bill Stevenson, who had previously worked with NOFX and Rise Against, would be the producer for their sixth album.[35]

On June 22, 2012, the band announced that their sixth album would be titled Awakened and the first single "Cauterize" was released on June 25, 2012.[36] On September 12, 2012, As I Lay Dying released their second single "A Greater Foundation" with a corresponding music video. The album was released on September 25, 2012 and "Cauterize" was available on the band's website as a free download for a 24-hour period.[37] As I Lay Dying won the "Metal Band of the Year" award from Loudwire in 2012, beating other well-known bands, including Anthrax and Lamb of God.[38] Subsequently, prior to his criminal charges, Lambesis started a new band entitled Pyrithion with guitarist Ryan Glisan, formerly of Allegaeon. They released one EP as a band.

The arrest, trial and imprisonment of vocalist Tim Lambesis caused the band to go on an indefinite hiatus in 2014.

On May 7, 2013, Lambesis was arrested in Oceanside, California, US after allegedly hiring an undercover detective to kill his estranged wife. The report was made by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, leaving the future of the band uncertain.[39] On the following day, the band released a statement in which they said: "The legal process is taking its course and we have no more information than you do. There are many unanswered questions, and the situation will become clearer in the coming days and weeks. We'll keep you informed as best we can." They also stated that their thoughts were "with Tim, his family, and with everyone else affected by this terrible situation."[40] Eight days later, the band cancelled their mid-2013 tour with Killswitch Engage, stating that "we feel that it is best for the band to be off the road while the current situation gets sorted".[41] During the month of his initial arrest, Lambesis pleaded "not guilty" and his lawyer stated: "His thought processes were devastatingly affected by his steroid use."[42] On February 25, 2014 Lambesis changed his plea from "not guilty" to "guilty" and consequently faced a potential sentence of nine years in prison.[43][44]

Rather than continue on without Lambesis, Mancino, along with ex-members Phil Sgrosso, Nick Hipa, and Josh Gilbert, decided to focus on a different style of music under a different band name, Wovenwar, with Shane Blay as the vocalist,[45] This project took shape long before Lambesis' plea.[46] although Mancino still remains a member of As I Lay Dying. During this period of time Lambesis was also working on music and found time to release the third full length from Austrian Death Machine called Triple Brutal.[47]

On May 16, 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in prison, with 48 days credit for time served.[48]

Musical style

As I lay Dying's musical style is primarily described as metalcore[49][50][51][52] and melodic metalcore.[53][54] The band also has been referred to as thrash metal.[51][55][56] Their music often mixes melodic death metal and hardcore punk together.[57][58] In a review of Beneath the Encasing of Ashes, Bradley Torreano of Allmusic described the band's sound as a blend of heavy metal, hardcore, and grindcore.[59] RoughEdge described An Ocean Between Us and The Powerless Rise as incorporating classic metal into the AILD sound.[57] Heavy metal writer Garry Sharpe-Young described the band as a "Christian Hardcore act employing the Grind edged vocals of singer Tim Lambesis and a distinct hint of Scandinavian guitar chug."[60]

Christianity

Although As I Lay Dying has stated on numerous occasions that all of the members of the group are practicing Christians, the band is usually described by media as being in the metalcore genre, not Christian metal. This is largely because the band's lyrics do not directly focus on pro-Christian themes the way many praise music bands do nor do they treat their music as a direct extension of their private Christian worship or proselytizing efforts. For example, not once do the names God or Jesus appear in any As I Lay Dying song, nor do any of their songs explicitly invoke Christian doctrine or quote the Bible. Most songs tend to address broader spiritual concepts like existential angst or the struggle between reason and spirituality.

Lyricist and lead singer Tim Lambesis has given mixed commentary on the subject: when asked in 2008 if the members were "a Christian band" or "Christians in a band", Lambesis stated on the band's FAQ, "I'm not sure what the difference is between five Christians playing in a band and a Christian band,[61] If you truly believe something, then it should affect every area of your life. All five of us are Christians. I believe that change should start with me first, and as a result, our lyrics do not come across very 'preachy.' Many of our songs are about life, struggles, mistakes, relationships and other issues that don't fit entirely in the spiritual category. However, all of these topics are written about through my perspective as a Christian."[61] Furthermore, during an August 2010 radio interview on the Christian metal radio show The Full Armor of God Broadcast, Lambesis stated "I can only really write about what I'm passionate about in life, so naturally my faith, my belief in the teachings of Jesus and His resurrection come across in our lyrics."[62]

However, in later years, Lambesis showed an increasing philosophical skepticism towards Christianity and religion in general: Court documents stated Lambesis emailed his wife Meggan in August 2012, while on tour with As I Lay Dying, asking for a divorce and stating he "no longer believed in God".[63] In explaining some of the lyrics from Awakened, Lambesis stated that his studies of theology had led him to the conclusion that "tradition and truth are often at odds with each other", and while he "didn't hate all religious belief", he was finding it "very difficult for to outline exactly who it is that’s worth siding with." He also quoted the book Pagan Christianity by George Barna and Frank Viola, noting that both "Protestant and Catholic denominations have poisonous roots".[64]

While on house arrest in July 2013, after being charged with soliciting his wife's murder, Lambesis published a blog post in which he obliquely confirmed his previous loss of faith in Christianity.[65] However, since his arrest it has been reported that Lambesis "has spent much of the last year reevaluating what originally convinced him to abandon belief in God. After much brokenness and repentance he sees things differently, considers himself a follower of Jesus, someone submitted to the will of God."[45]

In 2014, Lambesis said that although they were marketed as a Christian band, the members privately considered themselves atheists.[66] Former guitarist Nick Hipa calls these claims slanderous and defamatory.[67]

Members

Timeline

Discography

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Main article: As I Lay Dying discography
Studio albums

Awards and nominations

  • San Diego Music Awards
    • Artist of the Year (2005)[69]
    • Artist of the Year (2007)[69]
    • Artist of the Year (2008)[6]
    • Best Hard Rock (2011)[70]
  • Grammy Awards
    • Nominated for 2008 Best Metal Performance for the song "Nothing Left"[71]
  • MTV2 Music Awards
    • Ultimate Metal God (2007)
  • Hollywood Film Fest awards
    • Best Music Video for "The Sound of Truth" music video
  • Loudwire Music Awards
    • Metal Band of the Year (2012)

References

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  63. ↑ [2] Archived August 28, 2013 at the Wayback Machine
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  66. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  67. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  68. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links

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