As I Lay Dying

The latest by As I Lay Dying comes out of the gate strong, firing on all cylinders; it's as if the band realized that to "Cauterize," the title of the album opener, one must first create a wound. However, after the first four songs tear the listener open with fast, thrashy metalcore riff fests, the band (slightly) up the melodic ante and make their best use of choruses since Shadows Are Security. If the hooks are a bit too sweet for you, the band never forget to break them up with crushing breakdowns. It's this masterful weaving together of melody and mass destruction that separates the band from their breakdown-as-transition peers. Twelve years deep in their career, As I Lay Dying bring no surprises to the table, they just continue to hone their craft and do it better than the countless clones that have popped up in their wake.