Reviewed by Greg Sammons

Adam Dutkiewicz has to be one of the hardest working men in metal. Not only is he the guitarist for one of the forerunners of the scene, Killswitch Engage, but he's also produced some of the best metalcore albums of the past five years. In my opinion, this could well be the best of the bunch. With their Metal Blade debut, As I Lay Dying showed that they were amongst the best when it came to creating music that will appeal to heavy metal fans and hardcore kids alike. With the follow-up concept album, the band sealed their sound and sealed their fate as being capable of headlining over bands of the ilk of In Flames and Himsa. This time round they've created their most diverse and accomplished release to date. It's got the pace we've come to love, the harsh aggressive vocals, the crunchy heaviness you can't help but gorge in and of course big, BIG breakdowns. For a band that started out as hardcore, this album is suspiciously metal - check out one of the best tunes on the album "Within Destruction" if you don't believe me. Add to that the fact that they've also taken the time to create slow burning epics, nuanced with intricate and beautiful musical skill. Yes, they've done it before but this time round it's in greater magnitude and to a much higher level of musicianship. Oh, and (of course) Tim Lambesis just so happens to be one of the best lyricists of our generation. This album really does stand out as one of the best albums in 21st century Christendom, certainly one of the best to hit the likes of Ozzfest, Warped Tour or Download.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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