Reviewed by Tom Young

San Diego's As I Lay Dying are one of the biggest bands in the Christian metalcore genre, and thus, have a lot of pressure to release an outstanding album, and, I am pleased to say, they have done just that. They have stuck to what they do best: fast, shredding guitars riffs and solos, double bass pedalled drums, the brutal scream of Tim Lambesis, and every now and then a clean chorus to keep things fresh. Although I didn't find this album quite up to the standard of AILD's previous effort, 'An Ocean Between Us', (which was a fantastic album that propelled AILD into the spotlight), it is clear to see that the band have matured musically since their early days, and are definitely set in place as a big-time metalcore act. I suspect this set will produce some big hits with the songs "Anodyne Sea" and "Parallels". With 'The Powerless Rise' AILD have turned in a good album which will keep their legion of fans happy.

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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