Customer Reviews

Shadows Are Security

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

First off I will say to all the people totally knocking this cd you must not know the talent it takes to be as good a musicians as this band has, the drummer is absolutely amazing if they werent a christian band I would swear he sold his soul to the devil to make his legs that fast, the vocals are strong and in your face, although it can be a little preachy at times, its how he feels so let him express his beliefs, if you dont like it f*ck off dont listen to him! The guitarists are crazy good showing not only their metal roots with there pulsating riffs and leads, but also putting out some of the best melodic parts Ive ever heard! Yes there is more singing on this cd then frail words collapse but why not, their bassist is a great singer, if you have it why not use it! All and all this cd is very reminding of how good frail words collapse is and comes very close to it! if you like as I lay dying in any kind of way BUY THIS CD! and for all those "hardcore scene" kids out there bashing this cd take a look in the mirror your wearing f*ckin girl jeans and a pink belt these guys are keeping metalcore the way it should be, quit being a whining critic and bang your f*ckin heads!!

Their 3rd full length release is in my opinion the 3rd best release. Which isn't a bad thing considering how good Beneath the Encasings of Ashes and Frail Words Collapse were. The addition of more melodic parts wasn't a bad thing, in fact Confined has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it. It does however, lack substance imo that the other two albums had. Towards the end of the CD it gets a little generic at times but I'm not saying the songs are bad... they're not. Fans of metalcore should definitely buy this album.

5 out of 5
Highlights: Empty Hearts, Losing Sight, Illusions
"I hold my breath till the steady beating is shut out, In silence I wait for what is real." -The Truth Of My Perception

After I first heard 94 Hours, I knew that there was something special about As I Lay Dying. It's the perfect blend of primal raging and beautifully intellectual lyrics that give this band an edge over the 3,000,000 other metalcore bands out there.
While Frail Words Collapse (a masterpeice in its own right) was a collection of brutal songs, Shadows Are Security feels more like an album. Each song transitions into the next without flinching, and the order couldn't have been more perfect. While I wouldn't go as far as to say its a concept album, I think it would definitely qualify as a "themed" album. There is almost a story in the lyrics, as the lead singer struggles with meaninglessness to find hope.

As I Lay Dying is a band that relies on speed, which does not necessarily equate to heaviness.That being said, Illusions has got to be one of the best songs on this disk. Its strength is its power, not its speed. Empty Hearts has the coolest guitar solo you will ever hear, coming off as almost Middle-Eastern sounding. Losing Sight is a sonic avalanche that deserves recognition as a standout. Other notables include Repeating Yesterday, where we see an almost ballad (with a piano solo, no less) which gives way to more brutal roaring, and Control Is Dead which features a guest appearance by Zao frontman.

A perceptible change is that there is much more clean singing in this album. Frail Words Collapse experimented with all kinds of vocal variations (spoken, whispered, clean shouts, and ethereal wails), and we lose some of that on this album. This isn't to say that the singing is bad, or even that its out of place. However, I am concerned that they might be testing the water and considering making further crossroads into the mainstream market, which I think we can all agree would be a BAD thing. So, while I think that they have by no means crossed the "sellout" line, they do risk losing some of their fanbase if they continue in this direction.

People who don't appreciate the beauty of the untamed power behind metal will not understand this band or appreciate the vocal prowess possessed by Lambesis. If you have $15 and can appreciate good music, then buy this album right now.
-taltoris

As i lay dying have stepped up to the plate and hit a home run with Shadows Are Security.This cd sounds alot more polished than their previous album, the guitars sound perfect and the drums will still beat you to death.Tims scream/growl is still there, but they have added (dare i say) some melody.On tracks (2)Confined and (4)The darkest nights, they are heavy but almost have a "catchy and melodic" edge to them, this makes the songs that much better. This cd is in a tie for me for album of the year, along with Soilwork "stabbing the drama" and Agony Scene "the darkest red". This cd is a must for any metal/hardcore fan. Stay METAL \m/

i have been waiting a while for AILD to make a new album, and coming from Frail Worlds Collapse, they have a challenge to meet. But they met this challenge and kicked its ass. The tracks on this cd are incredible. Vocals are less screamy now and the drums keep getting heavier. I CANT STOP LISTENING TO THIS CD! i highly recommend this to any metal fan.

Al

BDM scored a big hit with me, and AILD has surpassed frail words collapse. the addition of a lot more clean vocals didnt bother me. the songs seem a lot heaver than on the first one. it doesnt matter that they dont have a lot of solos. breakdowns are more brutal, and the almighty dan from Zao does guest vocals on track 10. get this if you liked frail words collapse.

Alright so I guess it goes without saying that metalcore has pretty much become the new "nu-metal," not only does the term pretty much get slapped onto everything thats remotely considered to be aggressive music but its just about as absurd of a term as your going to find to describe any sort of music because its essentially lost all meaning...just like nu-metal did.

To get to the album though, Shadows Are Security is basically an album that just feels like a natural progression for As I Lay Dying. They trimmed a lot of the "fat" off their songs and stripped their sound down. There's an advantage to this and a disadvantage. The advantage of course is that everything feels much tighter on the album from the guitar work to the drumming. The disadvantage of course is that the density of the songs on Frail Words Collapse is no longer there. Tim Lambesis' vocal approach has been scaled down to a basic growl whereas he sounded like a machine on Frail Words Collapse. Theirs more use of clean vocals as well. I will say however that the guitar work collectively is much stronger and reinforces their melodic stylings found on previous tracks like "The Beginning" more than anything. The few guitar solos found on the album are actually real guitar solos, not just quick little leads, which is nice as well. In all truth, however, any complaint about this album is very much a minor complaint in the full scope of the album because regardless, you still know this is As I Lay Dying and it's written really well, even if their are a ton of bands playing the same style. Highlight tracks include "Meaning In Tragedy," "Confined," and "Through Struggle." No sense in going for the imitators, go to the top which is where this album sits in the "metalcore" world in my opinion.

"Shadows Are Security" is As I Lay Dying's best album yet, this time around they added some singing and not just screaming so thats a nice touch, if your not familiar with as i lay dying theyre christian metalcore and if youve never bought one of theyre albums this is the album to start with...if you like them you should also check out "STILL REMAINS- OF LOVE AND LUNACY".

New As I lay dying is amazing. Screw what everyone else says. Its a great cd. Tim and the guys have come a LONG way from Beneath the incasing of the ashes to their new cd Shadows are security. Frail words collapse was a great cd. But I have to say this one is 10 times heavier. And the guitar riffs are sexy, and so are the breakdowns.

As I Lay Dying really did it again! I pre-ordered it on Friday and got it yesterday. I was hoping for a good release ever since their Frail Words Collapse,(which was one the best metal cds I've heard in a long time), and Shadows are Security did not let me down. The music seemed to have matured in the past couple of years, the singing in this cd is pretty good. The guitarists and the bassist is what had me love this cd so much. The screams are still at their best, Tim not showing any mercy. Definitly for fans of Zao, Living Sacrifice, and even The Agony Scene.

I just want to comment about the negative reviews. It is these kind of people that get me mad. Stop with the God bashing. Metal is Metal, it doesn't belong to any type of people. Even though I am a Christian myself, that is not the big reason why I like this band, and if they want to write lyrics about God, then let them, they can do whatever they want, its nice to know that they are not afraid to talk about their faith, that's always not the easiest thing to do.I hope they will continue to progress as musicans and in their musical career.
God Bless