Through Storms Ahead on CD

With 25 years of reign and seven acclaimed albums under their belt, Grammy-nominated metalcore pioneers As I Lay Dying are back with an unmissable new album that will define their legacy for years to come. Poised to be one of the most highly-anticipated metal comebacks in years, the band's eighth full-length studio album, Through Storms Ahead, will drop on November 15, 2024 via Napalm Records. Following their 2019 album, Shaped By Fire, which Loudwire named one of the best albums of that year, the new album is an evolution of newly explored elements that further bolster the proven line-up of vocalist Tim Lambesis and guitarist Phil Sgrosso alongside recent newcomers Ryan Neff (bass, clean vocals), Nick Pierce (drums) and Ken Susi (guitar). A melancholic guitar-driven introduction track blasts into a deft explosion on first song "A Broken Reflection", showcasing the masterful melding of skills that the new incarnation of As I Lay Dying brings to the table. The clean vocals of bassist Ryan Neff absolutely soar throughout, fortifying the high-end of the track's multi-layered attack of searing, heart-wrenching guitar harmonics, driving bass, pummeling drums and the furious low-end gutturals of iconic frontman Tim Lambesis. Streamed over a million times within days of it's initial release, first single "Burden" annihilates with instantly gripping energy, charging in with an intensely catchy chorus, multiple breakdowns and ingenious guitar soloing from Phil Sgrosso. Unrelenting metal burner "We Are The Dead", featuring the gut-punching vocal talents of guest singers Alex Terrible (Slaughter to Prevail) and Tom Barber (Chelsea Grin, Darko), provides a prime example of the album's crystal clear, punishingly precise production quality - proving the keen attention to detail and exploration exacted throughout Through Storms Ahead. The track satiates with a menacing soundscape of synths and choirs, accenting an onslaught of brutality, breakdowns, grooves and growls. "Whitewashed Tomb" bleeds in with a cinematic underscore before it's potent vocal lines, hair-raising, rhythmic guitar leads and ominous, reverberating electronic atmosphere takes over. Melodic "The Void Within" and "Taken From Nothing" evoke classic As I Lay Dying style blended with modernized metalcore passages, while tracks such as "Strength to Survive" and "Gears That Never Stop" showcase the vital songwriting prowess of the band in 2024. Blending metallic battery with dominant accessibility, the tracks further attest that Through Storms Ahead won't pause for a single moment of mediocrity. Title track "Through Storms Ahead" bludgeons with intense drums and an earworm chorus, while acclaimed second single "The Cave We Fear To Enter", which features an introspective lyrical concept formed by both Tim Lambesis and Ryan Neff, begins pensively before charging into an emotive melodic metalcore opus. Featuring immense, stunning production by guitarist Phil Sgrosso and Hiram Hernandez, mixing by Aaron Chaparian, mastering by Ted Jensen and album art once again created by Corey Meyers, Through Storms Ahead proves that good things come to those who wait. Tim Lambesis, Phil Sgrosso & Co. Have created a metalcore masterpiece for the modern scene, solidifying that As I Lay Dying are continuing to evolve and expand their trademark sound in a new era.