AS I LAY DYING

Well, this is awkward. It was only a few weeks ago that AS I LAY DYING launched the promotional campaign for their eighth album. Obviously, anything that the Californians do at this point in time will arrive with a certain amount of problematic baggage, but after the relatively successful birth of "comeback" album "Shaped By Fire" in 2019, it seemed reasonable to say that "Through Storms Ahead" (and you could probably chew on the irony of that title) was destined to be received with enthusiasm.

Frontman Tim Lambesis remains a controversial figure, of course, but he clearly isn't the only convicted felon to be given a second chance. Unfortunately, the wheels have fallen off the AS I LAY DYING truck in spectacular fashion. There is no need to repeat all the details here, but the important thing is that since recording this, every member of the band has departed, leaving Lambesis as its lone captain, steering a deserted ship into the unknown and with speculation about his alleged "behavior" whistling in his ears. As a result, "Through Storms Ahead" has zero chance of being assessed without the shadow of recent chaos looming large over every riff. Regardless of how good, great or indifferent it is, its release has been irrevocably tarnished.

But with a spirit of generosity, let us briefly pretend that the campaign to launch "Through Storms Ahead" is not a massive fucking disaster. Among the heaviest hitters in 21st century metalcore, AS I LAY DYING have a solid reputation for making strong, classy records, and while it is highly unlikely that they will ever regain their once lofty status in the scene, the current, embarrassing situation has little to do with the quality of their music. "Through Storms Ahead" sounds massive, is full of monstrous hooks and punishing heaviness, and manages to be gently nostalgic for metalcore's glory days without relying entirely on well-worn cliches. Defiantly straightforward, the likes of "A Broken Reflection" and "Burden" are sometimes a little too reliant on (ex-)bassist Ryan Neff's clean vocals for comfort, but there is grit and muscle underpinning those melodies, and Lambesis's feral bark is as commanding and intense as it ever was. Guitarists Phil Sgrosso and Ken Susi are old hands at this stuff, and there is no shortage of sharp, vicious riffs to drive the whole thing along at an exhilarating pace.

AS I LAY DYING never had the emotional relatability of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE (and even less so now!),  nor the diehard-till-we-collapse demeanor of UNEARTH, but this album's strongest moments are self-evident, top-tier metalcore. "We Are The Dead" (featuring SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL's Alex Terrible and Tom Barber of CHELSEA GRIN) is particularly brutal and explosive; "Whitewashed Tombs" is a sustained rush of euphoric melody and fierce, focused rage; and the closing "Taken From Nothing" is a startlingly catchy slap around the face.

Nobody is going to win prizes for originality, but "Through Storms Ahead" is a more than worthwhile addition to the canon. In fact, if everything had gone to plan, this would almost certainly be garnering lots of positive write-ups and nudging AS I LAY DYING back towards their once enviable position as metalcore figureheads. Unfortunately, we are where we are. Can something be salvaged from the mess? We will have to wait and see. But as missed opportunities go, "Through Storms Ahead" is one for the history books.