Image: Band photo - Dana Willax [Official press photo]
Ready for a dose of pure Metalcore energy? As I Lay Dying is working on a new album and you can find all the information about the process and the new members here!
Metalcore fans, take note: As I Lay Dying, giants of the genre, are set to release a new album soon. After being in the mixing process in spring 2023, the excitement is building, even though no official release date has been announced yet. The band was busy with live shows last summer, including performances at Graspop Metal Meeting and Hellfest Festival. In June, their second studio album Frail Words Collapse celebrated its 20th anniversary! Since then, there have been no new updates from the studio. But what do we already know about the new record?
Fresh Breath Of Air In The Band Lineup
The band has undergone some changes. In 2019 Shaped by Fire was the first album released after their multi-year hiatus. And although they were able to play some shows, the band's comeback was quickly overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lead guitarist Nick Hipa left the group in 2020, followed by clean vocalist Josh Gilbert and drummer Jordan Mancino in 2022. However, frontman Tim Lambesis did not disband the group. Instead, new talents joined and also contributed in the studio right away. With Nick Pierce and Ken Susi from Unearth and Ryan Neff from Miss May I, As I Lay Dying has brought fresh dynamics and creative energy on board. These new forces promise an exciting turn in the band's musical journey.
Behind The Scenes
In an interview in April 2014, Tim Lambesis already mentioned that despite progress in album production, it may still take some time before its release. Although we haven't heard the new songs yet, there are already some clues. The drums have already been recorded by Nick Pierce and Neff and Susi are also involved in production.
Originally, the band used the time during the COVID-19 pandemic to work on this new album.
"But during that time we worked on a new album, which we're in the process of mixing right now."
Lambesis revealed in his interview at Graspop 2023. And there's more input:
"We partly self-produced and then we also work with another producer, so we spent about a year working on the album by ourselves before we gave it to the producer who's mixing the album now."
Additionally, we can look forward to fresh ideas and influences from the new band members! While As I Lay Dying's songwriting in the past mainly came from Lambesis and Phil Sgrosso with support from Josh Gilbert, the new colleagues bring their own experience into play.
"This additional layer that we get from the new guys is like [...] a breath of fresh air."
Initially, 2023 was given as the release year for this mysterious record whose title we don't even know yet. So 2024 remains exciting. On to a new era of As I Lay Dying!
Live At The Impericon Festivals 2024
And as if that wasn't enough: As I Lay Dying will be headlining our Impericon Festivals 2024! This performance is not only a chance to possibly experience the new material live but also to see the band in their new formation. Imagine the energy when both new and old songs come to life on stage!
Many more top bands from the Core scene can be found in the lineup as well. While She Sleeps, August Burns Red, and Polaris are just a few of them. Like every year, we look forward to this gathering of the community to kick off festival season!
