Beneath the Encasing of Ashes

Beneath the Encasing of Ashes is the crushing debut from As I Lay Dying, the most brutal Christian band in the hardcore metal scene. Powerhouse vocalist Tim Lambesis has an amazing, savage voice that is the driving force behind their blend of heavy metal, hardcore, and grindcore. The tracks benefit from being short and concise, drawing most of their power from the sheer assault of each song. The title track may be the best, beginning with a moody intro that blasts into an incredibly angry and raging combination of razor sharp riffs and Lambesis' acid throated vocals. The album continues in this vein until the very end, when they whip out "Behind Me Lies Another Fallen Soldier." It is this song that point to the direction they could potentially go in, sounding similar to At the Drive In's more intimate songs with its sung vocals and clean sounding guitar. As I Lay Dying is a band that has the potential to grow far past their Christian fan base; any fan of good hardcore metal should give this a chance.