What to Do When You Are Dead

From the melodic, punk-charged opening anthem, "Car Underwater" to the somber, moody finale, "The End of a Fraud," Armor for Sleep's second album ups the punk/emo ante with fabulously crafted songs and a desire to challenge the norms of a movement that has grown increasingly stale. With the aforementioned parting shot, brainchild Ben Jorgensen goes dark, flirting with his inner Aaron Lewis. That's hardly to say that AFS is headed into Staind territory, as the Thursday-like "Remember to Feel Real" attests, but the group's willingness to work with producer Machine, a veteran of projects with Clutch, White Zombie and Lamb of God was a risk that paid off. From the no nonsense blast of "The Truth About Heaven" to the urgent appeal of "Awkward Last Words" it's apparent that this destined-to-be-huge New Jersey quartet (which also counts guitarist P.J. DeCicco bassist Anthony DilOnno and kitman Nash Breen) is the sum of its parts.