Awakened - As I Lay Dying
Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
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  1. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Sep 27, 2012
    85
    Awakened makes for a reasonable continuation in the band's sound, but finds the group making a significant stride in their ability to mix their talents together while keeping the songwriting at dizzying heights.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.8 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Scamp4553
    10
    If you want an album that is technically spine-chilling, musically epic, and lyrically remarkable, look no further than the latest from As I Lay Dying, which could be their career-defining album. With tracks such as "Cauterize", "Wasted Words", "No Lungs To Breathe", and my favorite, "Tear Out My Eyes", this album is filled with machine-gun guitar riffs and amazing solos that are at the top of the metal mountain. This is one of the best albums of 2012, and I recommend you at least listen to it.… Full Review »
  2. forestville
    9
    A paper entitled "Awakened" which was released on 25 September. It has everything, melody, technique, speed, aggressiveness.
    This is the sixt    h work of San Diego, California. In addition to having a lot of disk speed, sharp voices are falling on your neck as dropper, making move your head without stopping for a while.
    The album has 11 songs, and all of them have not seen one iota of slack; technique imposed by its members goes beyond simple Metalcore, Tim Lambesis is perfect in his role as frontman (and guest clean vocals to Josh Gilbert gives great support and did not do anything wrong), very restrained in his line, without leaving the slightest or clash, Phil's guitars and Nick Hipa Sgrosso show a morbid succession of two bands chameleon riffs on topics as "Wasted Words" or "Cauterize", where the speed of the riffs is fully insured. But speed is not crazy, uncontrolled, is a rate that is interspersed with many melodies and tempo changes relevant about their ups and downs, these issues are like two whirlwinds of whiplash.
    "Greater Foundation" has a touch of sharp escalation with Jordan Mancino batteries giving everything, and the magnificent lights of their vocalists surrendering the most in the more melodic with a tone very sidereal caught my attention enough. "Whispering silence" is rather average, but then leads to a shaky swirling guitars.

    The surprise comes with "Overcome" a smoother cut with surprising entry sharper guitar melody creating a more flattering to the ear of the listener, then the sound and flawless technique make use, for we dive with cane and cane a guttural round. "No lungs to breathe" is a theme that runs along a circular guitar melodies and rhythm in which his drummer, stuns us with his way of pounding the box, setting tempos nicely riffs melodies overflowing progressive but with an air stubborn not usually seen very often around here.

    Josh Gilbert's bass is in charge of taking over, and takes action to support the battery in the "Defender", posing a special way by projecting the melodies so catchy that have been removed from the sleeve, this has normalitos few more choruses, another piece that can certainly give much play to their live. The dotted "Washed Away" serves to calm things down, despite not being an instrumental cut low intensity and draw a very pretty melody, sound final fattening before the arrival of "My Only Home", a special song overflowing power and nostalgia, where we see except some compositional range, the important work of both vocalists who come together to perfection in an explosive mezla protruding throughout the album, the chorus of this song is the ultimate and solos.

    The start of the final cut chanted, "Tear out my eyes" is marked by sharp pieces of battery falling in between, mixing soft guttural voices currados including some solos, and a few breaks addictive, with the impressive contribution Groove Metal sound that I have not spoken, but that rises to glory and is within what is undoubtedly this great album "Awakened".

    This work has enormous merit, highlight today is not easy and "Awakened" succeeds conclusively from the first minute to the last. Recommended.    … Full Review »
  3. Happymonk
    9
    Awakened presents the most musically different album from As I Lay Dying since 'An Ocean Between Us', but this is definitely not a bad thing at all. The album has the greatest mixture of tracks yet on one of AILD's albums, from (quite possibly most awesome song ever made) 'A Greater Foundation's' extremely powerful verse-chorus structuring to 'Defender's' fantastic use of clean verse to heavier chorus sections. The vocals this time are very personal, and you can really feel that in every word that is screamed down your ears, this is perhaps the most impressive vocal performances ever heard in an AILD release to date. Musically it is more diverse: you can actually hear the bass in some songs, but do not fear, there are definitely still traditional AILD tracks on this album, but perhaps made more powerful. The album contains several rip-roaring guitar solos also, really adding to the awesome feel of the release. Do be warned though, there are more clean vocals on display here, so do go into the album with perhaps an open mind. While not perhaps quite as good (slightly) as 'An Ocean Between Us' or 'The Powerless Rise', with three genre defining albums under their belts in a row, As I Lay Dying have once again proved themselves as the greatest Metalcore band around. 92/100.… Full Review »
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