By: Jesse Striewski
I can already hear the comments from the ignorant know-it-all’s regarding As I Lay Dying front man Tim Lambesis’ recent bout in prison. All I’ll say about the situation is this; the man has done his time, now move on the way the band themselves have.
My initial introduction to this band came at the 2006 Sounds of the Underground Festival, in which they headlined. I was instantly blown away, and since then, they’ve remained at the top of the metalcore scene in my book. Here on their seventh full length album (and first since 2012), the band is once again at the top of their game. Shaped By Fire starts off instantly strong with the likes of “Burn to Emerge,” “Blinded,” and the title track, and things only get better from there.
There is a filler track or two (“Gatekeeper” comes to mind), but tracks like “The Wreckage” and “My Own Grave” echo back to their 2007 masterpiece An Ocean Between Us. I don’t throw away terms like “comeback album” easily, but if ever there were a firm contender for one, Shaped By Fire sure makes a damn good case.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
