As I Lay Dying

As I Lay Dying
As I Lay Dying performing at With Full Force 2007
Background information
Origin	San Diego, California, USA
Genre(s)	Christian metalcore[1] Thrash metal[2]
Years active	2001-present
Label(s)	Metal Blade Records Pluto Records
Website	www.asilaydying.com
Members
Tim Lambesis Jordan Mancino Phil Sgrosso Nick Hipa Josh Gilbert
Former members
Noah Chase Aaron Kennedy Evan White Jason Krebs Clint Norris

As I Lay Dying are a Christian^[1] metalcore band. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records.^[3] The band's name was taken from the novel of the same name by William Faulkner, but lead vocalist Tim Lambesis has stated that there is no correlation between the meaning of the book and the meaning of the band.^[4]. The band recently won the "Ultimate Metal God" award from MTV2 at the first annual "All That Rocks" special.^[5]

History

As I Lay Dying was formed in 2001 by vocalist Tim Lambesis after leaving the band Society's Finest where he was playing guitar.^[6] The San Diego band first took shape as a trio, with guitarist Evan White and drummer Jordan Mancino completing the lineup. They soon signed with Pluto Records and one month into the bands career, the group went into a recording studio to record their first album Beneath the Encasing of Ashes, released in June of 2001. In 2002, the band recorded five additional songs for a split CD, also on Pluto Records, with fellow San Diego heavy metal band American Tragedy.

After extensive touring and an increase in popularity, As I Lay Dying signed with Metal Blade Records^[7] in March of 2003. In July 2003, the band's second full-length album, Frail Words Collapse, produced by Tim Lambesis, was released. Extensive touring followed with the likes of Himsa, Shadows Fall, The Black Dahlia Murder, Killswitch Engage, In Flames, Hatebreed and other popular heavy metal bands. Their videos for the songs of "94 Hours" and "Forever" got heavy rotation on the networks of FUSE and MTV2's Headbanger's Ball. The band was also the No. 1 most-downloaded spot at the now-defunct MP3.com.

In the beginning of January 2005, As I Lay Dying entered Big Fish Studio in Encinitas, California (the same place they’d recorded Frail Words Collapse). In June of 2005, the band released their third full-length CD Shadows Are Security and they went on yet another massive tour to support the album, including a prominent slot at the annual Cornerstone Festival^[8] and the second stage of Ozzfest 2005 alongside Rob Zombie, Killswitch Engage, Mastodon, The Haunted, Arch Enemy, Trivium, The Black Dahlia Murder, Bury Your Dead, It Dies Today, and Soilwork.^[9] They said they were blessed to do this because they want to shed light on one of the darkest places and concerts.

In May of 2006 both Beneath the Encasing of Ashes and the songs from their first and so far only split album (with the heavy metal band American Tragedy as the second band on the split album) were re-released through Metal Blade Records on one CD. The album contains the original and re-recordings of the songs from the split album. The CD was released because the band preferred to re-release it rather than have fans pay large sums of money to hear their early records. The band notably raised its profile in 2006 to that of a band on the verge of commercial success through their support slot on the Taste of Chaos tour in the US alongside bands such as Deftones, Thrice, Dredg, Funeral for a Friend and Story of the Year.^[10]

In the summer of 2006 As I Lay Dying closed the Sounds of the Underground Festival. The tour included In Flames, Cannibal Corpse, Trivium, Gwar, Evergreen Terrace, Chimaira, Unearth, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Chariot, It Dies Today, Still Remains, and Terror as supporting acts.^[11]

Bassist Clint Norris left the band on good terms during the winter of 2006, with the desire to focus on his marriage.^[12]

In the beginning of 2007, As I Lay Dying started recording a new album titled An Ocean Between Us. The album was released on August 21, 2007. The entire new album was available for streaming via their myspace page on Aug. 17, 2007.^[13][14]

The band performed for Warped Tour 2007 during the month of August.^[15]

The band is touring through Europe in September with Darkest Hour, Himsa, and Maroon. The band will then tour the U.S. late Oct-Nov. with support from All That Remains, Haste the Day, and Through the Eyes of the Dead.^[6]

Band members

As I Lay Dying performing at the Hellfest Summer Open Air, 2006

Current members

• Tim Lambesis - Vocals (2001-present)
• Jordan Mancino - Drums (2001-present)
• Phil Sgrosso - Rhythm Guitar, Piano (2003-present)
• Nick Hipa - Lead Guitar (2004-present)
• Josh Gilbert - Bass, vocals (2007-present)

Former members

• Noah Chase - Bass (2001)^{[citation needed]}
• Brandon Hays- Bass (2002-2003)^{[citation needed]}
• Aaron Kennedy - Bass (2003)^{[citation needed]}
• Tommy Garcia- Lead Guitar (2002-2003)^{[citation needed]}
• Chris Lindstrom- Rhythm Guitar (2003-2004)^{[citation needed]}
• Evan White - Rhythm Guitar (2001-2002, 2003)^{[citation needed]}
• Jasun Krebs - Guitar (2003)^{[citation needed]}
• Clint Norris - Bass, Vocals (2003-2006)^{[citation needed]}

Discography

Albums

References

1. ^ ^{a b}
2. ^ Metal Injection
3. ^ http://www.metalblade.com/english/artists/asilaydying/bio.php
4. ^ http://www.metalunderground.com/interviews/details.cfm?newsid=12929
5. ^ http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=20524
6. ^ ^{a b} http://www.asilaydying.com/
7. ^ http://www.metalblade.com/english/artists/asilaydying/bio.php
8. ^ http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/BandBio.cfm?bID=985&page=bio&g=1
9. ^ http://www.ozzfest.com/static_content/view/alumni.html
10. ^ http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=16667
11. ^ http://www.chartattack.com/damn/2006/02/2106.cfm
12. ^ http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=27991
13. ^ http://www.myspace.com/asilaydying
14. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=78971
15. ^ Warped Tour 2007 band listing (2007-04-04). Retrieved on 2007-04-26.

External links

• As I Lay Dying at MySpace
• Metal Blade Records
• Pluto Records
• Nick Hippa Interview Sounds of the Underground 2006
• As I Lay Dying at Ar.chiv.es
• As I Lay Dying at All Music Guide
• Tim Lambesis interview

Donate to Wikimedia