As an overall genre, Metal could be likened to a complex organism that continually adapts to its changing environment, undergoing a constant evolutionary process to stay alive and vital in an ever-changing world. In this respect, trend cycles are necessary. So goes the saga of Metalcore, the once-innovative subgenre that materialized out of necessity at the turn of the century to save the American heavy music scene from the bloat and stagnation of the tired Nu-Metal movement, which had jumped the shark some time prior. Now, like clockwork, Metalcore is beginning to suffer the fate of its predecessor.

Amid all the boredom of repetitive breakdowns, uninspired and unconvincing Gothenburg Melodic Death ripoffs, cookie-cutter songwriting, and disposable sound-alike acts, it would be easy to take for granted the contributions of AS I LAY DYING, one of the seminal bands of the Metalcore movement and one of the few able to retain a distinct identity throughout their decade-long career. Standing as a beacon of quality in a sea of mediocrity, the band has delivered their most powerful release to date, the appropriately titled "The Powerless Rise".

As with all albums past, the passionate vocal performance of frontman Tim Lambesis dominates the aural experience and commands the listener's attention. His snarling growls can be chalked up to a lethal combination of Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES) and Bruce Fitzhugh (LIVING SACRIFICE), and have never unleashed more energy or flowed in more graceful patterns. As for the occasional clean choruses, singing bassist Josh Gilbert picks up right where he left off on 2007's "An Ocean Between Us" and polishes his melodic pipes to a hook-laden sheen. The music itself continues in the direction of the aforementioned previous album, increasingly abandoning the pugnacious breakdowns of Metalcore in favor of straightforward Thrash riffs ("Beyond Our Suffering"), infectious grooves ("Anger And Apathy"), and truly memorable melodic hooks ("Parallels"). In another nice evolution, lead guitarist Nick Hipa fires off a bevy of solos with Annie Oakley-esque precision, further emerging from his shell as a venerable contemporary shredder. The Gothenburg influences are retained to a much lesser extent this time out as the band gently inch further away from the now-tired formula they helped establish with their 2003 Metal Blade debut "Frail Words Collapse".

Indeed, with the Metalcore movement losing creative steam and possibly entering its death throes, the arrival of "The Powerless Rise" could not have been timelier in severing the band's last remaining ties to the scene. This is the album that will definitively establish AS I LAY DYING as a legitimate Metal band. Hardly a radical attention-grabbing departure, it's simply a noteworthy chapter in an ongoing period of maturation, and thus feels completely genuine. In conclusion, Lambesis & Co. may not be the most original band in the world, but have nevertheless set themselves apart in a big way with this release. Having nearly shed their Metalcore beginnings, AS I LAY DYING are now poised to join the ranks of Modern Metal's standard bearers.