Reviewed by Tom Young

San Diego's As I Lay Dying are one of the biggest bands in the Christian metalcore genre, and thus, have a lot of pressure to release an outstanding album, and, I am pleased to say, they have done just that. They have stuck to what they do best: fast, shredding guitars riffs and solos, double bass pedalled drums, the brutal scream of Tim Lambesis, and every now and then a clean chorus to keep things fresh. Although I didn't find this album quite up to the standard of AILD's previous effort, 'An Ocean Between Us', (which was a fantastic album that propelled AILD into the spotlight), it is clear to see that the band have matured musically since their early days, and are definitely set in place as a big-time metalcore act. I suspect this set will produce some big hits with the songs "Anodyne Sea" and "Parallels". With 'The Powerless Rise' AILD have turned in a good album which will keep their legion of fans happy.