Band : The Dead Lay Waiting
Album title : We Rise
Label : Rising Records
Distributor : V2 Benelux
Release date : 26/10/2009
Release : CD

Formed in 2007, this Swindon 5UK) based quintet comprised of singer Luke Apocalypse, guitarist/ backing singer James MacKellar-Still, guitarist Justin Wilkinson, bassist Azz Inferno, and drummer Tom Shimpton is a self-confessed “Modern Death Metal” act, which released its self-titled 5-track demo in May 2008, and almost immediately generated interest from press and the music industry alike!

You see, they have an uncanny feel for catchy songwriting and an ability to bring that, which belies the musicians’ age. I mean, they really still look like (late) teenagers on the photographs that are available of ‘em! British quality Metal label Rising Records were quick on the take, and offered the band a deeal which they signed in August 2008! I’m sure they were partially responsible for getting the band onto the stages at Bloodstock in mid August 2008, as I’m sure they also helped TDLW to share stages with the likes of (and hold onto your hat mam, because this is quite a list…in alphabetical order) Abel Is Dying, Abigail Williams, Annotations Of An Autopsy, Aortic Dissection, As I Lay Dying, At The Gates, Azriel, Bury Tomorrow, Cephalic Carnage, Despiced Icon, Dimmu Borgir, Eternal Lord, Evile Thick As Blood, Helloween, Iced Earth, Kataklysm, Many Things Untold, Napalm Death, Nightwish, Opeth, Postmortem Promises, Salt The Wound, See You Next Tuesday, Soilwork, Soulfly, Sylosis, The Argent Dawn, The Boy Will Drown, The Bridal Possession, The Julliet Massacre, This Is Colour, Trigger The Bloodshed, Your Demise, and the promotional touring for the album (which started on October 23 with a 10-gig stint around the UK) should see the band on stages alongside the likes of Evita, Seven Year Kismet, Runs Of Earth, Shadow Law, The Eyes Of A Traitor, Thick As Blood, Viatrophy, and With Chaos In Her Wake.

The album (which was originally to be issued in June/ July, which the label probably deemed to short around the corner with the Summer festivals in mind – they usually have a rather busy job schedule during those days, too busy to be able to give a new release the attention it needs…or in this case, warrants, deserves) was recorded in February 2009, which gave the boys enough time to fine-tune their material (hey, only “The Last Stand” remains from their demo, you now, the rest of the 12 tracks is brand-new!). Expect Melodic Death Metal with a Hardcore flavouring, coming mainly from the mixing of the vocals. While the lead singer mostly sings in a somewhat Blackened Death scream-whisper (with an additional barf quality to it), the backings come in the form of Grunts, quite a bit of “gang” vocals (featured on no less than 7 of the 12 songs), and the occasional (emotional) clean and rawer Hardcore singing. As a result, a lot of the reviewers (check the blogs at the band’s MySpace page) have been using the term “DeathCore” a lot. Personally, I like to look upon that sub-genre as being somewhat heavier in the vocals (a mix of the rawer Hardcore stylings and Grunts please, Mam…and not the more “Emo” geared “gang” stuff, will you?), and will therefore respect the band’s own definition of their music (heheh, I would’ve done that, anyway!). While the two songs posted at myspace.com/thedeadlaywaiting both have the “gang” backings to some extend and give the occasional listener a somewhat one-sided view of the band, the band brings actually brings us a very nicely diversified album (and thank God they don’t do too many clean, Emo-laden backing vocals) well worth spending money on!

Soaring melodies in a heavy setting which remains catchy and somewhat “danceable” (pogo pit anyone?), and allows for some singalong choruses…I mean, this is quite exactly what the more heavy-minded youngsters of today are going for, isn’t it?

89/100

Tony.