I Used to LOVE As I Lay Dying… | “Polarized” Reaction

As I Lay Dying are back with “Polarized,” so I figured, ah, what the hell, I'll give it a listen. I was a HUGE fan of Frail Words Collapse when it came out. That album felt raw, angry, and fresh at the time, and the singles “94 Hours” and “Forever” were easily two of my favorites. I liked Shadows Are Security too, but Frail Words Collapse was always the one that really hit for me. As for “Polarized”… it’s good. The playing is tight, the production is slick, the screams sound great, and there’s some really nice guitar work throughout — including a pretty good solo. But with where my taste in heavy music has gone over the years, the super-polished modern metalcore sound just doesn’t hit me the way it used to. There’s also obviously some baggage surrounding the band that has changed how I feel about listening to them, which I touch on in the reaction. Still, I’ve got respect for what As I Lay Dying contributed to metalcore. They were one of the bands that helped define that sound, and those early records were a big part of why I loved this style of music in the first place. What do you guys think of “Polarized”? Are you into the newer AILD sound, or do you miss the old stuff too? #AsILayDying #Polarized #Metalcore #MetalReaction #Reaction