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The Dead Lay Waiting

Ascent Of The Murder

Written by: PP on 13/08/2013 21:54:11

Through adversity and critical ridicule, metalcore crew The Dead Lay Waiting have been fighting an uphill battle for most of their existence, so you have to give them some credit for persistence. What you also have to give them credit for is their continued improvement in the songwriting department, with latest EP "Ascent Of The Murder" potentially being their best release so far, at least in the ears of this scribe.

It has only four tracks, but the band has been smart to keep it short because these four tracks are solid metalcore tracks that recall older As I Lay Dying songs with their melodic, crooned choruses, while also referencing modern post-hardcore elsewhere. What was previously cliché and generic is now catchy and surprisingly enjoyable, even considering the immense saturation these two genres have gone through in the last couple of years. "Cyrus", for instance, opens with nothingsaying one chord riffing, BMTH-style nonsensical shrieking and dramatic theatricals on the background, making it the least interesting track on the record. But then you have a more ambitious track like "Blind Preacher", which starts off with ambient piano, faded drums, and aggressive metalcore riffs to prove that, yes, there is more to The Dead Lay Waiting than uninspired breakdowns and emo cleans as choruses.

True, The Dead Lay Waiting might still not be an original bunch, but "Ascent Of The Murder" EP is still a massive improvement on anything I've previously witnessed. Fans of older metalcore may find this enjoyable.

Download: The Dream Is Over
For the fans of: As I Lay Dying, Bring Me The Horizon, Miss May I
Listen: Facebook

Release date 13.05.2013
Self-Released