A Long March: The First Recordings in Bloomington, MN

Strange, but what isn't in the world of indie
metal
?
As I Lay Dying
releases,
A Long March: The First Recordings
via
Metal Blade
, which includes their debut album,
Beneath the Encasing of Ashes
, and their follow-up EP
(recorded as a split with
American Tragedy
), only to precede that material with re-recorded versions of the EP material. Certainly the band had progressed considerably during that time, but by putting the best stuff first, it leaves plenty of room for an aesthetic let-down -- which certainly happens -- but what's done is done.
and its follow-up were recorded for the tiny
Pluto Records
label in California.. The lineup at that time was vocalist/guitarist
Tim Lambesis
, drummer
Jordan Mancino
, and then-guitarist
Evan White
. Given the tiny budget the original recordings were made on,
sounds surprisingly clean, although the drum sounds are a bit muddy and sheeny in the cymbal end. But the guitars come off suitably crunchy. The brevity of the tunes on the debut is itself refreshing, with nearly everything falling below three minutes and offering a sledgehammer quotient to the entire album. Highlights are
"Forced to Die,"
"Breath in the Eyes,"
and
"Refined by Your Embrace."
By the time they issued EP the songs had already begun stretching to over four minutes, though the material itself is solid:
"The Beginning"
and the closer
"Forever"
being highlights. Yet again, the newer versions are indeed superior. For fans who came to the band after these fine slabs went out of print, this is your chance. ~ Thom Jurek