Decas (CD) (Digi-Pak)

Celebrating ten years of crushing metalcore, As I Lay Dying's Decas is a fan-service grab bag of new tracks, remixes, and covers that seeks to show fans not only where the band is going, but where it came from. Covering songs from Slayer, Judas Priest, and, somewhat improbably, the Descendents, the band gives fans a glimpse at some of its influences. While it may seem like a strange bunch, with two metal icons and a punk band, it feels like the connection really comes from the bands' shared relentlessness, with all three groups representing the kinds of musical wind sprints that have pushed As I Lay Dying to the levels of intensity they've made a part of their repertoire. Surprisingly, the most interesting part of the compilation comes not from the new songs, which are certainly solid, but from the remixes. "Wrath Upon Ourselves [Benjamin Weinman Remix]" finds the band's already crunchy sound being pushed to sonic extremes, with the song chopped up to create an abrasive, hyperkinetic reinterpretation that makes the song an even more cathartic and visceral experience than the original. Given the band's emphasis on breakdowns, the dubstep remixes of "Elegy" and "The Blinding of False Light" also show As I Lay Dying's work translating easily from genre to genre, maintaining the same heaviness while changing the sound palette from detuned guitars to guttural bass wobbles. As an album that's based around the idea of looking back and reimagining things, Decas isn't a great place for new fans to pick up with As I Lay Dying, but for those who have been around the block a few times with these guys, it's an album that they won't want to miss out on. ~ Gregory Heaney, Rovi