Those in the metal scene know about As I Lay Dying's official hiatus since Lambesis' imprisonment. It seems to be old news at this point, but the band's certainty has been questioned by everyone, including the band members themselves. However, the active members are going to continue to remain active. They recently announced a new project with lead vocalist Shane Blay of a band called Oh, Sleeper.
It's called Wovenwar.
They've got a Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and an official website up already. I'm personally glad the guys are taking this chance to do more things musically instead of linger on their lead vocalist's crime and letting themselves get caught up in the drama. Thank the heavens they're being productive.
So how about the band? Do you think this is a good thing for Josh, Nick, and the rest of the guys to do while their main band is on hiatus? What about the future of AILD as a whole? In regards to what the future will hold, here's a rather lengthy stint posted on the band's website:
(Can't post links yet, so do click the spoiler below for what was said on their website.)
Spoiler:
"There have been a lot of questions from fans over the past year and we'll hopefully be able to provide more answers over time. However, this update is only to address things related to AILD's future.
Originally, we said we'd update fans as soon as we knew more. We apologize for not sticking to that. It seemed best to wait until definitive news came in with a specific timeline. However, in light of speculation on other sites, an official update from As I Lay Dying seems to be the best way to clarify some things.
A good starting point is to clarify some things that have often been falsely reported. Tim was not a Christian at the time of his arrest, nor was As I Lay Dying a Christian band in 2013. It hadn't been for some time and, to the best of my knowledge, only one of the people playing in the band even claimed to be a Christian at that time. The changed view had been written about it in a handful of As I Lay Dying songs and Tim's later atheistic view had even been documented in court records. However, it doesn't make as sensational of a headline to refer to the arrest of the "Ex-Christian Metal Sub-Genre Independent Artist" as it does the "Grammy Nominated Top 10 Selling Christian Rockstar" of the past.
With all that said, we don't know how each musician from the previous era of As I Lay Dying will think about these topics in the future. For example, Tim has spent much of the last year reevaluating what originally convinced him to abandon belief in God. I have gathered that after much brokenness and repentance he sees things differently, considers himself a follower of Jesus, someone submitted to the will of God, or whatever you want to call it. That's for him to talk about when he's comfortable and only time will tell if he is sincere. What is certain though is that it's impossible to face the events of last year without being changed in some way. Let's let the guys focus on future music and hopefully the headline driven press will leave this issue alone for a while given some clarification.
Uncertainty ahead... As I Lay Dying was originally founded/owned by Tim and then eventually the ownership was shared with Jordan about six years later. As the only official members, neither would like to move forward at the moment regardless off the upcoming sentencing time (which is still yet to be determined / not 9 years). There has been enough communication to establish some differences in opinion about what to do in the distant future. That keeps AILD's future in limbo. The hibernating version of the band is just the official band owners, which means As I Lay Dying is Tim & Jordan. This is based on the uncertainty of the future, including who will be performing with the band when/if that time comes. There have been nearly 20 guys who filled the vacant bass or guitar positions in As I Lay Dying history. The current setup is definitely not a closed door on some of the ex-members talking in the future, but it just makes sense for now that AILD is only Tim and Jordan.
Two opinions... Tim has acknowledged his guilt and clearly made some bad decisions in a period of time where he acted contrary to the person he's been most of his life. He believes AILD should only pick back up if it's in a form restored to its roots. For Tim, the potential of pursuing AILD again means working on a lot of other more important things in his personal life first.
On the other hand, Jordan feels differently about the future. Even if more discussions were to take place, he would rather take time to pursue other things. That includes releasing new music with three of the guys from the most recent As I Lay Dying lineup. It's a chance for Jordan to be more involved in the songwriting process and enjoy other styles he'd rather play. In fact, they've already recorded their debut album and I'm sure it'll be awesome. It's not meant to replace As I Lay Dying because it is something stylistically different under a different name. Interestingly enough, their vocalist is also a former Christian like his new bandmates and was/is the guitar player for Oh Sleeper (Shane Blay). They'll have stuff to release through Metal Blade relatively soon, which will be an exciting/interesting combination given the band's more radio friendly sound.
In terms of music, Tim doesn't want to pursue performing live music full time regardless of what length his sentence ends up being. His sentence certainly won't be forever, but even so, touring full time doesn't seem healthy or practical given his new outlook and goals. Creating new music is the part Tim loves most and he will always continue to release albums. That includes a bunch of stuff he has recorded in the past six months that he will announce a project name for soon as well. As an occasional ear behind the scenes, it is good hear him playing guitar again and writing lots of riffs again like he did across the first five As I Lay Dying releases.
Hopefully that addresses the major questions related to As I Lay Dying. AILD is sleeping rather than dead, and there are two separate projects to hold you over whether or not it is awakened again."
BearOnUnicycle Heart of Metal
Number of posts : 1064 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Sun Apr 20, 2014 4:50 am
This snippet sounds nice. Best thing about AILD for me was instrumental parts plus cleans by their bassist, so the project might be intersteing.
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:26 am
Yeah, I was real glad when Josh took over doing cleans from Shadows Are Security onward. I really despised the cleans on Frail Words Collapse. Sounded way too weak for a band so well-liked in the metal scene.
Lurideath Metal is in my blood
Number of posts : 3908 Age : 52
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Sun Apr 20, 2014 1:05 pm
Good they are continuing on their own to keep themselves active but both bands suck!
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:23 am
Well, according to my clock, it's 12:23 AM. They should be releasing their new song "All Rise" today, the day of April 21, 2014. That is...not this early. Very soon, though. :3
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:52 am
And here it is!
BearOnUnicycle Heart of Metal
Number of posts : 1064 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:28 pm
Sounds like I'm getting this for sure.
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Mon Apr 21, 2014 5:53 pm
Reading all the comments.
/minirantcoming
I love how people are already comparing this to As I Lay Dying, condemning the band as "mainstream, radio-friendly drivel," "is nothing like AILD;" and probably my most favorite refrain thus far, "Where's the dirty vocals?" I'm just sitting here thinking to myself..."all of you need to stop sucking As I Lay Dying's f*cking dick." They certainly have a sound that's within the general scope of what AILD sounds like, especially when they do mellow stuff (come on, that's obvious; this has four of AILD's members playing instruments). Wasn't that to be expected? I mean, we've got four guys in As I Lay Dying and Shane Blay of Christian rock/metal band Oh, Sleeper. What did you expect? For it to sound like Mortification? Soul Embraced?
If they could see the project for what it is, a separate entity that has nothing to do with As I Lay Dying with a different sound, then maybe they would realize that they don't need harsh vocals or technically intricate solos or triggered blast beats to impress. That's not what they're trying to accomplish here. I wish people would understand that.
Indeed, BOU. I'm so getting it, too. The band already has summer tour dates announced for Europe. Their new album is also going to drop this summer. I'm definitely getting it. Hope the rest of the album is as good as this.
MetalGuy71 Bukkake Tsunami
Number of posts : 25557 Age : 53
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:09 am
I can honestly say I've never heard any As I Lay Dying songs (that I know of anyway) and only know of the band because of their douche nozzle lead singer and his antics.
That being said, I thought that new Wovenwar song was pretty decent. I'd want to hear more tracks before I commit to anything, but I liked what I heard.
_________________ I used to be with it, but then they changed what "it" was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me, and it'll happen to you, too.
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Wed May 07, 2014 9:36 pm
http://wovenwar.com/music
Whether this is a preview of a new song or is the revealed title of their summer debut, I'm not sure. But if it is a song title and it us a preview, this is certainly a long preview. If I'm right, most, if not all, the songs on Wovenwar's debut are going to be between 3 to 5 minutes long and they've previewed most of this new song already.
Either way, I don't know how much more I like this song over "All Rise."
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Tue May 13, 2014 10:27 pm
First posted studio update on their YouTube yesterday. Sounds like they're mastering "All Rise." It sounds clearer. So far, things are coming along slowly but surely.
BearOnUnicycle Heart of Metal
Number of posts : 1064 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Wed May 14, 2014 5:04 am
This thing will surely be my number one summer workout soundtrack.
metalhead777 Metal master
Number of posts : 842 Age : 34
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Wed May 14, 2014 2:30 pm
I like it, haven't been a fan of AILD for years, but its nice to see their members still know how to rock out.
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Sat May 31, 2014 7:47 pm
New studio update:
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Sat Jun 14, 2014 1:04 pm
Two more updates:
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Sat Jun 21, 2014 12:05 am
Saw this on MB's Facebook:
Quote :
WOVENWAR have announced August 5th as the release date for their self-titled debut album in North America! Fans can stream a new song, "The Mason," as well as pre-order the album now at metalblade.com/wovenwar. Pre-order bundles include options to order a t-shirt, girls' tee, or a tank top with a CD. Digital pre-orders are available, along with a limited quantity of vinyl imported from Europe!
http://metalblade.com/wovenwar/
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Mon Jul 28, 2014 9:57 pm
There's lots of updates for this band, and the album's release date is very close. I don't know how many have been brought to the forefront or which ones have been the most talked about, but here's another update that's been brought to the table. This one's the most recent.
Quite personally, I find this one really stupid... If the album is on the cusp of coming out in only a couple weeks, why in the hell would you preview a fully finished track THIS close to the release date? People are already super hype about this album only because of the Lambesis controversy indirectly fueling this band's popularity.
Yeah... I might pick it up and do a review of the album at some point if I feel like it.
glassprison Metal is in my blood
Number of posts : 2960 Age : 36
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Mon Jul 28, 2014 10:05 pm
Agreed; I'll just wait to hear the full album. I expect this will be a decent album but nothing in this style ever completely blows me away.
Has there been any word on a subsequent tour? That would be a more exciting announcement.
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Mon Jul 28, 2014 10:18 pm
There hasn't been any significant tour announcements lately, but they have U.S. tour dates finally on their website. Personally, I found it a little ridiculous that they would tour Europe first instead of the U.S. Makes no sense to me, but what have I got to say? I'm not their manager. I just listen to their music and I have a big-ass mouth.
glassprison Metal is in my blood
Number of posts : 2960 Age : 36
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Tue Aug 05, 2014 12:10 pm
Bumping this thread, now that the album is out. I'm about a quarter of the way through, and it sounds great to my ears. Although the volume levels seem to be incredibly high, even for today's standards; but that could just be my mp3 player.
Icy Grave Metal student
Number of posts : 229 Age : 32
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:27 pm
I won't be able to get it until my next check comes in, so when that happens, I'll order it then. I may review it and post my initial reactions when I'm done.
bgsully Heart of Metal
Number of posts : 1692 Age : 48
Subject: Re: Wovenwar Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:08 am
I finally had a chance to pick this album up a while back. Great stuff. I always liked As I Lay Dying, so it was an easy transition for me.