It's hard to believe that a veteran metal band like San Diego's As I Lay Dying could be just hitting their stride now, some 10 years and five full-lengths into an already stellar career. Still, even after just one listen to the quintet's latest, 'The Powerless Rise', you can't ignore the obvious: One of modern metal's best just got better. Similar to their approach on 2007's Grammy-nominated 'An Ocean Between Us', the band chose to employ the production prowess of Adam D. The result is an album built upon the strength of its parts and the remarkable ways in which those parts become a cohesive whole. Produced by Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz.