Search - As I Lay Dying: This is Who We Are on DVD

This has it all

KevinDeets | the midwest | 04/18/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Disc one = a documentary on the band from the very beginning to the present. It is very detailed. However, in my opinion it spends too much time talking about all of the different lineups they had up until Shadows are Security came out. That gets a little redundant. Tim says that the band started when he approched Jordan and said he wanted to start a full-time band with "this philosophy," and Jordan agreed. They don't say what that is, though. That was disappointing. I would've been really interested in that. The best part of the documentary for me is when they talk about all of the different tours they've been on. It's really cool to see not only how their tours have gotten bigger and bigger, but also the number of different kinds of heavy bands they've toured with. It was also cool for me to remember those different tours, as I attended several of them.

Disc two = the live show. It is totally unique in that, even though all of the stuff on this disc was recorded in 2008 after the band was already established, it is shown like you are seeing the band from the early dayes to the present. The first few songs are recorded at a church during a show where they played FRAIL WORDS COLLAPSE in its entirety. The next few songs are from a small bar show in their hometown where they did SHADOWS ARE SECURITY in its entirety. The next several songs are from a show in Aneheim in front of a few thousand people, and then this disc concludes with songs performed at big outdoor festivals in front of tens of thousands of people. They really put the live disc together well. It is awesome. As I Lay Dying is really a great live band. They have so much energy, and their live show never lets up from start to finish.

disc three = the music videos and bonus features. To me, the bonus features are the absolute highlight of this 3-disc set. They talk about the meanings of a bunch of their songs, which in my opinion is what makes them such an awesome metal band. Their lyrics are amazing. They're so much more than another heavy band w/ screaming, riffs, and breakdowns. There is also a section where they make fun of their stage moves. They have a section talking about their fans. There is also a really interesting section where they talk about being a Christian metal band and what's that like, both for them and the non-Christian bands that they tour with.

Check out this DVD. It's got everything... a long documentary, an amazing live disc, great bonus features, and all of their music videos. As I Lay Dying is on tour right now w/ Lamb of God, Children of Bodom, Municipal Waste, and God Forbid. Check out that tour if you can. I'm not a huge Bodom fan, but the rest of the lineup is killer."

Buy it for the live footage

Ramptor | New Jersey USA | 04/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As I Lay Dying is a bright spot in the often tedious world of metalcore. This 3 disc DVD set contains a documentary about the band's history on disc 1, live sets on disc 2, and music videos on disc 3. The documentary is enjoyable, but may only be so for hardcore AILD fans. You may have seen the music videos on Fuse, and they're all here. The best disc is disc 2, which contains live footage from several shows starting at small venues and working up to larger ones. The sound quality is fantastic and the energy is amazing. Buy this DVD and go see them live."

The first 2 disks alone are worth the price!

Gambit!!! | 04/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The only thing I would say would improve upon the excellence of this release is if it were released in Blu Ray. Other than that, this is probably the best band-based Documentary ever released simply due to the sheer amount and enjoyability of the content. The first disk is approx. 2 hours of documentary-style, behind the scenes footage, the second disk is 16 live performances, all of which are simply amazing and breath-taking (they ARE AILD). The third disk is a handful of music videos (I believe all of the videos they have relesed thus far) and other bonus features out of which you'll get a kick. For the price, or even if it were more expensive, you get your worth in spades! This is doubtlessly an absolute must-buy for all AILD fans. If only other band's DVD's were done this well!"