Frail Words Collapse

On January 20, 2003, As I Lay Dying announced via the band's website (then hosted by the independent record label Pluto Records to which they were signed) that recording for their upcoming LP would begin on February 9. Due to studio scheduling conflicts, the start of recording was delayed until February 21. After consistent touring, on March 4, 2003, As I Lay Dying announced they'd signed with Metal Blade Records, and that they were recording their new full-length album set for a June release, titled "Frail Words Collapse." The band shared on March 15 that they had finished recording, and that the mastering process had begun. In May, the band toured with The Death Campaign in promotion of the album. Following the record's release the band would tour heavily over the remainder of 2003 and throughout 2004 in support of the album, touring North America with Haste in late 2003, with Every Time I Die, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Scarlet in spring 2004, as well as In Flames and Killswitch Engage in spring 2004, with Himsa, Shadows Fall, and Remembering Never in Summer 2004, and Europe in late 2004 with Lamb of God and Throwdown. An "unofficial" music video for the track "Forever" was released on March 11, 2004, via MentalSuplex Productions. MentalSuplex Productions was also involved in the filming of the official "Forever" music video, filmed on April 15 at Soma in San Diego. A music video for the track "94 Hours" was released in 2005. Again directed by Derek Dale, the video was produced by Ray Blanco, both of Generator Productions. He additionally called "Behind Me Lies Another Fallen Soldier" one of his favorite As I Lay Dying songs. The album's artwork and layout were provided by Jacob Bannon, who would go on to provide artwork for the band's next three full-length releases. The album has sold 250,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album's title is derived from a lyric in the song "Falling Upon Deaf Ears." On January 26, 2018, the album was re-issued on limited-edition vinyl by Metal Blade Records, alongside Shadows Are Security. ==Critical reception and legacy==

Commercially, the album was As I Lay Dying's first to chart, peaking at No. 30 on Billboards Independent Albums chart and No. 41 on the Top Heatseekers chart. As of April 2005, the album has sold over 118,000 copies in the United States, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. The album was favorably-received by critics: receiving praise for the incorporation of the Swedish-influenced gothenburg sound, elements from different genres like emo clean-voice choruses, and passages of Converge-influenced technicality. Exclaim! reviewer Greg Pratt reviewed the album as "Highly favorable," praising Lambesis' vocal range, and referring to the album as "excellent for a genre overpopulated with total rubbish." HM Magazine praised the band's new release, stating "Few bands bringing the nu-hardcore sound into their music have done it this well. As I Lay Dying have delivered when it mattered most," adding that the band's evolving sound could be compared to Deftones in addition to Converge. In 2020, Loudwire listed "Frail Words Collapse" at number 10 on its list of the 25 best metalcore albums of all-time, stating "As I Lay Dying’s 'Frail Words Collapse' is a landmark album for metalcore and heavy music. Combining riffs a la At the Gates with sung elements from the likes of Poison the Well into a potent mixture, the band laid the groundwork for future inspiration to other groups." ==Track listing==

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes. As I Lay Dying • Tim Lambesis – vocals, keyboards, production • Evan White – guitars, bass, production • Jasun Krebs – guitars • Jordan Mancino – drums • Aaron Kennedy – bass (credited, but does not perform) Additional musicians • Dylan Plymale – guitars • Tommy Garcia – backing vocals on "94 Hours" • Johnny Upton – clean vocals on "Forever" • Jarrod Taylor – clean vocals on "Distance Is Darkness" Additional personnel • Steve Russell – engineering, mixing • Dan de la Isla – assistant engineering, mixing • Brad Vance – mastering • Brandon O'Connell – pre-production • Jacob Bannon – artwork == Charts ==