Shadows Are Security

In early January 2005, As I Lay Dying entered the studio to record a follow-up to their 2003 full-length Frail Words Collapse. Tracking would take place at Big Fish Studio in Encinitas, California, where the group recorded their last album. Mixing would occur in England with Andy Sneap. performing on the "Hot Topic Second Stage" at Ozzfest 2005, heading to Europe as part of the "Hell On Earth European tour" alongside Evergreen Terrace, Heaven Shall Burn, Agents Of Man, Neaera, and End Of Days, and joining Slipknot and Unearth for "The Final Volume" tour. On June 24, 2005, the band played a CD Release Show in San Diego at Soma with Eighteen Visions, No Innocent Victim, and others. Speaking on the recording process for the upcoming record in an interview to MTV.com, Lambesis said the band was less-rushed than when recording Frail Words Collapse. Lambesis has referred to the record as a concept album. Speaking on the meaning behind the album's title, Lambesis explained: On April 30, 2005, the album's opening track "Meaning in Tragedy" was released exclusively via the Ozzfest.com website. Several music videos were released for the album: including a video for the song "Confined" in June 2005, a video for the song "Through Struggle" in September 2005, The video for "Confined" made its MTV2 Headbangers Ball world-premiere on June 4, 2005. The video was shot at an abandoned Air Force base in Tustin, California. Over 14 hours of footage was shot in the rain for the video. In 2019, the band would release a live music video for "Confined," shot as part of their 2018 European headlining tour. As with prior release Frail Words Collapse, the album's artwork and design were provided by Jacob Bannon. In promotion of the album, vocalist Tim Lambesis was interviewed at MTV Studios for Headbanger's Ball on June 16, 2006. A "handful" of the band's fans were invited to attend the interview at MTV's studios in New York City. would depart following the album's release, in November 2006. On January 26, 2018, the album was re-released on limited-edition vinyl. Lambesis revealed in a 2022 interview on Chris Garza's podcast that he considers his vocals on the album the weakest of his career, as he tracked them all in one take after leaving them until the final two days of recording. ==Reception==

Commercially, the album was the band's first to chart on the Billboard 200, debuting (and peaking) at #35 with sales of 33,000. As of July 29, 2005, the album had sold 82,000 copies. As of January 2006 the album had sold 174,000 copies. As of March 2006, the record had sold 192,000 copies, and as of September 2007, the album had sold 275,000 copies. Reception to the album was mixed. While some reviewers praised the number of different musical styles the band had blended together, as well as the improved production and contributions of new members, and adding writing "these are things that shouldn't work on a metal record, but As I Lay Dying have proven here that they can." == Track listing ==

Notes • "Illusions" is a re-recording of a song from the As I Lay Dying/American Tragedy split album. == Personnel ==

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes. As I Lay Dying • Tim Lambesis – unclean vocals, production • Nick Hipa – guitar, backing vocals • Phil Sgrosso – guitar, backing vocals, bass, production • Clint Norris – bass, clean vocals • Jordan Mancino – drums Additional musicians • Daniel Weyandt – additional vocals on "Control Is Dead" • Jason Moody – additional vocals on "Illusions" • Matt Mentley – additional vocals on "The Meaning of Tragedy" and "Confined" • Dave Arthur – additional vocals • Tommy Garcia – additional vocals == Charts ==