As I Lay Dying is an American metalcore band from San Diego, California. Founded in 2000 by their vocalist Tim Lambesis and having completed their first Line-up in 2001, the band consists of vocalist Tim Lambesis, drummer Jordan Mancino, lead guitarist Nick Hipa, rhythm guitarist Phil Sgrosso, and bassist Josh Gilbert, all of whom are Christians. Signed to Metal Blade Records, As I Lay Dying has released five studio albums, one split album, and two compilation albums.

As I Lay Dying’s fourth studio album, An Ocean Between Us peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200, and number 1 on the Top Rock chart. The band has performed at Wacken Open Air, With Full Force, Soundwave Festival, Sounds of the Underground, Warped Tour, Bloodstock Open Air and Taste of Chaos. In 2007, As I Lay Dying won the “Ultimate Metal God” award from MTV2 at the first annual “All That Rocks” special, was named “Artist of the Year” at the San Diego Music Awards in 2008 and was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award for the song “Nothing Left”. Their latest album, The Powerless Rise was written over a three year period and was released in May 2010 to widespread critical acclaim.

After leaving the band Society’s Finest where he played guitar, vocalist Tim Lambesis formed As I Lay Dying in 2000. Starting out as a duet with drummer Jordan Mancino after they first met as a band in February 2001, the title of the band was taken from the novel of the same name by William Faulkner although there is no correlation between the band’s musical theme to the theme of the novel.

Pluto Records took interest and offered As I Lay Dying a recording contract. After accepting the offer, one month later the band entered the studio to record their first album Beneath the Encasing of Ashes, which was released in June 2001. In 2002. The band recorded five songs for a split album through Pluto Records, with San Diego heavy metal band American Tragedy. As I Lay Dying realized it needed to expand to a five-piece to include another guitarist and a bassist. Mancino commented “we started going on tour and we needed obviously more people than that.” Since they had no “solid” members besides Tim Lambesis and Jordan Mancino, the band recruited friends to perform with them and from there on the group encountered several line-up changes; bassist Noah Chase departed from band in 2001, Brandon Hayes and his subsequent replacement Aaron Kennedy departed in 2003; soon after forming the band The Tokyo Smash in Tulsa, Oklahoma.