In the spring of 2013, the members of As I Lay Dying, Nick, Phil Sgrosso (guitar), Josh Gilbert (bass, vocals), and Jordan Mancino (drums), made an important choice of their own. They had seen tremendous success, selling over one million albums, enjoying a Top 10 debut on the Billboard Top 200 with 2010′s The Powerless Rise and a Top 15 debut with 2012′s Awakened, and touring globally alongside the likes of Slipknot, Slayer, Suicide Silence, Killswitch Engage, and more. Facing tumultuous controversy related to their singer and a shattering foundation shakeup, these four musicians decided to press on and do what they do best.

As they traded song ideas back and forth, Nick reached out to a lifelong friend Shane Blay. The two grew up together in Dallas, TX and even played in Evelynn before Hipa joined As I Lay Dying. In between working with Oh, Sleeper, Shane had begun writing songs with Nick purely as a creative outlet a year prior. Given their existing bond, the transition to writing for WOVENWAR's self-titled debut proved seamless.

With Shane officially in the fold, the quintet hit a San Diego studio to record the album with producer Bill Stevenson (Rise Against, NOFX), who helmed Awakened. Immediately, they collectively tapped into a sound that picked up where they left off, while forging new territory altogether. It'll undoubtedly inspire others as well though. The first single "All Rise" threads together precise riffing with Shane's magnetic vocals, landing a huge chorus in between incendiary instrumentation. It serves as the perfect link between the musicians' past output and the future.