In the United States As I Lay Dying are already one of the biggest exponents of the metalcore / new wave of American heavy metal genre next to Killswitch Engage. In order to bridge the gap to their next studio album and as a gift to their loyal fans, the band have re-released their early recordings on an album titled "A Long March - The First Recordings". Included are all the tracks from their debut "Beneath The Encasing Of Ashes", as well as the songs from their split CD with American Tragedy, both originally released in 2001.