It's safe to say that the people in charge of the Grammy Awards have never been caught in a mosh pit. This is an institution that thinks flutes are metal (see: the case of Metallica vs. Jethro Tull, 1989).

Evidently, the establishment finally did its heavy metal homework, nominating As I Lay Dying for Best Metal Performance earlier this year.

"It's kind of weird when the recording industry takes notice," guitarist Nick Hipa says, who is joined in the band by vocalist Tim Lambesis, drummer Jordan Mancino, guitarist Phil Sgrosso and bassist Josh Gilbert.

"The nicest thing about it is bringing it up to my family members because then they start getting the idea that I'm actually doing something legit with my life."

As I Lay Dying is more than legit. An Ocean Between Us, the San Diego band's latest album, peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, which goes to show how loyal metalheads can be.

"I think metal fans are the best fans," Hipa says. "Being a metal fan myself, I know that I will buy albums from bands I think are worth buying albums from, as opposed to downloading it, just because I like having it. I like having the artwork and just supporting those bands. It's not just a musical preference. It's kind of like a lifestyle. You just live and breathe metal."

Speaking of living and breathing metal, As I Lay Dying are friends with one of the genre's most important figures, Brian Slagel. Slagel is the founder of Metal Blade Records, the label responsible for Slayer, Mercyful Fate and Cannibal Corpse, and to which As I Lay Dying calls home.

"Some labels latch on to trends whereas Metal Blade created a trend," Hipa says. "Brian Slagel had a 'zine (The New Heavy Metal Revue) and was putting out compilations back when extreme heavy metal was still underground. He's probably the biggest heavy music fan I know."

Slagel also had a hand in the rise of Metallica (the band's first recording, Hit the Lights, appeared on one of his Metal Massacre compilations), whose influence you can hear all over An Ocean Between Us, especially in the thrashtastic Blackened-esque Nothing Left.

"We're never one to shun our influences," Hipa says. "If you cite it directly or not, those albums that you spent hours and years of your life listening to when you were young are always back there in your little bag of tricks."