Killswitch Engage Albums (3)
'As Daylight Dies'
Release Date 11/17/2006
Tracks 11
Label Roadrunner
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Ever since Killswitch Engage lead vocalist Howard Jones began alternating his sung voice with his screamed one, the band's depth and dimension grew exponentially. There's plenty of brutal, pummeling death metal, blastbeats and the like, but there is texture in the attack too. This is a band who has been consistent in their approach, and in delivering the goods, but As Daylight Dies is perhaps their strongest moment so far. The songs are dynamite: check the combination of texture, riffs and melody in "This Is Absolution"; by the time they get to the chorus, it's all over; an anthem. The unbridled chaos of "Unbroken" reveals that they haven't traveled far from their roots; in fact, they've dug deeper, if that's possible, despite becoming better musicians. "Eye of the Storm" is just over the top. This is the sound of both the Apocalypse and the Second Coming rolled into one. The tight, turn on a dime stops and starts in the verse and the all-out roar of the refrains and the guitar break are the stuff of heavy metal legend. If the cynics don't get it by now, they never will. For the rest, this is the album to come into the tent with. Mastodon may have convinced just about everyone with Blood Mountain, but this is a Top Five metal candidate of 2006 for sure. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'The End of Heartache'
Release Date 5/11/2004
Tracks 12
Label Roadrunner
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
By fusing the best elements of American metalcore and European melodic death metal (i.e., the Gothenburg school), Massachusetts' Killswitch Engage achieved what hundreds of nu-metal bands only dreamed of: supplying American heavy metal with a viable facelift with which to set itself to rights in the new millennium. The fact that in order to do this they relied on songs with actual substance, not fabricated image or false pretense, goes to the heart of 2002's stunning Alive or Just Breathing's success, as well as its masterful successor, 2004's much anticipated The End of Heartache. Indeed, little has changed from one album to the next, which can be viewed as a positive or a negative, depending on the listener. But with distinctive songwriting and that delicate but explosive dynamic balance between melody and abrasiveness still readily on display in pace-setting openers "A Bid Farewell" and "Take This Oath," the former seems more likely. Track number three, the excellent "When Darkness Falls," is where Killswitch will convince most lingering cynics, and the ensuing "Rose of Sharyn" is arguably the group's most accessible single yet (and also possibly a bone of contention for fans of their harder stuff). Next up, the mild-mannered interlude "Inhale" is actually a warning for the breathtaking power riffing of "Breathe Life," after which the all-encompassing title track really hammers one out of the ballpark. And so it goes; as riff upon riff are piled sky-high into each number that follows, it's the unpredictable rhythmic shifts used to build and then relieve internal pressure that fuel the Killswitch Engage power source. On a side note, much has been made of the replacement of former vocalist Jesse David Leach with relative newcomer Howard Jones (relative being the operative word since he toured with the band for two years prior to this recording), but, to be perfectly honest, the differences between them are totally negligible. Jones effortlessly matches his predecessor's talent for both clean singing and hardcore-style screaming, and additional highlights such as "World Ablaze" and the pulverizing "Wasted Sacrifice" prove his voice to be the perfect complement to his bandmates' technical proficiency. As mentioned previously, The End of Heartache only errs for making very few attempts to expand Killswitch Engage's general formula, good though it may be -- but there's always a next time. And as the saying goes, too much of a good thing is rarely a bad thing. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
'Alive or Just Breathing'
Release Date 5/21/2002
Tracks 12
Label Roadrunner
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Killswitch Engage's second full-length effort, Alive or Just Breathing, finds the band expanding on the crunchy metalcore sound they established themselves with on their 2000 self-titled debut. This is a pure metal album that seemingly has ignored any fashionable trend and instead relies solely on skill and expertise to sculpt some of meatiest heavy metal since the glory days of Metallica and Slayer. Injected into these chaotic hardcore/death metal hybrid songs is an undeniable sense of melody that flawlessly enhances every track, and instead of turning Killswitch Engage's permanent heavy sound weaker, this melodic accompaniment only goes to make you realize how intense and exhilarating the band is when they explode in an inferno of enraged brutality. Killswitch Engage refreshes your memory by including two old favorites, "Temple From the Within" and the must-hear "Vide Infra." While these have been given a new treatment, each song outdoes the original in sounding much crisper and more lethal; in this situation, the fluid production definitely has helped strengthen the old tunes. The lyrical content is exceptional, as Killswitch Engage don't travel the weary path of death, destruction, and unrepentant negativity, and instead seek to bring the listener to a new level of awareness, delivering the message to treat one another with respect, keep hope alive, and strive to make the world a more civil place to reside in. This is not the typical metal band; with lyrics such as "I believe love will overcome" from the sensational album closer "Rise Inside," it is obvious KSE has more than a blistering double bass and agonizing screams going for them. Although the group now belongs to a much more extravagant record label, their do-it-yourself attitude shines fiercely; in fact, guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz handled all production and engineering duties on top of recording all of the album's drum tracks, while bassist Mike d'Antonio took the time to give much thought on the album's packaging and art direction. This results in an album that one cannot deny reflects the group's heart and soul. This professionalism and skill is understandable, since d'Antonio once was the creative force that propelled Overcast into the spotlight as one of the best metalcore bands in the underground community, while vocalist Jesse Leach struggled in several projects, including Nothing Stays Gold, and Dutkiewicz and guitarist Joel Stroetzel made a name for themselves in the Massachusetts area in Aftershock. Alive or Just Breathing shows the group broadening their metal horizons, while still succeeding in putting almost every other metal album in the last five years to shame. With this album, Killswitch Engage has transformed from a hungry independent act into a ravenous metal beast that is ready to begin devouring all in sight, and should certainly accomplish that and much more in years to come. ~ Jason D. Taylor, All Music Guide
