Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache
Rating
RIYL
Blood Has Been ShedThrice
God Forbid
Lamb of God
Label
Roadrunner RecordsTracklist
1. A Bid Farewell2. Take This Oath
3. When Darkness Falls
4. Rose Of Sharyn
5. Inhale
6. Breathe Life
7. The End Of Heartache
8. Declaration
9. World Ablaze
10. And Embers Rise
11. Wasted Sacrifice
12. Hope Is
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One word can pretty much describe Killswitch Engage, metal. Yes, you heard me right, metal. This band has been bringing the mosh since 1999 and they somehow manage to get better and better with each passing album. There have been some lineup changes since the early Killswitch, but I think they were all for the better. With Jesse Leech leaving the fold, KSE was left singer-less. It wasn't long before they found a replacement. They enlisted, none other than, THE Howard Jones. Some of you may know him from a little band called Blood Has Been Shed, but for those of you who are not familiar, you will be soon enough. Howard Jones can scream and growl with the best of them, but at the same time carry on the melody which Jesse did so well prior to his departure. Dare I even go so far to say that KSE sounds even better now. The singing parts are much more melodic and the screaming parts are much more brutal. All in all, everything you would expect from KSE is still present. The guitars are amazing, but that is a given. Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel work magnificently together, wielding metallic chugs with beautiful harmonies. And last but definitely not least, Mike D'Antonio and Justin Foley provide the rhythm section, which is ever so important in the process of creating chaos. KE's signature double-kick bass has never sounded so good. Now onto the good stuff, the album itself.
The disc begins with "A Bid Farewell." The drums kick in with a subtle guitar riff over it, I like to think of it as the calm before the storm. Jones' vocals then hit you like a mack truck. If any of you have doubts as to his ability to carry on the KSE name, the very first track will make all of your worries go away. His scream is much heavier and much more chaotic, yet you can still understand what he's saying. Which is always a plus. The next track, "Take This Oath," is classic KSE, heaviness has never sounded so good. "Rose of Sharyn" brings to mind "My Last Serenade." Brutal, yet beautiful at the same time. Then they go into "Inhale," which is an acoustic interlude. Just to slow down the pace a bit, but don't fret! "Breathe Life" kicks in and brings back the metal in all it's glory. The title track reminds me a lot of "Element of One" from the last album. It's nothing short of an epic. I really can't say much more about the rest of the album, it follows basically the same path as all the other songs, which I'm afraid is also the only problem with this disc. There really isn't much variety going on. Some of the tracks can sound bland at times.
Either way, this is an awesome album. If you're looking for one of the best metal discs to come out this year, look no further. Killswitch Engage are back and they are here to stay. With Howard Jones' charismatic stage presence, KSE are sure to make all their old fans happy and make many new ones along the way. The End of Heartache is definitely one of the top
releases so far this year.
--Alex
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