Killswitch Engage
The End of Heartache
Roadrunner
Killswitch Engage is slowly becoming one of the biggest metal outfits in the world. They’ve been on Ozzfest and MTV’s Headbangers’ Ball Tour, and Alternative Press recently featured them in their “metal” issue (the issue itself being rather comical). It seems as if they’re on the cusp of super-stardom, so it may be time to jump on the bandwagon!
The reasons for their tremendous success are several: they have a new vocalist, Howard Jones of Blood Has Been Shed, who has the ability to both sing and scream on key; recent successes have allowed them the time to come up with a proper follow-up to 2002’s classic Alive or Just Breathing, and; the guitarists have matured both in melody and attack, making their overall tone incredibly gruff and gnarled, while pristinely melodic. The production quality of The End of Heartache is stunning, thanks to the drummer’s knob turning talents in the studio. The result is something akin to major label metalcore, but with sincerity and integrity (if that’s possible).
Fans of KSE will already own this album by the time my review is published, but those of you who have happened to wander by, should probably check out The End of Heartache. It’s powerful, melodic, singable and truly enjoyable. This album is not a reinvention of the wheel, but it does rock.
Killswitch Engage: http://www.killswitchengage.com/ • Roadrunner Records: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/
