Killswitch Engage -- 'The End of Heartache' [review]

Killswitch Engage
"The End of Heartache"
(Roadrunner Records)


Ever since exploding onto the metal scene in 2000 with the release of its self-titled album, Killswitch Engage has proven over and over again it is at the forefront of the latest metal emergence.

With driving guitars, thunderous drum and bass tradeoffs and vocals that ranged from hardcore screams to melodic wails, Killswitch Engage's Roadrunner Records debut, "Alive or Just Breathing," further solidified the group's position.

But just as everything was coming together, vocalist Jesse Leach quit the band. The remaining members -- guitarists Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroezel, bassist Mike D'Antonio and drummer Justin Foley -- pushed forwards, incorporating Blood Has Been Shed front man Howard Jones into the fold.

After over a year of touring, the band, with its new lead singer, settled in to record a follow-up. Even with the new blood, "The End of Heartache" follows the same trademark sound instantly recognizable as Killswitch Engage. Jones' voice is noticeably different at times, but doesn't take away from the foundation laid by the band.

Even with the release of "When Darkness Falls" last fall, Jones' voice immediately stands out on the opening track "A Bid Farewell." He's far more guttural than Leach, but as the song progresses Jones' sound begins to feel more comfortable.

Coming from a hardcore background, Jones has a killer scream and his melodic singing is definitely better than what Leach was offering. The straight-up quasi-hardcore vocals are more abrasive than what the band initially had but, by the time "Take This Oath" comes around, Jones feels like a good fit. The double-bass work and driving guitar riffs are pretty tight, and Dutkiewicz' backing vocals sound better here than anything he's done before.

"When Darkness Falls" first popped up on the "Freddy Vs. Jason" soundtrack last year. It's a nice track to ease Jones into the new line-up, but the driving bridge between the verses and choruses and the chorus itself is the meat of the track. It feels like the verses could have been better, though the urgency displayed towards the end of the track is really good too.

"The Rose of Sharyn" is vintage Killswitch. The driving force of Dutkiewicz' guitar riffs is what propels the song at the beginning, but Jones soon takes over, especially towards the end of the track when the vocals are almost exclusively melodic. It's hard to really pick a standout track on this album, but "Rose" probably just edges out the competition.

"Inhale" is the album's token instrumental, something Killswitch is phenomenal at (there were two such tracks on the band's last release). The band (Dutkiewicz in particular I would assume), are really good at crafting haunting yet beautiful tracks that stand so good on their own there's no need to add lyrics (though it would probably be amazing if they tried).

As with the band's other instrumentals, "Inhale" acts as a lead-in to "Breath Life," one of the album's hardest-hitting tracks. Foley's drumming is intense against D'Antonio's bass riffs during the song's verses. Jones is intense as ever but really does a nice job on the melodic choruses. There's also some great guitar solos during the bridge.

The album's title-track feels like a re-hash of the band's previous offerings and would normally stand out as the disc's low point if it wasn't still so good. It's probably one of the band's more anthem-sounding tracks and the distorted vocals play well off the intricate riffing.

"World Ablaze" has a more old-school feel to it -- start-stop riffing during the verses is similar to something Prong or Helmet would have released years ago. There's actually a lot of tempo changes throughout the song which makes this one of the album's most interesting songs to listen to.

The drumming during the opening of "Wasted Sacrifice" is some of the strongest on the whole release. The song has a nice "chug-a-chug" tempo throughout. The chorus -- "There is no forever, just today. Don't let your sacrifice waste away..." -- really sounds amazing and heartfelt with Jones' vocals. I really wish this was moved to the final slot on the album, but the band saved that spot for "Hope is..." The band seemed to want to go out on a thunderous high note. The song sounds more intense than the others during the verses, but the chorus is a sing-a-long anthem with the rest of the band. Not a bad note to go out on, but "Wasted Sacrifice" seemed more poignant.

"The End of Heartache" is the perfect example of a "can't stop" release: one you start listening and get involved in the music, there never seems a good point to turn it off. Each song bleeds well into the next. The album, as a whole, is super-tight. Even though there are low points on the album, those low-points are still good.