Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there is no denying that Killswitch Engage was once groundbreaking and innovative. The question, however, remains, is the band still important? Does Killswitch Engage matter anymore? As a longtime Killswitch fan, I certainly think so, but there’s no doubt that the band’s last album, As Daylight Dies, wasn’t quite on par with their earlier work. The new self-titled full-length from these Massachusetts metal pioneers isn’t a huge leap forward but it does, at least in part, seem like a step in the right direction for the band.
The album begins promisingly with the fast-paced “Never Again.” The song stays loyal to the tried and true Killswitch formula that’s always worked for the band; heavy guitars backing screamed vocals in the verses and sung vocals in the chorus. It’s good but not great. The opening guitars on “Starting Over” again pique my interest but the band doesn’t change up the formula as they do their best to channel Iron Maiden while building up to an even more soaring and anthemic chorus full of clean vocals. It almost sounds like the Killswitch guys covering themselves, especially considering Howard’s “C’Mon” to open the song. “The Forgotten” is more of the same but less engaging than the first two songs.
The first single off Killswitch Engage is “Reckoning,” and it’s a short bombastic song that quickly builds to a triumphant and downright catchy chorus. It almost sorta sounds like vintage Killswitch. Almost. “The Return,” with its sweeping melody and lack of screaming might just be the softest and least “core” song the band’s ever committed to tape. There’s a bit of riffage but it’s a different side of Killswitch that finds them expanding their sonic range beyond what I expected of them. Quickly, however, the band returns to form with “A Light In A Darkened World,” which is that same old Killswitch song they’ve always played, but this time it doesn’t seem quite as exciting or as urgent.
Just when I was getting a bit bored, for the first time during the album, I’m like, “Holy shit,” as the opening Malmsteen-eque riff of “Take Me Away” hits my ears. It’s too bad I get a bit disappointed when it abruptly stops and is replaced by clean vocals and quiet guitars. Even so, “Take Me Away” is one of the first moments on the album that seems truly inspired. The band follows this “I Would Do Anything,” the heaviest song on the album and then with “Save Me,” which might, again, be typical Killswitch, but also might be the best song on the album. “Lost” is a big slow song with great riffs, but it sounds as close to Creed as I hope the band ever gets. Killswitch Engage then ends with a bang as the verses of “This Is Goodbye” are pummeled into your head. All in all, the album isn’t great, but better than the drivel the vast legions of bands that have copied them are dishing out.
A few things are made abundantly clear after listening to Killswitch Engage and one of those is that the band and their music has become a little too predictable. Knowing what to expect and following a tried-and-true formula isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when almost every song seems to be a vehicle to get to the chorus and every chorus sounds remarkably similar, it is. Brendan O’Brien also seems to have produced the life and edge right out of these songs as well. There are songs I just know I should be feeling more than I do, but something is just missing. The vocals are less affecting both when growled and caustic or clean and melodic. Even the guitars seem over compressed and lack punch when the songs really need it. It seems to be aimed at a mainstream audience when a crossover is highly unlikely.
I’m a bit disappointed because I remember loving Killswitch Engage’s second album Alive Or Just Breathing and then their follow-up, the masterpiece The End Of Heartache, was so tight and so epic that it became the standard that everything else was judged against. It combined the heavy technical metalcore and the screaming/singing of the band’s earlier albums with the melody of mainstream metal. It was near perfection. It set the bar so high that there really wasn’t any way that Killswitch could follow it and not fall a little flat. Killswitch Engage finds the band trying to recapture some of the magic they had on i>Alive Or Just Breathing and then The End Of Heartache but not quite getting all that close. I still find plenty on Killswitch Engage to enjoy but, overall, I’m guessing that more fans will be disappointed with the album than thrilled by it, especially those who’ve been with the band for awhile now.
MP3 | Killswitch Engage – Take Me Away Killswitch Engage
MP3 | Killswitch Engage – I Would Do Anything Killswitch Engage
I agree with you, Eric. I still love Killswitch, but this record seems to lack a lot of things that made their previous records special. And it doesn’t help that this is their second self-titled record . . .
I bought this CD not too long ago, and I have to say, they did an excellent job with it. They’re still staying strong and writing great music. And I really don’t care if people bash the CD, because it’s still pretty damn good, and much more mature than their other material.