When the up-and-coming Massachusetts metalcore act, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, emerged onto the scene 20-something years ago, metalcore wasn’t yet a thing, really, despite the waves made by AT THE GATES and such in the latter half of the 1990s. As far as I could remember, nu metal was the talk of the town at the turn of the millennium. Formed in 1999, after the disbanding of OVERCAST and AFTERSHOCK, this new lineup leaned toward a little more traditional sound with enough fresh ingredients to make a difference. The departure of vocalist Jesse Leach right after the band’s Roadrunner debut, the sophomore studio endeavor, “Alive or Just Breathing,” (2002) might have initially seemed a potential setback. It wasn’t. BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED frontman Howard Jones stepped in to take care of the vocal department on the third studio album, “The End of Heartache,” released on May 11th, 2004, via Roadrunner Records. This album also features the band’s new drummer, Justin Foley. So, what were the odds that this band would end up making an album classic? Not very great, I reckon. Blending American thrash with contemporary European metal sounds, however, this album was – and still is! – one hell of a metalcore monolith. You see, metalcore is not exactly my go-to genre when it comes to modern metal, so I guess it speaks volumes that this is one of those albums that I repeatedly return to spend time with.
Not to look down on the melodic muscle exhibited throughout the album but, perhaps, it is the sheer vocal power of Jones that makes this album so special. He delivers bloodcurdling growls and soulful croons with an unwavering prowess, elevating the songs to a league of their own. The album opener, “A Bid Farewell,” is a fine demonstration of Jones’ vocal range.
Sure, the killer riffs, soaring melodies, and emotional crescendos help a bit in making an unforgettable impact – take the biggest bangers, such as the title track and “When Darkness Falls,” for example. The latter also appeared on the soundtrack to the big-budget 2003 horror film, Freddy vs. Jason. Then, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA rather swiftly, in 2007, so I guess it is fair to say that they must have found some magical, alchemical formula to their craft. For me, it was the vocal department that tipped the scales in the band’s favor – although Jones occasionally skirts on the edge of emo-styled singing, he corrects the course soon enough. Unsurprisingly, this album was hailed as metalcore’s greatest achievement upon its release and it has inspired legions of imitators ever since. Quite frankly, though, no metalcore band has yet matched the greatness of this particular endeavor – perhaps not even KILLSWITCH ENGAGE themselves, to be honest.
While the raw sound of their previous two albums is a bit smoothed down on “The End of Heartache,” there are still plenty of brutal riffs and hammering drums to keep the headbanging metal demographic happy. In this respect, “Breathe Life” is an absolute killer with its pent-up aggression and chugging guitars. Then, “Declaration” conveys a nicely vintage-ish Swedish death-metal vibe. If metalcore acts were to craft their songs more like this, I might even start to like the genre.
I must admit that I wasn’t really paying much attention to the New Wave of American Heavy Metal some 20 years ago. I found this album a good few years later, in fact, and when I did, I wasn’t aware that KILLSWITCH ENGAGE had already set a rather high mark with their previous album. However high the mark had been, this album surpassed it with flying colors. The band was not by far the first band to mix screams, growls, and clean crooning with metalcore breakdowns and chunky riffs but – jot this down! – they did it better than anyone else. In my humble opinion, “The End of Heartache” is an essential album to listen to regardless of whether or not you actually like metalcore per se. I would even go so far as to claim that, especially, if you dislike the genre – or what it has become over the years – you really should listen to this album. With the deliberate risk of sounding like a grumpy old fart, I would like to assert that 20 years ago even metalcore sounded rather decent!
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- A Bid Farewell
- Take This Oath (feat. Jesse Leach)
- When Darkness Falls
- Rose of Sharyn
- Inhale (instrumental)
- Breathe Life
- The End of Heartache
- Declaration
- World Ablaze
- And Embers Rise (instrumental)
- Wasted Sacrifice
- Hope Is… (feat. Phil Labonte)
Lineup
Howard Jones – vocals
Adam Dutkiewicz – lead guitars, backing vocals
Joel Stroetzel – rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Mike D’Antonio – bass
Justin Foley – drums, percussion
Label
Roadrunner Records
Links
http://www.killswitchengage.com/
