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Album Review
by SashaS
12-5-2004
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More on: Killswitch Engage
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| Killswitch Engage go for metal hearts |
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Killswitch Engage: 'The End Of Heartache'
(Roadrunner Records)
Killswitch Engage - an optimistic hug for the future
For the difference from last week when one couldn’t find a decent new release even if you used a deep-soil scanner, this week’s turning into a little jewel: after 50 Foot Wave and Amplifier debuts, we get a pertinent HM CD by Killswitch Engage. And, for their singer Howard Jones, end to waiting of writing and recording an album with the band.
He did pen ‘When Darkness Falls’ [featured over the closing credits of ‘Freddy Vs Jason’ movie, also the album’s track No. 3] but Jones spent a long time singing someone else’s lyrics as he replaced Jesse soon after the release of KsE’s LP#2, ‘Alive Or Just Breathing’. It’s high time to discover HJ’s voices of concerns and it is a huge vocal, in range and magnitude: compelling, commanding, shouty…
Over the expanding dynamics of music - emo to furious, quiet to crescendo, ballady to hellish - sees a shift in lyrical direction. Whilst ‘Alive/Breathing’ was aware, this newie appears to be touched by political reality and, for the difference of the usual HM credo, expresses optimism. ‘The End Of Heartache’ is what the title songs proclaims but “Sleep brings release and the hope of a new day”; ‘When Darkness Falls’ is passionate about our ability to fashion our time and environment…
If you happen to be into the vibe/feel of powerful chords, guitar-attacks, rhythmic storms and tonal scope wider than meta[l]-realm, then there is plenty to keep one busy until Chrimbo. Opening with tribal-kind of rhythm, it quickly explodes with venom in ‘A Bid To Farewell’ that spreads its wings toward an open air-corridor before diving for the hell’s depth that may frighten a weekend-Slipknot fan; the same goes for ‘Take This Oath’ and 'Rose of Sharyn' are equally epic in proportion!
They also can deliver gentle/atmo pieces such as mini-instrumentals ‘Inhale’, it lasts only 1:15 minutes, and ‘And Embers Rise’ (ditto); both are astonishing sonic vignettes Nickelback may lust after… ‘Breathe Life’ displays further exploration into the Riff-dom that appears to be chiselled out of solid granite. It is titanic, powerful, its choruses are the size of the Mississippi Delta, its flight as huge as Escape from Earth!
Once hailed as the leaders of New Wave of American Heavy Metal, the characteristic voice KsE are establishing is helped by being produced by guitarist Adam Dukiewitz, the cover is the work of bassist Mike D’Antonio, Jesse sings backing vocals on some tracks; there is a new drummer, Justin Foley, who came in via being member of Jones’s other current project, Blood Has Been Shed.
‘Hope Is…’ is the final eruption on this monster of an album… Truly.
8/10
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Tour dates:
‘American Heavy Metal Up Your ass’ (with Chimaira, Shadows Fall and God Forbid) tour dates :
08 June - Lemon Grove, Exeter
09 June - Pyramids Centre, Portsmouth
10 June - University, Cardiff
11 June - University, Liverpool
12 June - Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
13 June - Academy, Manchester
14 June - Rock City, Nottingham
16 June - Ambassador Theatre, Dublin
17 June - Limelight, Belfast
18 June - University, Newcastle
19 June - QMU, Glasgow
20 June - Astoria, London
22 June - Zodiac, Oxford
SashaS
12-5-2004
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