Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 06/30/2009
Westfield, MA-based
metalcore kings
Killswitch Engage's fifth full-length album (and second eponymous release) was co-produced by
Brendan O'Brien (
Bruce Springsteen,
AC/DC,
Aerosmith,
Mastodon), resulting in the group's most commercially viable collection of
progressive/
thrash/
emo-
metal to date. Where 2006's
As Daylight Dies hinted at an accelerated focus on the more melodic aspects of extreme metal,
Killswitch Engage cements the notion. After a typically brutal opener that epitomizes the band's penchant for scorching
thrash-heavy verses and sweeping, melodious choruses, the quintet spits out the radio-ready
"Starting Over." Flanked by dual guitar leads that echo classic
Iron Maiden and shot through with a truly great vocal take from lead singer
Howard Jones (who sounds remarkably like a classically trained
Trent Reznor throughout the album), it's one of the album's finest, though ultimately divisive moments. It sets a significantly different template for the remainder of the record, trading tight machine-gun riffs (
"Save Me," "A Light in a Darkened World") for angst-fueled midtempo dirges (
"Lost," "This Is Goodbye") that might disappoint fans who feel that the
punk-infused slow-burn
post-hardcore albums like
Alive or Just Breathing and
End of Heartache are the barometers for which all future endeavors must be compared. [The Special Edition includes four bonus tracks -- three of which were recorded live -- as well as a bonus DVD featuring behind-the-scenes footage, bandmember interviews, and more.]
~James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
;)
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