Review Summary: Although it doesn't live up to what the band promised, Killswitch Engage's fifth album is still decent, even if some songs may take a while to get used to.
With the exception of “Death Magnetic,” I can’t remember the last time there was so much hype in the metal community over a new album. Killswitch Engage had not released an album for three years, and there was so much speculation on the Internet that it was almost impossible to form your own expectations. Nobody knew what Killswitch was going to do with this one, but everybody was positive that this was going to be their best release, at least since Alive or Just Breathing.
Well, as many of you know, a lot of people were disappointed by this album. Killswitch had advertised it as their “heaviest album yet,” but this was certainly not the case. While listening through the leaked album on YouTube, I myself was disappointed to find out that I only really liked a few songs. But then, I remembered the two singles released before the album came out, “Reckoning” and “Starting Over.” I hadn’t really liked those when they first came out, either, but I kept on listening to them anyway, because… well, because it was Killswitch, and I simply didn’t want them to disappoint me. As time went by, I grew to like the singles more and more.
When the album was finally released, I was up at midnight waiting for my pre-ordered copy to download. Soon, the same process that had happened with the singles was happening with every song on the album. I would listen to a song once, think it was okay, and then come back to it later, liking it better each time. Softer songs like “The Return,” “Lost,” and even “Take Me Away” were the hardest for me to get used to, as they were much different than what Killswitch had done in the past. However, I eventually enjoyed them as much as every other song from the album.
What really stood out to me was how much vocalist Howard Jones’ singing had improved. He was already one of metal’s best vocalists, and I didn’t think he could get any better, but he somehow did. The new co-producer, Brendan O’Brien, noticed this and asked Jones to sing more often, a change that made him stand out even more.
Before long, however, I had overplayed the album, and I began to find faults with it, like the following:
• It didn’t seem to be mixed as well. The snare drum was too loud, the guitars were too soft, and it seemed like Jones’ powerful screaming had been diminished at times.
• Killswitch seemed to have forgotten how to write a good bridge. One of the things that stood out most about As Daylight Dies were the bridges, but they weren’t nearly as impressive here.
• Guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz didn’t put in any of his wonderful backup vocals, leaving Jones to sing the lower notes – something Dutkiewicz is much better at.
• Many of the songs have the same structure.
However, these faults don’t change the fact that the album is good overall. The reasons for this include:
• Many songs have something unique to them, like the guitar solo (in a Killswitch song, of all things) in “Never Again,” or the thrash part of “The Forgotten.”
• The album’s not stuck in the same key all the time – a problem that happened in earlier albums like Alive or Just Breathing, or The End of Heartache.
• Once again, the improvement in Jones’ singing does a lot to make this album better.
• Songs are generally shorter than usual, so it’s harder to get bored while listening.
In true Killswitch Engage fashion, this album also has a special edition. I would avoid this one, because in addition to the regular tracks, it only contains one bonus track, “In a Dead World,” as well as a few live songs. If anything, buy the bonus track separately – it’s a nice addition. However, I’ve never really cared for live tracks.
There are some good songs on here, and there are some average songs, but on the whole, it’s an album worth buying. It certainly didn’t live up to all the hype, but my no means was it a bad album. Fans of earlier releases are not likely to embrace this one right away, if at all. However, if you are just getting into this band, listen to this album first. Even if you don’t like it at first, try giving it a second chance.
Final Verdict: 3/5
