Review Summary: An unheralded bridge between musical styles
Killswitch Engage has become one of the most well-known metal bands of the 21st century. They were nominated for the Grammy's for “The End Of Heartache”. Guitar Hero III popularized “My Curse” among guitar-playing wannabees. Their cover of “Holy Diver” was even exposed to FM radios around the country. With all of this commercial success surrounding them it’s hard to believe that at one point they were a huge underground supergroup from Boston. Adam and Joel from Aftershock joined with Mike from Overcast and Jesse from Nothing Stays Gold, combining their hardcore and melodic death metal influences to produce some of the first melodic metalcore to ever grace our ears. Though metalcore and similar crossover subgenres had already been thriving underground with pioneering bands like Converge and Botch, Killswitch Engage diverged from their contemporaries to focus on melodic elements rather than a raw, hardcore sound. It was a style later mimicked by other successful groups like As I Lay Dying, All That Remains, The Devil Wears Prada, and a host of unoriginal ripoffs. And so it was that at the turn of the century, coincidentally, that Killswitch Engage released their self-titled debut.
We’re introduced first to two tracks that most listeners will have already been exposed to, “Temple From the Within” and “Vide Infra”, which were re-recorded for their follow-up album Alive or Just Breathing. It may come across as a turnoff since the production isn’t as polished, the guitar tone is muggy, Mike’s bass guitar is absent on some songs unless the guitars hold back to expose a bass line, and Jesse’s cleans are pretty sorry. But it’s all part of the roots experience, considering that the band was insignificant anywhere outside of Massachusetts at the time and it was the best they could do. “Temple” and “Vide” are two of the best songs these guys have ever put out, featuring them as staples in live shows even after the release of The End of Heartache with replacement vocalist Howard. “Temple From the Within” showcases one of the best riffs and breakdowns they’ve every conceived in the discography, and it’s hard not to compare their other tracks to it. “Vide Infra” features more metal elements, where Joel’s influences from Slayer shine through. It also has some of Jesse’s most inspiring lyrics, teaching us to overcome the superficial barriers that separate us as humans.
There is much more to get out of the album than merely the first 2 songs. The album only lasts 30 minutes with 9 tracks (2 of which are instrumentals) so there really isn’t any room for filler. “Soilborn”, “In The Unblind”, and the instrumentals “Prelude” and “One Last Sunset” are all highlights to check out. “Soilborn” is the first song KSE wrote, which features a contagious hardcore riff throughout and is topped off in the middle with an awesome metal moment; Jesse screams “WE ARE SOILBORN! WE ARE CHILDREN!” amidst tremolo picking and rolling double kick drum. It’s a prime example of metalcore done right. And the song is even better when preceded by “Prelude”, where the guys are pretty much just jamming. “In The Unblind” follows suit with more great riffs rolling into the “BURN THE SYSTEM!” breakdown. And then the beautiful closer “One Last Sunset” heralds some tasteful piano, acoustic guitar, and percussion as a nice change-of-pace from the relentless intensity.
There really isn’t a bad track on this album, though the ones I mentioned I feel stand above the rest and I would recommend giving them a listen. Joel’s riffs (and Adam’s on later albums) are some of the first I taught myself on guitar. Jesse’s lyrics here emit frustration with the world but hopefullness for the future, with some of my favorite lines written for “Rusted Embrace”:
Gazing at the horizon, lost in the cryptic majesty
Gazing at the horizon, so lost
What have we done?
A slowly dying earth
A suffocated wasteland
For convenience and a so-called progression
Being untampered by fame, this album yields a raw passion that’s hard to come by today. Some of the songs were re-recorded as bonus tracks later on (including a version of “Irreversal” where both Howard and Jesse are featured on vocals) and the entire cd was actually remastered to make it more polished and easier on the ears. But underneath it all, Killswitch Engage’s self-titled debut remains a major bridge between hardcore and melodic metal.
