Review Summary: A more than commendable effort from a band that did not need to make it.
What do you do when you have nothing left to prove? Answers to this question may vary from individual to individual, but most will probably agree that 'whatever the hell you feel like' is just as valid of an option as any other.
That was certainly the approach chosen by Massachussets metalcore veterans Killswitch Engage when deciding on the next step to take after 2019's
Atonement. Over twenty years into their career, and having built a firm reputation for themselves as the founding fathers of modern metalcore, the group realized they did not need to answer to anyone anymore, and were free to do pretty much as they pleased; they could, for example, fashion a handful of out-takes from their latest album into a 6-song EP and sell it on Bandcamp for a dollar, with the proceeds going to charity.
Hence the clumsily but explicitly titled
Atonement II: B-Sides for Charity, roughly twenty-five minutes of songs left out of
Atonement, but which the group were not quite comfortable simply disposing of. And with good reason – even the worst of the six tracks on this EP would not have ranked as anything less than above-average filler had it made the final cut for the album. As it is, they make for an excellent primer for the band, giving neophyte listeners or those who have not been keeping up with KsE a brief yet effective overview of what the band are all about in 2020.
Indeed, one of the best features of
Atonement II is how well it showcases the two extremes of Killswitch's sound. Opener
To The Great Beyond or closer
Propeths of Treason perfectly demonstrate the group's harsher side, with the former's opening blast bordering on black metal; tracks like
Hollow Convictions or
I Feel Alive Again, on the other hand, balance out the brutality with the sort of instantly catchy clean-sung choruses the band first perfected on breakthrough hit
My Last Serenade, and have been dealing on ever since. Overall, these six tracks offer something for everyone, and can double as an ideal introductory demo for new fans – especially considering the low asking price.
It helps that the songs are pretty darn good, too. In fact, as noted above, none of these tracks would have sounded too shabby had they been included on
Atonement proper – and for at least a couple of them, it can be argued that they probably
should have been.
The EP's standouts assert themselves right from the first listen.
Hollow Convictions, perhaps the most consensual of these six tracks, leads the way, with the sort of immense earworm chorus KsE fans have become accustomed to. Further on,
I Feel Alive Again bursts forth from the speakers with borderline cocky confidence, its tapping-heavy intro riff and instantly appealing chorus eventually developing into the great melodic metalcore track it knew it was all along. These two tracks are far and away the most immediate among the six present here, and either of the two on its own would have justified the price of admission.
It is a good thing, then, that at least two of the remaining four tracks keep the same level of quality. Third standout
No Devotion is a grower, going from unremarkable track to sleeper hit with each repeat listen, while
Killing of Leviathan thrives on a tour-de-force performance by singer Jesse David Leach, whose every snarled word is doused in raw, heartfelt emotion, giving credence to the claim that these songs served as vehicles for the singer to exorcise a few demons. Together, these two tracks provide solid backup for the EP's two highlights, and further justify shilling out a dollar or two on the release.
Sadly, the two remaining tracks are nowhere near as appealing. While by no means weak, both
Prophets of Treason and – especially –
To The Great Beyond are much more pedestrian than the tracks they bookend, coming across more like a veteran metalcore band going through the motions than the slabs of genuine catharsis present elsewhere on the record. Even still, neither of these two songs can actively be called a dud. Both are well-composed slices of classic metalcore; it is only in execution that they fall short of the standard found throughout the rest of the EP. The fact that said standard is so high also allows for some leniency towards these songs, preventing them from damaging the listener's opinion of the record as a whole.
All in all, then,
Atonement II is a more than commendable effort from a band that did not need to make it. Killswitch Engage could very well have half-assed this release, and excused it with the fact that these songs are B-sides being made available at a reduced price. They chose, however, to go the complete opposite route, giving each of these six tracks the full monty to make them album-ready, while also choosing to donate the receipts from their sale to charity - thus giving even the most casual fan no excuse not to purchase this record. And in all fairness, the band could have asked for a lot more by way of asking price, and
Atonement II would still have been worth it. Recommended.
DOWNLOAD IT HERE: killswitchengage.bandcamp.com/album/atonement-ii-b-sides-for-charity
Recommended Tracks:
Hollow Convictions
No Devotion
I Feel Alive Again
