| Full Review | Ratings (1605) |
Give your Rating |
2.5 average | Phantom | June 21st 09 | With their second self-titled release, Killswitch Engage never really gave themselves a chance. The band uses the same songwriting formula as on their past two releases. In fact a number of songs on here contain parts which sound like they are taken from songs on The End Of Heartache and As Daylight Dies. The band has made no real progression. There are some highlights with a number of fun/catchy riffs and the occassional solo, but the majority of songs are all very similar (e.g. "Starting Over" and "Light In A Darkened World") and Howard Jones' lyrics have become even cheesier and generic. Ultimately, Killswitch Engage is the product of a band stagnating due to their own lack of creativity and risk taking.
5 Bumps | Bump |
2.0 poor | Lelle | June 22nd 09 | Killswitch Engage are boring, have always been boring and will always be boring. AS FUCK
3 Bumps | Bump |
0.0 | Countorus | June 22nd 09 | These guys need to progress seriously, this is like as daylight dies part II. Nothing has changed, and the fact that adam didin't produce made me think that this might be a step forward for the band. But I was wrong, I did enjoy the album but its just the same as previous efforts. I'm really starting to lose hope for this band, they are fun to listen to but are extremely predictable. I also find it quite funny that they are putting out another self titled cd. This proves right here that their ideas are at a stand still. Cmon guys, step it up.
3 Bumps | Bump |
2.5 average | Zennalathas | June 21st 09 | This is definitely not a step forward for the band. The album has some fun riffs and then some seriously boring ones, as per all Killswitch albums.
2 Bumps | Bump |
4.0 excellent | Volumnius Flush | November 14th 18 | After years of ignoring this album, I decided it got a bad rap. There are some really great tracks on here, not the least of which is The Return, which I consider Howard Jones's most emotional song ever.
1 Bumps | Bump |
4.0 excellent | drawlya | June 19th 14 | I think I may be the only person in the entire world who thinks this is the second-best Killswitch album
1 Bumps | Bump |
4.0 excellent | CircleDownDean | November 14th 12 | More metal, less hardcore. Darker lyrics. Loved it.
1 Bumps | Bump |
1.5 very poor | taylormemer | July 9th 09 | The problem is that while dawdling on the toilet of ideas where progression comes as close as Howard Jones' lyrics do to relevance; Killswitch forgot remind us that being engaged is perhaps not the best alternative when you need to follow up on last time's borefest. Producing yet another waste filled bowl of poor musical material, not even good enough to be processed by a sewerage treatment plant, the band only come close to reality in a few fleeting moments across the album's entirety. While there's certainly been worse this year already, Killswitch only add to 2009's shitlist.
1 Bumps | Bump |
3.0 good | ThisIsTheApocalypse | June 21st 17 | I don't totally understand the hate for this record. It's formulaic and a bit uninspired yes, but the lack of harsh vocals is hardly that detrimental considering the major chops Howard Jones has as with his cleans anyway. It doesn't really hold up well against prior albums for sure, but it's hardly the most bland thing out there.
Bump |
2.0 poor | youfailedme87 | November 11th 13 | Didn't mind this album so much at first, but the more I listen to it, the more I hate it. It was fast paced and catchy. However, Howard's vocal quickly began to seem subpar and the riffs became very boring very quick.
Bump |
3.0 good | TylerLamberg | March 29th 13 | I enjoy most of the tracks on here. The same formula being used over and over does get
tiresome after a while, though. Very few moments were refreshing. Outside of this, when
listening to most of these songs randomly among others (i.e. not listening to the full
album, having songs randomly come on through a shuffle on an iPod, or something), I enjoy
them MUCH more. The material is good in my opinion, just slightly tiresome when listening to
them all right in a row.
Bump |
3.0 good | gravediggerfuneral | August 3rd 11 | This album isn't terrible, but it's such a disappointment compared to earlier KSE albums that it may cause me to rate it lower than I would had it not been KSE. I hope that their next album is more of a return to their roots, and not an attempt to become a mainstream metal group.
Bump |
2.0 poor | simonpettersen | April 5th 11 | Well hallo, what is this? Could this be true?! Every single song on this album is actually GOOD, I can't seem to find any fillers or anything?! I mean, besides for the disappointing change to more mainstream rock/metal and removal of Adam's killing backup vocals this album is simply filled with super great songs! Oh wait... I knew this would be too good to be true. Anyone else than me noticed that EVERY single song on this record follows the same God damned structure? Verse, half chorus, verse, full chorus, bridge, double full chorus. If this hadn't been the case, this album would have been high on my shelf, unfortunately it's not. Once I realize that I can predict what is going to happen on a album on EVERY FUCKING SONG I really lose all interests what so ever. So for just to put on a song or two, sure, super great! But as a whole fucking album this just doesn't make it for me. This is something I really didn't except from this band. Their older albums maybe hadn't too many super great songs (although the ones that were good were also REALLY good) on it, but at least I couldn't tell when the chorus was going to kick in before I'd ever heard the fucking song!
Bump |
4.5 superb | nff457 | July 31st 10 | I think this is the most underrated album of theirs that they have come out with.
Bump |
0.0 | Bitchfork | May 1st 10 | Killswitch Engage is the latest rehash of mediocre metalcore, yet it wasn't hard to predict its soon-to-be-mainstream status. Due to the success of former works, Killswitch Engage alway will be at least on the periphery of cool, but if they continue their path of technical genericness, then they won't ever escape into the limelight.
Bump |
3.5 great | PatrickMF | November 25th 09 | This album sort of came out under the radar to the music world. When KSE broke out with “Alive Of Just Breathing” and then broke out again, with a new singer, with “The End Of Heartache” this band was “it.” They didn’t start this combination of melding metal with hardcore, “metalcore” which it is now called, but they definitely brought it to the forefront of the music scene. Time passed, and hundreds of different bands stole that sound, beating it to the ground, and now every other band you hear plays this music.
KSE did release “As Daylight Dies” in 2006, and I absolutely love that album, and was anticipating this new self titled record. Here’s my take…
1. Never Again (3:09) 9/10
2. Starting Over (3:51) 8/10
3. The Forgotten (3:18) 9/10
4. Reckoning (2:48) 10/10
5. The Return (4:29) 8/10
6. A Light In The Darkened World (2:51) 8/10
7. Take Me Away (2:46) 10/10
8. I Would Do Anything (3:22) 10/10
9. Save Me (3:47) 8.5/10
10. Lost (3:45) 8.5/10
11. This Is Goodbye (4:17) 10/10
Overall: 11 @ 38:10 8.5/10
Something just isn’t quite hitting the bull’s-eye. Of course, they play the hell out of their instruments, the production is expensive and clear, and their aren’t any songs that are just bombs, but…to me, this band is capable, at this stage, for a lot more. Most of these songs are credible, and good, but musically and structurally, they just haven’t really experimented much. Vocally, Howard Jones is perfect. His singing is note for note perfect, and his screams are scathing. He is a completely versatile vocalist. They have just wrote these songs before, and a tad bit better. At the same time, like I said, this album is good, if not great, and songs like “The Reckoning” and “I Would Do Anything” are perfect KSE songs, I just know that these guys could potentially put out something that completely changed the sound of mainstream metal again. “The Return”, “Take Me Away”, and “Lost” are the softest stuff they every wrote and mostly feature clean, singing vocals from Howard. Their pop, and catchy side has progressed, but their metal side hasn’t, and that is what I want to see. Either way, I’m only being hard on them because I love their records, and I know how talented these guys are. A great, albeit a little underwhelming, record, from a band that has potential to be the best.
Bump |
1.5 very poor | Xenorazr | November 14th 09 | Unlike the band's previous efforts, this album has very little, if anything going for it. Sure, some of the songs might be catchy with Jones as always showing fair enough vocal work, but the album just falls into a horribly cliche rut that makes it lackluster to say the least.
Bump |
2.5 average | Jezzaxe | August 11th 09 | Killswitch Engage's second self titled record is.... well.... crap. I don't think I'll even dignify this with a full review.
So, here's me, with frustrated rage, putting down Killswitch's latest effort.
Honestly?
What the *** Killswitch?
Mr. Shore, please get another job. I love your singing, but honestly.
What.
The.
***?
This is just one long emo whine-wank. I don't mean 'emo' as in the subculture, i mean 'emotional' music. In a bad way. This album is so whiny. Shore's vocals and Dutkiewicz' over-produced and effected guitar work are just incredibly typical of metalcore today. Nothing is new here.
The first four tracks are kind of decent. But I heard “Reckoning” before the release and was horribly disappointed. When I got to track four (“Reckoning”), I was already bored, and then the onslaught continued.
Whiney *** after whiney ***.
Just when I think it might get good again – ooooh no there we go again. Whining about your mummy or something.
And it’s not just the whine of the album that ***s me, it’s the quality of the music itself. Where is metalcore going? “Atreyu”? “Bullet for my Valentine”? Howard-era “Killswitch”? What the?
Please, as a cry to these and all-to-similar bands, please I beg of you, take a page from the book of Michael Jackson, and please die.
Thanks.
(Instead of recommending similar albums, I'll recommend what I feel are better Killswitch records.)
Bump |
3.5 great | AntoniusFilth | July 26th 09 | Killswitch Engage has gotten heavier and have created an album of sheer significance.
Bump |
0.0 | GodForbid | July 21st 09 | I have to agree with most of you.
This albums breaks no new ground which leaves it sounding like a bad version of the last two albums.
Not good at all.
Bump |
2.5 average | DeathTunes | June 21st 09 | Really average stuff. They seem to have made no effort in progressing and have stuck to the safe formula used in their last two albums.
Bump |
1.5 very poor | Davey | April 24th 24 |
3.0 good | Piem | March 10th 24 |
1.0 awful | Tool1 | February 26th 24 |
2.5 average | Jake E. | November 18th 23 |
2.0 poor | Bard0 | November 17th 23 |
3.5 great | Rufus | June 11th 23 |
2.5 average | Glovoc | May 8th 23 |
2.5 average | haxxiy | March 4th 23 |
2.5 average | legunek | January 30th 23 |
2.5 average | Jalapeno CONTRIBUTOR | December 20th 22 |
3.0 good | Djokoll | September 14th 22 |
2.5 average | Jerrad | August 13th 22 |
2.5 average | Matty CONTRIBUTOR | June 11th 22 |
3.0 good | Vusra | January 28th 22 |
4.0 excellent | Iteidem | January 1st 22 |
4.0 excellent | Unborken | December 24th 21 |
4.5 superb | WillOTG | December 13th 21 |
3.0 good | Azrael | December 1st 21 |
3.0 good | tekth | November 8th 21 |
2.0 poor | Zeist | October 20th 21 |
3.0 good | Onyx | October 15th 21 |
2.5 average | teo | June 4th 21 |
2.0 poor | borkle | April 13th 21 |
2.5 average | Elias | April 1st 21 |
2.5 average | jc3494 | March 24th 21 |
2.5 average | CHINDI | February 15th 21 |
3.0 good | bSmith | February 12th 21 |
2.5 average | goonmob | January 20th 21 |
2.5 average | Oobaloo | December 29th 20 |
2.5 average | Gorey13 | December 26th 20 |
3.5 great | Mushan | December 12th 20 |
2.0 poor | Skiiddz | September 25th 20 |
2.5 average | KEEVS | August 26th 20 |
3.0 good | brvb | August 23rd 20 |
2.5 average | Teal | August 9th 20 |
3.5 great | Halez | April 26th 20 |
3.5 great | ARDCWE | January 6th 20 |
2.5 average | HybridF | August 25th 19 |
2.5 average | Brabiz | August 20th 19 |
2.0 poor | Pandos | August 12th 19 |
3.5 great | kodama | August 4th 19 |
3.0 good | josh | June 10th 19 |
1.5 very poor | Dogie | May 15th 19 |
3.0 good | nbats | May 14th 19 |
3.0 good | Adamn | May 8th 19 |
3.0 good | Sarah | April 22nd 19 |
3.0 good | Josh | March 9th 19 |
1.5 very poor | ryguy | November 8th 18 |
1.5 very poor | artiswar | September 14th 18 |
2.5 average | YuckFou | September 11th 18 |
1.0 awful | Nero88 | July 31st 18 |
3.5 great | Rosier | February 10th 18 |
3.0 good | Nan | February 8th 18 |
3.0 good | PWD | November 12th 17 |
4.0 excellent | Soossi | October 13th 17 |
2.0 poor | ToT720 | October 10th 17 |
2.5 average | Zecke | October 4th 17 |
2.0 poor | solrage | September 26th 17 |
2.0 poor | Kurisu | September 22nd 17 |
2.5 average | dctarga | August 10th 17 |
2.5 average | Panuda | July 27th 17 |
2.5 average | jzzlrd | May 11th 17 |
5.0 classic | Swar | January 17th 17 |
1.5 very poor | El Olam | January 13th 17 |
1.5 very poor | Brandon | December 30th 16 |
3.0 good | Adamrk | December 16th 16 |
2.5 average | Emim | December 12th 16 |
2.0 poor | Wolfe | October 26th 16 |
2.5 average | acmolan | October 17th 16 |
3.0 good | DaveD | August 18th 16 |
2.5 average | Redlar | July 2nd 16 |
1.5 very poor | Leymon | February 23rd 16 |
3.5 great | boff | February 16th 16 |
3.0 good | 8genre | January 5th 16 |
2.0 poor | Keira | December 27th 15 |
2.5 average | howed99 | December 5th 15 |
3.5 great | jsounnd | November 21st 15 |
2.5 average | mEyck97 | October 4th 15 |
1.5 very poor | ICDD | September 6th 15 |
2.5 average | Tib | July 22nd 15 |
5.0 classic | chlebo | June 22nd 15 |
3.0 good | Loot | April 9th 15 |
3.0 good | ATTA | April 7th 15 |
3.0 good | Zubes | April 2nd 15 |
2.0 poor | Flave | January 8th 15 |
1.5 very poor | Jeejee | December 26th 14 |
2.0 poor | slaps | December 16th 14 |
1.5 very poor | adr | December 13th 14 |
4.0 excellent | Ayl | November 18th 14 |
2.0 poor | Morina | October 30th 14 |
2.5 average | Titan | October 26th 14 |
4.0 excellent | Pollux | October 25th 14 |
1.0 awful | Escain | September 26th 14 |
3.0 good | heck | September 20th 14 |
2.0 poor | Pherin | September 1st 14 |
2.5 average | Zargoth | August 19th 14 |
2.5 average | Ayil | August 17th 14 |
1.5 very poor | Sweepy | August 9th 14 |
1.5 very poor | Jackus | July 22nd 14 |
4.0 excellent | Steelix | July 21st 14 |
4.5 superb | Chorbo | July 5th 14 |
2.5 average | betray | July 1st 14 |
2.5 average | jfirak | June 29th 14 |
3.0 good | matrix | April 24th 14 |
2.5 average | Nuhead | April 22nd 14 |
2.5 average | ngk44 | April 16th 14 |
2.5 average | FlakMT | April 2nd 14 |
2.5 average | Thor | March 22nd 14 |
1.5 very poor | Sithese | March 5th 14 |
3.0 good | Tobeza | February 4th 14 |
3.0 good | Sebe | February 1st 14 |
3.0 good | Thibs | January 17th 14 |
2.0 poor | Goup09 | January 10th 14 |
2.0 poor | eeule | December 29th 13 |
2.0 poor | h0rsie | November 17th 13 |
2.5 average | Solaire | November 12th 13 |
3.0 good | COSM | November 9th 13 |
2.5 average | hudso | November 4th 13 |
2.0 poor | wil94 | November 1st 13 |
3.0 good | lhy65 | October 21st 13 |
2.0 poor | Kazem | October 14th 13 |
2.5 average | gafel | August 22nd 13 |
3.0 good | Aus10B | August 10th 13 |
4.0 excellent | dirty69 | July 15th 13 |
3.5 great | Shabz | July 9th 13 |
2.5 average | kakuei | May 22nd 13 |
1.5 very poor | Mike08 | April 15th 13 |
2.5 average | Mazaku | April 12th 13 |
2.0 poor | tg103 | April 10th 13 |
2.0 poor | ron19 | April 10th 13 |
3.0 good | CK | March 28th 13 |
2.0 poor | JS19 | February 12th 13 |
2.5 average | lavudu | February 9th 13 |
2.5 average | pmellis | February 7th 13 |
2.5 average | Reprise | January 19th 13 |
2.5 average | Gbhill | January 3rd 13 |
3.0 good | Zeg | December 30th 12 |
2.0 poor | Dask | December 9th 12 |
2.0 poor | Happy | November 21st 12 |
3.0 good | Xav | November 18th 12 |
2.5 average | mrend55 | November 18th 12 |
2.5 average | nemuru | November 15th 12 |
2.5 average | Sunlar | October 30th 12 |
2.0 poor | Blump | October 17th 12 |
3.0 good | N2B3J | July 29th 12 |
2.5 average | RAWZ95 | June 22nd 12 |
2.0 poor | gribb | May 24th 12 |
2.5 average | Ant0 | May 3rd 12 |
1.0 awful | VinVal | March 31st 12 |
2.5 average | Warpt | March 15th 12 |
3.5 great | bain89 | March 10th 12 |
2.0 poor | Durrzo | February 27th 12 |
2.5 average | TBliss2 | February 27th 12 |
1.5 very poor | Mario412 | February 12th 12 |
3.5 great | chayka | February 9th 12 |
3.0 good | Duted | February 9th 12 |
3.0 good | Trey STAFF | February 8th 12 |
2.0 poor | MTTS | February 5th 12 |
2.0 poor | Vyndax | January 26th 12 |
1.5 very poor | Siamois | January 13th 12 |
2.5 average | Alien | January 8th 12 |
1.5 very poor | Jok | January 3rd 12 |
3.0 good | tmm87 | December 29th 11 |
2.5 average | Snubbs | December 21st 11 |
1.5 very poor | gazanga | December 13th 11 |
2.5 average | Xyrnos | December 11th 11 |
3.5 great | SRB829 | December 9th 11 |
3.0 good | xorax | November 27th 11 |
2.5 average | Tum0r | November 21st 11 |
2.0 poor | xxxzzz | November 13th 11 |
2.5 average | pbass0 | November 2nd 11 |
2.5 average | HiLion | October 30th 11 |
2.0 poor | xevman | October 27th 11 |
3.5 great | Nero87 | October 10th 11 |
3.0 good | vox001 | September 21st 11 |
1.0 awful | jg777 | September 19th 11 |
3.0 good | Tot8 | September 11th 11 |
4.0 excellent | Zool | August 25th 11 |
1.0 awful | true | August 14th 11 |
3.0 good | BDx94 | June 28th 11 |
3.0 good | AlBo | June 22nd 11 |
2.5 average | AdamK | June 8th 11 |
2.5 average | iZac | June 3rd 11 |
2.0 poor | NoFro | June 1st 11 |
4.0 excellent | jsem | May 9th 11 |
2.5 average | flessj | May 3rd 11 |
4.0 excellent | ludis | May 3rd 11 |
2.0 poor | W477ZY | April 22nd 11 |
2.5 average | Arked | April 5th 11 |
2.5 average | Trebor. EMERITUS | March 31st 11 |
2.0 poor | Spec | March 11th 11 |
2.5 average | AGumby | March 7th 11 |
2.5 average | Stuffz | February 27th 11 |
1.5 very poor | stvnbyd | February 24th 11 |
2.5 average | wrecked | February 8th 11 |
2.5 average | Apollo | January 28th 11 |
2.0 poor | Cryio | January 23rd 11 |
2.5 average | CWBrown | January 18th 11 |
2.0 poor | Shogun | January 14th 11 |
3.0 good | cb123 | January 14th 11 |
2.5 average | Dobz | January 6th 11 |
3.0 good | MrHigh | December 17th 10 |
3.0 good | A7X92 | December 16th 10 |
4.0 excellent | Jomy13th | December 13th 10 |
1.5 very poor | MO | November 8th 10 |
2.0 poor | Qman307 | September 17th 10 |
2.5 average | Dril89 | September 16th 10 |
1.5 very poor | iemona | September 12th 10 |
3.5 great | Texture | September 10th 10 |
2.0 poor | THIEF | September 7th 10 |
1.5 very poor | tom960 | August 31st 10 |
3.0 good | Salaga | August 23rd 10 |
2.5 average | CutMan | July 28th 10 |
2.5 average | Tfries | July 21st 10 |
3.5 great | WRusso | July 14th 10 |
2.5 average | jmh886 | July 14th 10 |
1.5 very poor | nyc87 | June 27th 10 |
3.0 good | Mace | June 14th 10 |
2.0 poor | Ray91 | June 7th 10 |
2.0 poor | MaxTL | June 4th 10 |
2.5 average | Pneuma | May 6th 10 |
2.5 average | Valle | May 6th 10 |
2.0 poor | colt20 | April 25th 10 |
2.0 poor | Dev518 | April 16th 10 |
3.5 great | shOnA | April 15th 10 |
5.0 classic | A7X444 | April 14th 10 |
2.0 poor | Naffa | April 14th 10 |
4.0 excellent | GhostK | April 9th 10 |
4.0 excellent | M87 | April 3rd 10 |
4.0 excellent | 32left | March 18th 10 |
3.0 good | Dirk32 | March 12th 10 |
2.5 average | IzzyG | March 11th 10 |
3.5 great | BennyC | March 8th 10 |
2.5 average | zuzek | March 5th 10 |
2.5 average | Dwap | March 3rd 10 |
2.5 average | Dogget | February 26th 10 |
2.5 average | Anansi | February 23rd 10 |
2.5 average | PochiD | February 21st 10 |
1.0 awful | bakor | February 18th 10 |
3.0 good | tnp101 | February 14th 10 |
2.5 average | Fandog | January 27th 10 |
3.5 great | ZKG777 | January 26th 10 |
3.0 good | BlueW | December 31st 09 |
3.0 good | gawd69 | December 30th 09 |
2.5 average | BigHans | December 29th 09 |
3.0 good | Edwin | December 24th 09 |
2.5 average | soap91 | December 23rd 09 |
3.5 great | thekev | December 18th 09 |
2.5 average | Kronzo | December 9th 09 |
1.5 very poor | Maskari | December 8th 09 |
2.0 poor | kaleb | November 13th 09 |
3.0 good | quik40 | November 6th 09 |
1.5 very poor | pride | November 5th 09 |
2.5 average | Jamdbz | November 4th 09 |
1.5 very poor | ameypv | November 4th 09 |
2.5 average | Lordata | October 27th 09 |
4.0 excellent | DalioG | October 27th 09 |
2.5 average | d00derz | October 25th 09 |
2.0 poor | x31942 | October 24th 09 |
2.5 average | JWT155 | October 21st 09 |
4.0 excellent | KevHals | October 21st 09 |
2.5 average | Groink | October 20th 09 |
2.5 average | KSE19 | October 18th 09 |
3.5 great | BertFF | October 10th 09 |
2.0 poor | Poet | October 6th 09 |
2.0 poor | KILL | October 5th 09 |
2.5 average | mar1s | October 1st 09 |
3.0 good | Usagi | September 24th 09 |
4.0 excellent | Blswylde | September 17th 09 |
2.0 poor | jfxlulz | September 16th 09 |
2.5 average | Amaya | September 9th 09 |
2.5 average | lauriej | September 6th 09 |
2.0 poor | Jim18 | August 31st 09 |
3.5 great | Serg89 | August 26th 09 |
3.0 good | 2DW | August 14th 09 |
2.5 average | ojkr03 | August 12th 09 |
2.5 average | t0x | August 12th 09 |
2.0 poor | Tez | July 20th 09 |
2.5 average | ZomarK | July 9th 09 |
3.0 good | Soap | July 8th 09 |
2.5 average | BasX | July 7th 09 |
1.5 very poor | Kyle Ward EMERITUS | July 6th 09 |
4.0 excellent | RKO300 | July 4th 09 |
3.0 good | met65 | July 3rd 09 |
2.0 poor | Bleak | June 27th 09 |
3.5 great | Tool4u | June 27th 09 |
2.5 average | atrink | June 24th 09 |
2.5 average | ziroth | June 24th 09 |
1.5 very poor | Oneiron | June 24th 09 |
2.5 average | TBliss | June 23rd 09 |
4.0 excellent | morjens | June 20th 09 |
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Give Your Opinion on Killswitch Engage (2009)
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