We’ve heard the brand new Killswitch Engage album, ‘Killswitch Engage’, and here’s what we heard…!
Never Again
It may be the not-great quality stream, but you might expect the album opener on such a highly anticipated album to feel more bombastic, more urgent, more impacting, more: a statement of intent. That said the melody is pretty strong and the guitar-work is as good as any Killswitch song.

Starting Over
Killswitch here sound like a cross between Iron Maiden and Atreyu with a galloping almost party vibe. Howard’s voice rips up the growl over the fast-paced backing track, before the signature chorus/clean vocal hits. A stripped bass/drum break hit the mix before the tempo and layers build again. Howard’s voice is always faultless, but the pleading heartfelt energy of his clean vocals seem somehow lessened than earlier outings. The track still signals a certain forward-thinking approach to song structure, rhythm and pace – and it works.

The Forgotten
Again Maiden-esque, the poly-rhythmic intro before ‘To Tame A Land’-alike verse. The choppy driving riff breaks into a thrashy middle-eight and a circle-pit junky’s dream. The split harmonies are again Maiden’s legacy: ubiquitous in the new wave of metal bands from Bullet For My Valentine to Trivium.

The Reckoning
Here’s what we’re after – no holes barred aggressive metal thrashing madness. Howard sounds utterly pissed. He may wear a blazer, but in this mood he’d fuck you up! The track moves quickly from verse to chorus and back with some great ripplingly high guitar-lines. It makes you almost what happened to Howard before the vocal take?

The Return
Moody and ominous clean guitars open this, followed by rolling toms and a low vocal from Howard: a stylistic move the band have yet to make – and is one of many great stylistic moves away from – not only – metalcore, but their more generic peers – those who are playing it safe. The track builds and falls away, ready to build again, always the nagging and haunting chords insist on your heart-strings. Razor-edged riffing bites before the chorus starts up again. Guitarists Adam and Joel have really explored the amp and effects – broadening their tone and painting more colourful soundscapes with their axes. Sounds a bit trite and wanky I know… but as a fan, it’s great to see the guys moving forward, exploring and taking their ambitions to market.

Light In A Darkened World
After the mid-tempo ‘The Return’ comes another banger, again, moving quickly to a soaring chorus. This is more straight-forward KsE territory, but the song is good and some nice guitar-work make it an anthemic juggernaught.

Take Me Away
What a riff! It sounds like… shit, I dunno… some hectically quick Yngwie Malmsteem lick. Lot’s of pace/rhythm changes and more of the old Howard heart in the vocal – the character of someone genuinely pleading and insisting in defiance and insistence. Nice swimming picked guitars sounds in the bridges.

I Would Do Anything
Thrashing drums and guitar noise lead into a crushingly slow riff, and Howard’s own juggernaught voice thunders in with layers of clean/growled vocals. Whereas on ‘As Daylight Dies’ the band seemed to put similar music into the KsE extrusion software, this album shows so little of those formulas – great to see the band break the mould and make KsE so much more than metalcore’s pioneers, and simply one of the best metal bands of today. Possibly the heaviest and best track on the album – replete with fan-pleasing beatdown.

Save Me
More aggression, more uptempo riffing and unrelenting beats with some great little rolls. The chorus feels a little déjà vu, but the post-chorus bridges and their guitar-work is great. The second verse is where that sweet sweet riff lives! Nice to hear a stripped-down instrumental section with Howard’s naked calling, screaming vocals belting out over the top.

Lost
Big heavy slow crushing riffs and vocals that at points almost sound like Grand Magus. Only a bit sadder. At times, KsE sail a little close to over-production and some of the best sections are their most stripped: when you can hear that one guitar, that solo, when Howard sings by himself, when Justin’s drums roll and clatter by themselves (like in the middle-eight of this song).

This Is Goodbye
More familiar KsE territory again, but hey, they do it best: screamed choruses, pounding breakdowns and epic choruses. There is some awesome little widdly guitar licks in the background if you listen hard. The track builds and builds before drifting serenely away with clean guitars and a piano tinkle. A perfect album finisher. Goodbye.