What's most impressive about this album is just how tightly written and played it is. Every song is calculated for maximum visceral and emotional impact, with the band deftly exploiting dynamics as they careen back and forth between balls-out aggression and soaring melodies. Yes, there are plenty of bands in the metal/hardcore/metalcore/whatever genre doing that right now, but KSE are still notable for the emotion, creativity, and musicianship they bring to the genre. Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel lead the charge with a devastating two-guitar assault, cranking out some complex and interesting riff structures without sacrificing the intensity that's at the core of the band's sound. Howard Jones also deserves a great deal of credit, stepping in on vocals for the departed Jesse Leach without missing a beat and somehow managing to raise the emotional stakes even higher than his predecessor. Howard's screams are more jarring, and his clean singing clearer, making him a perfect match for the band's unpredictable, wide-ranging sound. Throw in a pile-driving rhythm section, and you've got a band that's getting very good at combining power with polish.

While KSE may not be the most original band out there, they do show quite a knack for combining the sounds of those who came before them. While there is plenty of uncompromising hardcore stomp on display, much of "The End of Heartache" sees KSE expanding their genre-bending approach. The opening "A Bid Farewell" packs more sonic shifts into four minutes than many bands do on an entire album, starting out with some chunky, heavy rhythms before taking off at breakneck speed and then stopping dead in its tracks for a big, epic chorus. Alternating monstrous riffage and chugging basslines with hard-driving guitar harmonies, "Take This Oath" sounds sort of like Fear Factory crossbred with In Flames. The title track, featuring an abundance of singing and some slightly corny lost-love lyrics, may veer uncomfortably close to ballad territory for some, but it's an undeniably powerful song whose melancholy mood is occasionally shattered by Howard's piercing shrieks.

There are a few nods to the old school to be found here, as well. "Rose of Sharyn" is reminiscent of Iron Maiden in its grand sweep, driven by some aggressive hooks and insanely catchy guitar interplay. The lightning-fast riffs and airtight double-bass drumming of "Declaration" show an '80's thrash influence, sort of like Metallica or Testament given a 21st-century update. And in something of a curveball, the tricky rhythms and abrupt time changes of "World Ablaze" see the band going in a more technical, "mathy" direction that could serve them very well on future albums. It's not quite Meshuggah, but it's a start.

All in all, "The End of Heartache" is one immensely enjoyable album from a band that seems to be showing a real commitment to maturity and diversity. It's good to see that heavy music's recent resurgence hasn't come to an end quite yet. If you want some metallic fury rocked with rage and intelligence, this is a good place to look. Come year-end, this album should wind up on more than a few "best-of" lists.


Not the heaviest, but good.....   July 11, 2004
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Throughout my meandering of the Amazon.com website researching bands and seeing what my fellow users think of them, I have made a few observations that I'd like to share.

First, I think that everyone who writes a review on this site should at least run his/her review through a spell-checker. Now granted, a lot of you are unemployed GED recipients living in your parents' basement, and I know your grammar and diction are not at the top of their respective games. Nonetheless, a simple copy/paste from your browser into Word should do the trick.

Second, I think that reviewers tend to make mistakes when they compare bands. For example, comparing Killswitch Engage to Nine Inch Nails is like comparing Smashing Pumpkins to Rancid; they're not even on the same radar screen. At least make comparisons in the same genre. If Nine Inch Nails is a poser band, run them up against Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, or KMFDM. If Killswitch Engage is a poser band, run them up against Lamb of God, God Forbid, Machine Head, Atreyu, or Avenged Sevenfold. Apples to apples people; simple math.

Third, I think my definition of brutal is VASTLY different from that of some users on this site. While "The End of Heartache" is an excellent album, and while it is definitely harder-edged than your standard Korn or Linkin Park CD, it is without a doubt NOT the most brutal, maniacal music I've ever heard. And it is FAR from being the most brutal album of the millennium. It definitely would take a band like Suffocation, Vital Remains, Cannibal Corpse, Cattle Decapitation, or Myrksgog to wrangle that title. Sad thing is, it's 2004 and we're 996 years away from the end of the millennium. Who knows? A more brutal band JUST MIGHT come along.

Now that I'm off my soapbox, on to the meat of the matter. "The End of Heartache" is probably KSE's most accessible release to date. Howard Jones' vocals are on target, and display a versatility not often seen in the metal scene today (by versatile, I mean he can sing AND scream in tune, not oscillate between guttural growling and high-pitched screams). "Rose of Sharyn" and the title track demonstrate the band's ability to write emotionally-charged songs with which anyone can identify while maintaining the album's hard-edged appeal. The musicianship is superb and the album stands up quite nicely to repeated listenings.

Killswitch Engage have definitely carved a name for themselves in the metal world, and it would be a mistake on the part of any fan of extreme music to write them off. They might be more "popular" than a lot of heavy bands out there, but that does not by ANY means diminish their ability to turn out a quality album.


"My love for you is never dying..."   January 31, 2005
 10 out of 15 found this review helpful

Killswitch Engage are to the New Wave of American Heavy Metal as Korn are to nu-metal. They were both around at the beginning of their respective genres and they both bring something new to hard rock. Korn incoroporated rap into their rock, and Killswitch incorporate acoustic interludes ("Inhale" & "And Embers Rise"), a singer who's voice can be soulful at times (as in "The End of Heartache"), and lyrics that are sometimes almost poetic ("Your memory is never passing/ My love for you is everlasting"). Sure, Killswitch have all of the characteristics of a metalcore band (face-melting riffs, pounding drums and a loud singer), but those three small innovations make all the difference. They make Killswitch stand out from bands like Chimaira and Lamb of God, but more importantly, these innovations make the C.D. diverse, helping it to be worthy of repeated listens.

Highlights include:

"A Bid Farewell" begins with one of the two guitarists playing high notes, then the second guitarist comes on and plays low, heavy notes over the drummer's bass. Singer Howard Jones begins with guttural yells and ends the song with proper singing.
"When Darkness Falls" would have made a good opening track. It begins with a killer scream and riff that just blows the listener's head off. When I first heard this song from the "Freddy vs. Jason" soundtrack, I enjoyed how the music frequently changed (from slow to fast) and how the vocals alternated from yelling to singing. But, now that I've heard the rest of "The End of Heartache", I realize that almost every song is this way.
"Breathe Life" begins with a scorching pick slide, then turns to "chug-chug, boom-boom" riffs. These types of riffs are typical of Killswitch, but this song is noteworthy because it has the album's first guitar solo.
"The End of Heartache" is described by the band as their power ballad. The music is still heavy (this song has thunderous double bass work and a crashing high hat), but the vocals are sung (not yelled) clearly throughout the song.
Finally, "Hope Is" is a good closer. It's the longest song on the album, but it doesn't drag on for too long. Good guitar work on this one, as well as a shout-along chorus that would make Hatebreed proud.

I gave this C.D. four stars instead of five, because the songs eventually start to sound the same. But for the most part, this is improvement.


I know you could do better.   May 28, 2004
 9 out of 20 found this review helpful

In short, this album is disappointing. I really don't understand how anyone who was a fan of KSE's last album can review this with 5 stars or call it an "improvement", as some reviewers have done.

Alive or Just Breathing was an incredibly solid album. It had 5 or 6 standout tracks (and the rest were still good)- which is impressive for any LP release. Unfortunately with this new album, no songs are really stellar. Sure some of the riffs are hot, Adam is an amazing guitar player. The production is great, definitely on the same level as the last album. But on the whole, this one is weak. Even when there's a particularly catchy part to any song, they usually screw it up by following it with a weak section. Though I'd say 60% of the album is phenomenal, that remaining 40% of crap is interwoven in every song. It would be great if they'd made 8 good songs and 4 bad ones... but instead they made 12 mediocre tracks that manage to all sound similar.

I'm not sure what these guys were trying to pull off here. The last album was orginal- most riffs were intricate and different. This album deviates from that orginality- they use a lot of 3 chord progressions, high-end anthem riffs, and temolo picking: the same cookie-cutter schlock that has saturated the metalcore movement.

Also, the new vocalist sucks. The original vocalist, Jesse, had a depth and soul to his voice that made you really anticipate the chorus that you knew was coming to rock your face off your head (all KSE songs follow this same format, screaming for 2 minutes, then a built-up melodic break). But the new vocalist can't carry it- he uses terrible operatic-death singing vox that have been out for 10 years and really don't require much skill. Sucks.

So whatever. Buy it, don't buy. I don't care. I bought TEOH and am not too happy with it, but I don't regret the purchase. At least I formed my own opinions. Unfortunately I don't see KSE appealing to their roots anymore. I hate to be one of those guys that starts screaming that a band sold-out as soon as they hit MTV, but I will. The entire metalcore scene is changing to adopt the emo-infusion. Even bands like It Dies Today and Atreyu, who just 2 or 3 years ago could almost be classified as hardcore, are abandoning break downs and screamo vox. And who can blame them? I think this disappointing release just proves that most everything in traditional metalcore has been done. Mark my words- the scene is changing right before our eyes and bands that don't adapt are going to be left behind.


The most overrated band of all time   March 16, 2005
 9 out of 22 found this review helpful

Pure mindless drivel from the newest bandwagon in rock. A guy crying over top of cookie-cutter riffs. But hey, who's the real idiot? After all I bought it. It will never happen again.