Killswitch Engage – The End of Heartache

Aching For A Bit More

Storming in on the coattails of the post metalcore-meets-emo wave, Killswitch Engage have quickly made a name for themselves after their solid major label release, Alive or Just Breathing. But with that initial success came a blow that threatened to derail that success – the loss of their original lead singer. Perhaps nothing characterizes a particular band more than its vocalist, something that holds true particularly in the metal community. But despite finding a solid replacement, The End of Heartache remains a slightly uneasy blend of styles. If Killswitch Engage were a coffee, it would be the strongest, blackest coffee, steaming hot off the pot, mixed with a very sweet cream. The only problem is, the cream doesn’t fully mix with the coffee. Instead, you are left with both the bitter coffee taste and the sweet cream taste, though rarely at the same time. The same can be said of The End of Heartache. The strong, blazing metalcore side of Killswitch Engage can go toe to toe with any band out there, and so could there more mellow, softer side, to a certain degree. But the characteristic changes needed to make those transitions seamless are sorely and missed, considering all the potential that this record envelopes.

Tracks like “A Bid Farewell” typify this, starting off with a pulsating mix of metalcore complete with dry-lung vocal screams. But sooner or later, the pace changes a bit too abruptly, abandoning the prior for a softer tone. And while both styles work, the abrupt changes from one drastic style to the next, threatens to disrupt the overall flow of otherwise is a fairly solid release.