Killswitch Engage – Atonement

Band finds a musical turning point

Two-time Grammy-nominated metal band Killswitch Engage are not strangers to the music scene as they already have a successful history in music. Before going any further,  it is best to know about the band’s success and how music motivates them to create new music. Killswitch Engage are from western Massachusetts and they were formed in 2000. In 2002 the band released their first album titled Alive or Just Breathing, and it was a success and the album made it on “The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of the Decade.” In 2004 and 2006, the albums The End of Heartache and As Daylight Dies  received gold certifications, then in 2009 and 2013 the albums Killswitch Engage and Disarm The Descent made a top ten debut on the “Billboard Top 200.” The band’s 2016 album Incarnate landed on the sixth spot on the same list.

Killswitch Engage has a spot in music history and they are looking to create more history because they are back with a new album titled Atonement. This record displays a turning point for the band because the metal music being performed can become dark and loud with a mixture of light and harmonizing musical sounds. Jesse Leach’s vocals are great on this record because his vocals create grungy sounds with loud shouting and he is capable of singing in light harmony. Adam Dutkiewicz’s lead guitar skills are well done because he is able to create insightful guitar riffs and cutting edge guitar solos which could cause listeners to headbang to the music, meanwhile, Joel Stroetzle’s rhythm guitar skills are bittersweet because he is able to play high notes regardless if the song is heavy or light metal. Mike D’Antonio’s bass guitar skills are low and sweet because he is able to create deep and low riffs to enhance the song and on some of the tracks the low rumble can be heard on a high note and Justin Foley’s drum skills are fantastic because he is able to keep up with the pace the band is performing and his drumming skills do stand out because it does seem like he drums to his own music. Atonement is filled with promising heavy and light metal music and hopefully fans and listeners will enjoy this record.

On the album there is a song  titled “Us Against The World” and this song represents a turning point for the band because of what the song is about and how the style of music is different from the rest of the songs on Atonement. The lyrics to this song can relate to some of the fans and listeners as the song is about having someone by your side while everything else is crumbling down into the darkness and how in having that person at your side, life will not be as challenging because that person is willing to ride out the darkness with you. This song is filled with emotions which we all have felt at some point in our lives and by having someone there for you lets you know you are not alone.  The music on this track is spectacular because of how well the band performs together. At the beginning of the song, listeners will be introduced to bluesy and jazzy guitar riffs and drum beats by Dutkiewicz and Foley. The sound of the drums and lead guitar provide a turn for the band because the music style introduces the listeners to how emotional this song is. With the last guitar riff of blues and jazz music, the rest of the band starts to play the sound of heavy metal.  Stroetzle’s rhythm guitar can be heard creating cutting edge tunes in the background, D’Antonio’s bass guitar is blaring out a tune which can cause the listener’s heart to skip a beat and other than the blues and jazz guitar style, Dutkiewicz’s lead guitar skills stay loud and true to the music fans love by playing heart-pounding guitar notes and solos. Meanwhile, Foley’s drumming can be heard as erratic and fast-paced because he is constantly hitting the drums with rage and Leach’s vocals are great on this track because his shouting sounds authoritative because of what the song stands for and he is able to move his vocal range from high to low.  This song is great because it demonstrates the turning point for Killswitch Engage’s music.

Another song which seems to capture the turning point for the band is titled “Know Your Enemy” and this song fulfills fans and listeners expectations because it is filled with the right touch of metal music, and the lyrics are important to understand because it seems like Killswitch Engage leaves a message for the fans and listeners. The theme of the song is dark because the lyrics give an impression of how important it is to keep fighting with your enemies without giving up. Fans and listeners can relate to this song because in some way the band is stating the importance of fighting our enemies or demons so we can continue on with our lives. The music on this track is pure metal music and the song starts off with Dutkiewicz playing sweet and raw guitar riffs. Foley’s drumming tempo is slow but with a kick of rock which works perfectly on the track, Stroetzle does a great job with keeping up with the guitar riffs while Dutkiewicz does an electrifying guitar solo, D’Antonio does a great job providing the low bass guitar riffs  and Leach’s vocals are loud with great authority because he displays raging emotions toward his enemies. If fans and listeners have a hunger for loud, energetic and vibrant metal music, this track will satisfy their needs.

Also the song titled “Bite The Hand That Feeds” is another turn around for the band because within the metal music, the bass guitar can be heard thumping loudly through the whole song. D’Antonio does a great job crafting his bass guitar skills so he can contribute to the loudness on the track,  Dutkiewicz and Stroetzle do a great job of creating raw guitar riffs to help complement the emotions in the song, and Leach’s vocals are powerful because of how he maintains the grungy vocal style while screaming out the lyrics. Also, he does a good job of displaying anger while singing because the emotions he provides in the song can grab some fans attention to what the song means. The lyrics are dark but creative because of the message behind it. Although it is hard to understand what the song is about perhaps it is about the way people want to change the world.  Regardless of what the meaning is, the message is a strong and bold statement. This song shows a turn around for Killswitch Engage because it seems the band wants to continue creating metal music but in a different way and they have done a great job on this song.

Overall, Atonement is a great record because it is filled with harmony and metal music. Most fans and listeners will enjoy this record because it will satisfy their thirst for metal music and perhaps they will enjoy knowing Killswitch Engage is not going anywhere anytime soon.