KILLSWITCH ENGAGE — The End of Heartache (review)

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE — The End of Heartache album cover Album · 2004 · Melodic Metalcore Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"The End of Heartache" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US metalcore act Killswitch Engage. The album was released in May 2004 by Roadrunner Records. It´s the first album to feature drummer Justin Foley ( Adam Dutkiewicz who played the drums on the first two albums by the band, concentrates on the guitar on this album) and new lead vocalist Howard Jones who replaces Jesse David Leach.

The music on "The End of Heartache" is, like most metalcore releases, a combination of many genres and playing styles, like Swedish melodeath, Fear Factory influenced brick heavy chugging precision riffing and NU-metallic flair for accessible pop choruses. Killswitch Engage are just about the epitome of what the term metalcore means to me. While the genre seems to have degenerated and spawned one generic clone after another in the last 5 years, there are still quality acts that stand out from the rest and Killswitch Engage are definitely among those acts.

The 12 track, 42:36 minute long album features nothing but well composed, hook laden and technically well played tracks. The structures of the songs might be a bit too generic vers/ chorus based for my taste and with raw/ screamo type vocals in the verses and clean vocals in the choruses there´s also nothing in that department that stand out from other releases in the genre, but what does stand out is the songwriting, which is simply several levels above what most of the band´s contemporaries are able to produce. After only one spin I was able to remember a couple of the songs and hum the chorus lines and after a couple of more spins I´m able to hum them all. Now that spells quality. Add to that excellent musicianship and a powerful clean production and it´s hard not to be impressed.

"The End of Heartache" is through and through a quality product and while I find the songs to be slightly formulaic and maybe a bit too predictable for my taste, I still think a 3.5 star rating is deserved.
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