Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache REVIEW

"Bid Farewelll" is perhaps in a microcosm what KSE is -- from moment to moment -- blast beats and melodic death sounding into soft uplifting choruses into a chugging power metal style -- the cool thing is that it all blends well and fits, it doesn't feel like stylistic chaos -- and the track is great to listen to

"Take This Oath" has a really awesome catchy melodic/power metal chorus -- with core vocals and verses -- the bridge is melodic with rising clean vocals -- how do they come up with this stuff? -- it's really unique sounding, I especially dig the chugging breakdown that leads to the outro

"When Darkness Falls" -- I guess everyone remembers this one from Freddy v. Jason -- it has the traditional core stop-start and harsh vox -- the chorus is transcendent with melody and inherent catchiness -- again the outro is chuggy and heavy and just flows

"Rose of Sharyn" has an opening that just rips your head off -- it's great aggressive metalcore that flows into a more traditional power metal chorus -- then back into the crunchy aggro verse -- the clear on the vocal choruses is musically interesting against the melodic guitar harmonies

Heck throw in a short acoustic guitar interlude, "Inhale", as a breather -- it's only short as they launch into the aggressive tempo changer "Breathe Life" -- chug flow with melody to stop start to a slow rising clean vocal chorus that builds to epic sounding chorus going out

"The End of Heartache" -- this one is my favorite of the album, not because it is the most heavy or aggro -- I just think it has the most pleasing flow of clean to core, it's seamless flowing loud to softer to melodic -- amazing in its seamless flow

"Declaration" is just a great, solid metalcore track -- lots of straightforward aggression, double bass -- with cool breakdowns. "World Ablaze" is perhaps the most interesting to listen to because there is so much stuff going on, besides the great chugging bridges, tight coreverses, and guitar melodies and drums that take off then blend back in, almost jazzy in concept

Need another break? They throw one in -- another acoustic guitar interlude "And Embers Rise"

"Wasted Sacrifice" and "Hope Is" are two solid tracks that send the album out

I think there is a maturing going on with KSE, in part a growth spurt caused by the addition of Howard Jones on vox, a lot of the songs are really confident and solid, and there is not really that much hesitation about experimentally blending and crafting new sounds out of traditional metal and hardcore style and structure

Highly recommended.