On this day (May 11th) ten years ago, Massachusetts based metalcore heros Killswitch Engage released their third studio album, ‘The End Of Heartache’ through Roadrunner Records. It was an album of firsts for the band; their first release with Howard Jones as lead vocalist, replacing founder member Jesse Leach. The first album with Justin Foley behind the kit, and the first time Adam Dutkiewicz took on guitar duties.
Despite gaining a sizeable, loyal underground fanbase with previous releases ‘Killswitch Engage’ and ‘Alive Or Just Breathing’, their third album catapulted them into a previously unseen spotlight, garnering them spots on the soundtracks of Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Freddy vs Jason, as well as a nomination for the Grammy Award for ‘Best Metal Performance’.
‘Heartache …’ saw the band bringing greater focus to their already impressive song writing abilities, and a defining of their sound and direction. When I first discovered this album at the tender age of 14, it was one of the heaviest things I’d heard at that point, and the breakdowns and weighty guitar tone still attest to this a decade on. Regardless of where you stand on the ‘Howard vs Jesse’ debate now, at the time Howard was unquestionably the better vocalist.
His scream range throughout the album is incredibly varied, from guttural lows to screeching, abrasive highs. But it is his soulful, soaring clean vocals that made Killswitch stand head and shoulders above their metalcore contemporaries. The band as a whole absolutely nail tone, treading a fine line between mournful and melancholy, cathartic rage and hopeful resistance. It is an emotive, empowering album, with lyrics such as ‘The path I walk/I walk it with my own resolve’ (‘When Darkness Falls’) and ‘This is my confession/mark these words/we will rise’ (‘Hope Is …’) acting as a stirring, inspiring rebellious rallying cry, something that has been integral to metal since its inception.
The title song, ‘The End Of Heartache’, is possibly the perfect of example of what the album, and Killswitch themselves, are about. Powerful light/shade dynamics, heartfelt lyrics and a fantastic sing-along, hook laden chorus. It is arguable that this album, and perhaps this band, is the pinnacle of what metalcore was, is, and would ever be.
A decade later, and much has changed in camp KSE. Howard has gone on to pastures new, and Jesee is back in the fold. The five-piece have been winning back hearts and minds worldwide with punishing live shows and a critically lauded new album, ‘Disarm The Descent’. Despite their continued success, for many fans, ‘The End Of Heartache’ has not been surpassed by anyone, even the boys themselves. Although the world of metal and hard rock has moved away from the rise of metalcore and the New Wave of American Heavy Metal (NWoAHM), this album will remain in the hearts of many for years to come.
