10.) “Take This Oath” – The End of Heartache
This song is the second track on their break-out album The End of Heartache, and from the get-go it demonstrates Killswitch Engage’s blueprint of a head-banging riff and aggressive rhythm and beat. The complex palm muting is really what makes this riff so amazing. The breakdowns are well-timed, and the palm muting actually adds to their intensity, whereas some of their other breakdowns are laden with open strums. The intensity with which this tune rides all the way to the end is what makes it the catalyst of the CD’s aggression.
9.) “World Ablaze” – The End of Heartache
A well-timed dabble into mathcore, this song feels unique on the CD because of its interesting and inconsistent tempo; still, it doesn’t fail to deliver in terms of its intensity and intoxicating riffs.
8.) “Vide Infra” – Killswitch Engage
Back when Killswitch Engage released their self-titled album, their sound was much more strictly brutal than the melodic metalcore they employ now. Vide Infra is truly considered “vintage Killswitch Engage” not because it lacks clean vocals, but because the overall sound is much less clean than what Killswitch Engage produces now.
7.) “This is Absolution” – As Daylight Dies
The intro riff kicks in with enough power and intensity that it’s clear Killswitch had thrash on their minds when they wrote this song. The intensity rises throughout this riff, and then hangs in the air when Howard’s clean vocals come in. Though some of their other songs on this CD are more straight-and-narrow in terms of their structure, this song gives off the controlled chaos feel that was far less present in The End of Heartache.
6.) “Rise Inside” – Alive or Just Breathing
The palm-muted riff helps to keep the intensity at bay, and interestingly enough the intensity builds at first with Jesse’s clean vocals, obviously exploding with Jesse’s screams. Killswitch loves building and suspending intensity throughout the song, as is evidenced with the soft melodic guitars as Jesse says, “I believe love…” which are then replaced by thrashing as he howls, “WILL OVERCOME!” The breakdown demonstrates the brutality Killswitch is capable of, and as the breakdown fades out the intensity is left on full tilt to the end.
5.) “Daylight Dies” – As Daylight Dies
This is a great song to get the new CD started, led in by a whirring crescendo which eventually fades into a fast-strumming guitar, followed by a symbol crash, and then by a second guitar harmony laced over the top. The drum beat kicks in and Howard screams that, “this place is evil” and immediately, the thrashing guitar begins. The riff is catchy, as is the chorus of clean vocals. This song is a lot more clean-cut than some of their other songs which are more like controlled chaos (see, “This is Absolution”), but that’s the beauty of Killswitch Engage – their ability to adapt within their genre and produce interesting yet intense music that doesn’t always sound the same.
4.) “When Darkness Falls” – The End of Heartache
The blast of intensity straight from the beginning of the song is what makes this such a thriller for me. Double bass pedals and howling Howard boost the song from 0-to-60 in half a second flat. The heart-felt and uplifting lyrics are really the icing on the cake. These lyrics are what Killswitch Engage is all about – being self-motivated, revolutionary, and unafraid. The only thing this song lacks is a breakdown.
3.) “My Last Serenade” – Alive or Just Breathing
The somber serenity with which the song opens immediately gives the song’s name its justice. The tempo changes are scattered through the song, creating the feeling of building, climaxing, and releasing tension throughout the piece. As always, the chorus melody and riff are both intoxicating. The lyrics really make this song what it is though, yet another motivational piece of revolutionary inspiration.
2.) “Rose of Sharyn” – The End of Heartache
One main reason this song is number two is the intensity that both the band and the audience seem to put into it every time it’s played live. One thing I never learned to appreciate about this song until recently is how it’s split into two parts – the aggressive heart-pounding Killswitch of old, followed by the melodic counterpart to their “melodic metalcore” genre title. What I like most about this track is that the breakdowns are built into the song; they don’t feel forced at all. The slowed tempo feels a part of the song, not a separate part that’s thrown in for the sake of crowd involvement.
1.) “Fixation on the Darkness” – Alive or Just Breathing
Right from the start, this song has it all. The riff is intoxicating, catching in your head almost immediately. The tempo is motivating and gives that empowered feeling that you can do anything, like only uptempo metal can give you. The solo fill is almost like a reset, and then it jumps right back into the intensity. The clean vocals of the chorus are relaxing and could almost bring one to raise a candle…and then the breakdown hits. The vocalist beckons to his audience that, “they will not hold us down” and that, “it’s time for change…CHANGE!” The greatest part about this song is that the intensity of the breakdown rides through to the very end, and suddenly the song is over. The way it ends, however, doesn’t make you feel deprived, as if to say, “…that’s it?” Instead, the silence serves more as a sign of a completion to the intensity of the song.
