Headbanging,
fist flailing, and singing along with lyrics are unifying forces of metalcore
fans. Killswitch Engage’s music brings these forces together in their music to
please fans as well as themselves. Their third album, The End of Heartache, is their first noteworthy album they released,
and it raised the band to fame. It was released in May 2004. The End of Heartache is the first album that
the now 42-year-old vocalist Howard Jones made with the band, and the band’s
drummer, Adam Dutkiewicz, switched his role to become the lead guitarist while
Justin Foley became the new drummer. Joel Stroezel was the bassist, and Mike D’Antonio
was the rhythm guitarist. Jones joining Killswitch Engage was a new beginning
for the band; his vocals are extremely different from those of the original
vocalist, Jesse Leach. While Leach screamed all of his lyrics demonically,
Jones screamed heavily but without the demonic sound. Jones also sang on many
of the tracks; he did not use screaming as a crutch in his vocal style. He was
able to add harmonized vocals to Killswitch Engage’s songs without forcing them
to leave the metalcore genre. Because he wrote all of the lyrics for the album,
Jones was able to sing each song with freedom rather than be forced to fill
Leach’s mould. The End of Hearache
reached number 21 on the Billboard 200
and was certified gold in 2007.
“Rose of Sharyn” is one of the two
singles on The End of Heartache, and
it showcases Jones’ ability to merge beastly screams with harmonized singing.
He screams and growls the verses and sings the chorus. The lyrics of this song
are very profound, poetic, and goosebump-generating. The song is about the loss
of a loved one, which is a relatable subject. The death causes the speaker to
feel numb and broken, and he would give anything to see her again. The chorus
of “It won’t be long, we’ll meet again / Your memory is never passing / It
won’t be long, we’ll meet again / My love for you is everlasting” is the most
memorable part of the song because Jones sings it with true sentiment. The
guitars maintain their metallic sound throughout the song and fade at the end.
Jones’ screaming and the heavy guitars meld the song into a metalcore ballad.
The other single from The End of Heartache is “The End of
Heartache,” and Jones sings the majority of this song rather than screaming.
The verses are accompanied by heavy guitars, but the chorus is softer. After
the second repetition of the chorus, the song plunges into a breakdown with
squealing guitars. Following the breakdown, the song has a brief moment where
an acoustic guitar is played. The contrast between heavy and light and loud and
soft make this song stand out not only on the album, but in the realm of
metalcore. The lyrics, like those of “Rose of Sharyn” also provide a poetic
impression. In “The End of Heartache,” Killswitch Engage is able to confront
the “emo” topic of heartbreak while staying true to metal roots, proving that
metalcore bands are not limited to singing about just death or violence; they
can sing about the spectrum of human emotions. This song is an important
component of the album, which is clear because the album is named after it. It
also received a Grammy nomination in 2005 for Best Metal Performance.
“A Bid Farewell” is one of the
strongest albums on the album, and it stays on the metalcore path. It begins
with heavy double pedal percussion and a deep scream from Jones. The weight of
the song leaves an impression on metal fans because the guitars, percussion,
and vocals of this song pull them in. “A Bid Farewell” acts like a magnet
attracting more individuals to join the Killswitch Engage fanbase; this was
seen when the band was not well-known. In 2005, Killswitch Engage took part in
the Taste of Chaos tour, and “A Bid Farewell” is the one song that stood out
the most among concert attendees. It was also included in the tour’s DVD along
with “The End of Heartache.” Killswitch Engage has energy to spare, and the
audience feeds off of it. The band members put all of themselves into their
music. They give it their all in everything they do musically, and fans can
appreciate this dedication.
“When Darkness Falls” is one of the
heaviest songs on the The End of
Heartache. It commences with attention-grabbing double pedal percussion and
a guttural scream. The majority of the lyrics are screamed because the chorus,
which is sung, is relatively brief. Most of Killswitch Engage’s choruses are
concise, but they are also strong and express the main ideas of the songs. The
Biblical influences can be seen in “When Darkness Falls” when it describes the
fall of man, redemption, and faith, which shows that Killswitch Engage’s track
topics vary greatly. The chorus is yet another moment where the band is able to
give listeners goosebumps. This track was the main single in the movie Resident Evil: Apocalypse as well as in Freddy vs. Jason. Good versus evil is
often an underlying theme in horror films like these, and “When Darkness Falls”
complements this theme nicely.
The
End of Heartache is a prime example of an excellent metal album. It
combines hefty guitar riffs and percussion with coordinated singing as well as
powerful screams. Jones’ vocals are what make Killswitch Engage stand out in
the metalcore genre because he is able to incorporate inspirational singing
with his screams and growls. The singing is what makes the choruses of each
song stand out, and it caused Killswitch Engage’s fanbase to grow considerably.
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