Review: Killswitch Engage Encapsulates the Golden Age of Metalcore on This Consequence
Maybe it’s because the current state of metalcore feels has drifted so much farther from metal (or ‘core, for that matter), but questioning the heavy metal pedigree of Killswitch Engage feels so laughable nowadays. Sure, they’re a metalcore band… a metalcore band with more than enough riffs, solos, and leads to contend with the New Wave of American Heavy Metal they rode in with. With eight albums, the Massachusetts band has survived switching from one great vocalist to another, and then back to the first. After a six-year gap between full-length releases, it’s hard to deny the power Killswitch can still create after 25 years via This Consequence.
Fans have compared founding and current vocalist Jesse Leach to the operatic prowess of Howard Jones (who sang on career high points like “End of Heartache” and “My Curse”) adnauseam, but his strengths are immediately highlighted on “Abandon Us.” What he might lack in vibrato and high-fry screams he more than makes up for in tasteful melodicism and gruffer screams. Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel are also in fighting form, melding compelling leads with lurching chugs in an infectious mid-tempo rhythm section. This is really where Killswitch Engage succeeds, bringing catchiness to aggression without sounding like they’re afraid to throw hands.
Speaking of throwing hands, the violent thrashings of “Discordant Nation,” as Justin Foley crashes forth with skank beats and blast beats and half-time ride abuse old-schoolers could ask for. Leach’s ability to weave his chorus refrain into said blasting might bring underground heroes Anaal Nathrakh to mind, but the dueling tremolo riffs and souring major chords of “Aftermath” get at more of why elitists hated on them — pop appeal. Especially in the chorus, one can’t help but wonder if taking the distortion, double kick and screams out of the track would result in a radio hit. To clarify, that’s not an insult. This simply means Killswitch knows how to write songs instead of brutalism for shred-a-holics.
On the opposite end, the “Forever Aligned” finds the band centering its opening riff on concussive bottom-string chugs. After 23 years of playing together, Dutkiewicz and Stroetzel are unafraid to drag knuckles as a contrast to their soaring refrains — not to mention channeling bonafide classic metal steeze with “I Believe.” This is where the “core” suphix seems like a limit on Killswitch Engage’s artistry. The bright, high-end riffage, along with Leach leaning fully into uplifting hooks, blend NWOBHM with NWOAHM in a way that is singular to a band like this.
One crucial highlight of even the deep cuts on This Consequence comes from the lack of breakdowns. Or rather, the moshier parts of “Where It Dies” and “Collusion” never feel like the focal point. It’s a callback to a time when a “breakdown” meant shaking a song to its foundation instead of upending its flow. Dutkiewicz and Stroetzel are still playing riffs in both cases, providing that meaner and heavier doesn’t have to mean stupider. Whether it’s the former’s blistering rhythm changes and dazzling guitar solos, or the latter’s addictive arpeggios and guttural savagery, Killswitch Engage knows exactly when to open the pit and when to get festivals singing along.
Even at the demolishing rage of “The Fall of Us” — particularly punishing with its ferocious melodic death metal riffage and a particularly satisfying round of “bring the heavy part back but slower” — doesn’t forsake songwriting. As bestial as Killswitch Engage can get, they’re never one to ride the fight riff for too long or protract the pre-breakdown buildup. A great chorus never gets left in the dust, or lost in the mid-tempo stomp of 2.5-minute ballbuster “Broken Glass.” Vocal harmonies and leads still find a foothold in what would otherwise be an unimaginative lowpoint on the album.
Whatever the consensus lands on Killswitch Engage’s brand of 2000s melodic metalcore, it’s easier said than done to keep writing hooks, leads and harmonies that don’t sound tired. The fact “Requiem” can still get stuck in one’s head at the last shows how much work these guys still put into their arrangements. While it’s not about to reinvent the wheel, and might stand in the shadow of yesteryear’s Headbangers Ball staples, this is a fantastic encapsulation of what made this wave of metalcore so special.
Killswitch Engage’s This Consequence will release this Friday, February 21, on Metal Blade Records.
