Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage II

Killswitch Engage are one of the bands that helped found the metalcore genre, and they have been one of the most heralded bands in that genre since their career began in 2000. Their first four albums showed a consistent evolution of sound and musicianship, and their live show never fails to impress audiences. Thus, fans and critics wondered how the band would manage to top themselves with their fifth studio album, which is their second self-titled release. Unfortunately, the band did not manage to top themselves. This album is actually a backslide for them in many ways, which is disappointing to hear from a band with such an abundance of talent.

There are a few bright spots on this album. Opening track "Never Again" is very strong, showcasing the band's signature style of soaring choruses coupled with uptempo, thrashy verses and pummeling breakdowns. "The Forgotten" is one of many tracks on the album to use layered vocals, but also one of the only ones that executes it well. "Save Me" is one of the most anthemic songs the band has ever written, showing that the band's melodic side doesn't sacrifice any musicianship to be displayed.

Much of the album, though, feels like a forced attempt at melody in order to cater to more mainstream interests. The middle section of the album, starting with "The Return" and ending with "I Would Do Anything," is mostly filler and has few memorable moments. The final two songs of the album also fit into this category, leaving you with less than half of the album being worth listening to. Also, the lyrical content of this album drastically differs from that of previous work. After four albums of predominantly positive and uplifting lyrics, the lyrics of this album are surprisingly dark, depressing, and negative. It is unclear what caused this lyrical shift, but these new lyrics remove one of the primary factors that separated Killswitch Engage from their peers.

I am displeased by this new direction for Killswitch Engage. It seems like they are following the examples of their peers Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet for My Valentine to basically sell out to mainstream audiences. Their recent appearance change - Howard Jones, Mike D'Antonio, Joel Stroetzel, and Justin Foley all recently cut their hair and beards to more "respectable" lengths - supports this hypothesis in many ways. One can only hope that the band wakes up and returns to their old sound on future releases.