Customer Reviews

As Daylight Dies

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Killswitch Engage has always incorporated melodic death into their music, but on their latest release, the melodic death really dominates. here and there there are metalcore breakdowns. they still rock though. I disagree with the one who says metalcore is about ex-girlfriends. I own several metalcore CD's and not one of them mentions relationships gone bad. somebody better reread the lyrics on all their CD's. other metalcore bands to consider are Himsa, Zao, Demon Hunter, Still Remains, the Showdown, A Life Once Lost, Underoath, As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Watch Them Die, Hedfirst, Cataract, and Winter Solstice.

Killswitch has come along way since their first album. This album is bar far the greatest achievement to date. First of all, this album's lyrical content is a much more earnest and thought provoking then the other three albums. Songs like "Reject Yourself", "Break The Silence", and "The Arms Of Sorrow", portray a reflective and contemplative view on war; as well as the horrible atrocities that have been eminent in the world.

As Daylight Dies also holds some of the hardest hitting, riff driven rock anthems to date. Songs like "For You", "Still Beats Your Name", "As Daylight Dies", and "This Fire Burns" drive this point home, with heavy laden drums, resonant bass, and earsplitting guitar riffs. "For You" might be one of the most well-rounded songs on the album, every part of the song shows the unique talents of the band.

Finally, when most people decide whether or not they like a band in this genre they usually discuss whether or not the screaming or groan is necessary or annoying. However, on As Daylight Dies and The End Of Heartache Howard Jones vocals are non-the-less incendiary; his tone is a welcome change from the shreiks of bands like As I Lay Dying and Atreyu. His groans and screams tie together so well with the instrumentals that it never becomes dull or too abrasive. But what stands out the most is his versatility, one verse he will be in your face and in total control of his screaming, while in most chorus' he comes out with this epic singing that is totally unexpected.

Here's how the album breaks down (Best out of 10):

1. Daylight Dies - 8.5 - Great intro, but feels like an intro or even an outro more than a complete song.
2. This Is Absolution - 9 - This song should have opened the album, great chorus, and great use of acoustic guitars.
3. The Arms of Sorrow - 9.5 - Probably the albums saddest song, but very well written and the production is top-notch as well as with the rest of the album. The chorus is quite tear-jerking, but transitions perfectly into the bridge.
4. Unbroken - 8.5 - One of the albums hardest hitting tracks, at points it may seem like the most lack-luster and repetitive song on the album, but that isn't really saying much, considering this is KSE's best album by far.
5. My Curse - 10 - Beautiful song, through all it's clean instrumentals, to it's earsplitting riffs, this song has everything you need.
6. For You - 10 - In contrast to My Curse, this may be the definitive KSE's piece, has everything this band has to offer in one tightly composed song. (((GIVE IT MORE THAN A COUPLE LISTENS)))
7. Still Beats Your Name - 9.5 - Hard hitting, riff-driven... but also one of the most beautiful chorus' and bridges KSE has to offer.
8. Eye of the Storm - 9.5 - Some what predictable, but non-the-less heartpounding and amazing riffs.
9. Break the Silence - 9.5 - One of the best tracks on the album, but it might have the greatest and most thought-provoking chorus' in the KSE catalog.
10. Desperate Times - 8 - Might be the albums dullest tracks, but is a great song to check out once and a while when the rest of the album has been listened to too much.
11. Reject Yourself - 10 - B-E-A-utiful, great way to close the album, tie-ing with "For You" this might be the best, most definitive, and purely intimate songs Killswitch has ever made.

Killswitch Engage fist came to my attention as part of the soundtrack to a video game; believe it or not. I was playing the PS2 game "Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel" with my girlfriend, and I kept noticing the incredibly heavy riffs in the background music during boss fights...after finishing the game, I learned from the credits that Killswitch Engage were one of the bands involved in the soundtrack for the game. I picked up "Alive or Just Breathing", and the rest is history for me; they have become one of my favorites in today's burgeoning metal scene.

With the resurgence of metal's popularity these days, there are many different styles or sub-genres, Killswitch have been defined as one of the important "metalcore" bands. It's interesting for me to see how much hairsplitting is done with the younger, new metal fans, since I have been a metalhead (and metal guitar player) since the early '80s. As far as I can tell, being metalcore means that you have heavy riffs, both death metal-style growling vocals and clean, anthemic choruses, and lots of "breakdowns", where the song shifts into a slow, heavy riff (by the way, it's called a bridge, dudes)- and if that defines a style, than Killswitch are surely the apotheosis of metalcore.

Definitions aside, Killswitch play tight, ultra-heavy metal riffs that shake the walls- and the almighty riff is what metal is all about. The alternating vocal style is effective and actually adds a lot to the dynamics of the music; I have really grown to appreciate it, and both are very well done- the death metal growl sounds ferocious, and the clean (sometimes harmonized) vocals sound absolutely epic. What I have enjoyed about this album even more is the addition of a more progressive playing style, both from a drumming/time-signature standpoint and from the added guitar complexity of this release when compared to the band's previous efforts. Even better than I had hoped for...not a change in style for this band in any way shape or form; just a distillation of the band's strengths. Recommended for any metal fan.

Killswitch Engage is my favorite band at this moment. I own all their albums, but this one takes the cake in my opinion. I really like how Howard can scream high and low and melodically, yet still maintain his nice singing voice. This is shown in most of the songs on this album. I don't think there is any song I skip while listening to this CD. I really like "Eye of the Storm," "My Curse," "Daylight Dies" and "Unbroken." These 4 songs really stand out and show Killswitch's true talent. They write good lyrics and, again, Howard's voice is what makes these songs great. I gave it 4.5 stars because there was just something it was lacking, I was left wanting more from the album. If you like this album, you should definately check out their other albums, esepcially Alive Or Just Breathing, which has my favorite song, My Last Serenade on it. The End of Heartache is another great album by them, with songs such as "Rose of Sharyn," "Breathe Life," "The End of Heartache" and "When Darkness Falls.

First off killswitch is that metal/metalcore/hard rock band that most consider to bridge the likes of hardcore fans with those guys who just like good old fashion rock. Second this cd is more complete than the previous records, personally if i listen to this cd its all the way threw or nothing. And third billy boy's review is kinda harsh, i mean my dad actually likes some of killswitch's music and he listens to mostly classic rock and country. So all you guys out there dont take his/her review to heart, plus if you like bands that sound just as good live this is one of those bands. I've seen them twice and they know how to rock a crowd of 500 or a crowd of 20,000. You should definitly buy the killswitch dvd as well (set this) world ablaze. this will show you how amazingly diferent everyone in the band really is from each other. And how they lost there original vocalist and still found a way to make it back to make some awesome music.

This is an excellent release from an up and coming modern metal band. I've always thought that Killswitch Engage were pretty good, in fact I found them to be one of the better modern metal bands out there today.

With "As Daylight Dies" the band is ready to take things to the next level. They continue to bludgeon the listener with monstrous and aggressive riffs, but also incorporate even more melody than they have in the past. They've managed to write songs that are catchy as hell, but still brutal enough that metal fans will be able to mosh to their heart's content.

Killswitch Engage is able to play songs at breakneck speed, but also dial back the tempo and show their melodic side. The whole band has progressed on this CD, but no one as much as vocalist Howard Jones. His hardcore screams, shrieks and yells have always been excellent, but he has taken his melodic singing to a new level.

With the improved vocals and songwriting, the added diversity and the combination of catchy songs that are also really aggressive, As Daylight Dies is Killswitch Engage's best album so far.


Buy It!

I credit Killswitch Engage for being one of the bands that "saved my life" and push me towards the faith system that I live by till this day. My teenage years were experienced during the Nu-Metal era, whose genre's song lyrics and themes put whiny EMO crap to shame. However, there is only so many times you can listen to songs about suicide, homicide, and sexual deviancy.

This is where Killswitch Engage came in with my life. It was a big breath of fresh air for myself. Their first lead singer, Jesse Leach, is a heavy follower of Christianity and he brought it out in his lyrics on the self-titled album and "Alive or Just Breathing." When Howard Jones took the reigns, he, thankfully, kept the spiritual theme going on "End of Heartache."

So, three fantastic albums and one fun DVD later, we are now met with Killswitch Engage's latest effort, "As Daylight Dies." The biggest fear amongst fans of any band is the big follow-up to a classic album. Your fears can be put at ease, KSE delivers another great album again with As Daylight Dies, albeit a bit formulatic.

I guess the only negative thing I can say about this album is that the guys don't really do anything new on the album aside from Adam D taking on some more vocals, especially on "This is Absolution." This isn't anything bad because everything that KSE does is great.

The album begins off actually with one of my least favorite tracks on the whole album, "Daylight Dies." It just lacks the punch of an album opener. However, the album picks up with "This is Absolution" and "The Arms of Sorrow" and it proceeds to never let up. Between the hit single, "My Curse," "Still Beats Your Name" and "Eye of the Storm," this album will definitely get some serious replay value on your play list. The closer, "Reject Yourself," has a nice epic feel to it and really rounds out the album altogether.

My favorite song on the entire album is definitely "This is Absolution." Other strong tracks include: Arms of Sorrow, My Curse, Eye of the Storm, For You, Still Beats Your Name, and Reject Yourself. The skip-able tracks are Daylight Dies, Unbroken, and Break the Silence. The weakest track is Desperate Times.

The Good

+ Same great established Killswitch Engage sound
+ "My Curse" was a great selection for the first single and "This is Absolution" and "Arms of Sorrow" are sure hits.
+ Adam D. takes on bigger vocal role on some of the tracks, and it works.

The Bad

- No big breakthroughs musically.

For Killswitch Engage's fourth album, being the second with Howard Jones on vocals, "As Daylight Dies," the band adheres to old rule: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. When you are a band like Killswitch Engage, who have an unique and massive sound, that's not such a bad idea. However, when you are competing with dozens of similar sounding bands in the same genre, it can be a problem. "As Daylight Dies" will not disappoint fans of the band's last effort, "The End Of Heartache," but for those seeking an expansion of that sound or any real growth, you might be disappointed.

Sounds Like: Good old reliable Killswitch Engage.

The Good:
- The riffs, oh my god, the riffs.
- Howard Jones' vocals are just as engaging as they were on the last album, and he gets plenty of time to show off his melodic side.
- The album never lets up. Pure, non-stop energy and intensity.

The Bad:
- Overall, the album feels extremely rushed.
- The bulk of the songs don't quite 'stick' like the material on "Alive Or Just Breathing" and "The End Of Heartache."

Future: Killswitch Engage are always gonna be around. Even if metalcore is on it's way out (as suggested by Jones in a recent interview), they will more than likely be one of the few bands left standing. "As Daylight Dies" is a solid testament to a band that truly shines and stands from the pack.

Personally: Although "As Daylight Dies" doesn't cover much new territory, it was still an instant hit for me. I feel they could have taken more time and put out some material that maybe stuck out a bit more, but what's the point in complaining? These guys do what they do, better than anyone else on the scene.

Best Listened To When: Daylight is dead.

Going in I had huge expectations, I guess I expected something more akin to Heartache but this album defied expectations! At first listen I perhaps wasn't a huge fan, took the second listen to fully get into it but it was worth the effort! This is an incredible record, super fast riffing, drumming from Justin Foley is superb and Howards voice is even more insane than last album! I'd have to say Adam D's voice could have been left out of some songs, almost sounded a little emo at times (God forbid) but he does produce so what are you gonna do? Overall tho, this band have brought something fresh and exciting to metal and I am pretty stoked about it! As for Highlights, "For You" is awesome, "My Curse" is an ideal first single, awesome!!

Im sorry if this pisses off rabid KsE fans but these guys just lost it after they lost Jesse Leach. In many ways this sounds exactly the same as the previous disc. I think they reached a pinnacle with Alive or Just Breathing and have not surpassed it since. Although there are some hints of progression and maturity I must say overall the disc fails to hold my interest,probably because in spite of itself the "metalcore" scene finds itself oversaturated with bands that all sound the same. Ive seen some defenite and dramatic changes with certain bands as they released newer material,Dry Kill Logic and Chimaera immediately come to mind. But unfortunately,this one just doesnt do it for me. Dont get me wrong,it doesnt suck,but Ive been a metalhead now since the 80's and its going to take a bit more than a few subtle time changes and some more mature chord progressions to impress me. Check out the new In Flames,The Haunted,Children of Bodom.