Customer Reviews

Killswitch Engage (Reis)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

While i'd agree that Alive Or Just Breathing and The End of Heartache are better albums, i really think KSE's debut is a VERY good album that's really underrated. Any fans that got hooked with Alive or Heartache should definitely check out this album as well.

It starts out with two of KSE's classics: Temles from the Within and Vide Infra. Both are as good as anything KSE has released. Even though they got a (very welcomed) remaster on Alive Or Just Breathing, these rawer versions are still very enjoyable. The two other (lost?) classics on this album are Rusted Embrace; with it's excellent riffing and catchy vocals, and In The Unblind; with it's sheer heaviness and unforgettable "Burn! The! System! Kill! The! System!" screamed part. It must be unbelievably fun to scream along with that live (if they ever play it).

While the rest of the album doesn't stack up to those four tracks, it's by no means bad. Just perhaps not as memorable as those four songs or most of Alive and Heartache. Two things that hold this album back is the production; which really pales in comparison to Alive and Heartache, and the vocals; which just don't have the perfectly executed punch that Alive and Heartache did.

The clean/melodic vocals are also few and far between, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view. As far as i'm concerned, the clean vocals and melodic choruses have become one of KSE's best weopons and part of their signature sound. If it's one thing they do better than any other modern metal band it's writing catchy vocal melodies, and that element is sorely lacking on this album.

But, what this album lacks in melodic vocals it makes up for in sheer power and agression. This is not a "nice" album. It's more vicious than Alive and Heartache combined. You can definitely hear the core of KSE's sound forming on this album: The memorable riffs, excellent hardcore vocals, and sharp song-writing skills. They may have perfected it on their next two albums, but they made one hell of an introduction on this debut, which i highly recommend for fans of the band.

This album is alot heavier and more raw than their second CD. That isn't a good or bad thing. It's still Killswitch Engage and that makes it good enough for me. Heavy guitar riffs, flawless vocals, talented drummer, bass that you can actually hear for once......the perfect metal band. Heavy and melodic. Personally, I'd get the newest one first cos it's more easy to digest (not by much though cos it's still extremely brutal and heavy) and then if you decide you are a fan of the band, then pick up this CD. This is such a great band. If Pantera wasn't around, they'd probably be the best.

The guy at the bottom knows his stuff. This album in my opinion is Killswitch's best by FAR. I can't stand the new new singer's emo winey crap. If you want a pure, brutal, unrelenting, totally kick a** METAL album pick this up. Irreversal, Temple From the Within, Soilborn...every song is great. And the best metal vocalist ever, period. If you can't stand the new Killswitch like me and want to hear straight up kick a** metal then pick this one up.

I really don't see why some people--especially fans--don't enjoy this debut very much. It's still metalcore--it's not like it's rap or nu-metal, and it typically sounds quite awesome. The only reason I can think of for disliking it is that Killswitch's trademark, passionate melody and soulful vocals are missing. But what's wrong with melody and harmony deficient heavy metal? If Lamb of God can get away with it, why can't these guys? The songs' verses on this record are similar to those on "Alive Or Just Breathing" and "The End of Heartache," because the vocalist (Jesse Leach) rants and rages over Adam and Joel's scorching riffs. But, instead of taking a break for a melodic chorus with clean singing, the band keep on going with the heavy stuff. With blowtorch guitars, pounding drums, and intense vocals, it actually kind of sounds like a somewhat milder version of The Black Dahlia Murder. In fact, "Irreversal" (which features thunderous riffs and double bass drumming) could be a b-side from one of their albums. Tracks seven is another abnormally heavy song, but "Temples from the Within" shows a flash of what was to come on Killswitch's later albums, with a running beat with fast, chugging riffs and bursts of machine gun drums. "Rusted Embrace" has a couple of wicked, primal screams alongside great riffing, and "Soilborn" is a mid-tempo instrumental which makes for a nice centerpiece for the album. A tad bit of melody shines through in "One Last Sunset," with a clean, backing vocal refrain and a brief acoustic breakdown--but most of that song is power chords and rapid-fire drumming. The reissue/remastered version of this C.D. is definitely worth getting if you're a fan, because it features four extra tracks. The two standouts among the extra tracks are song number twelve, which turns to a catchy, rhythmic chug, and the scorching thirteenth track. Now, granted, I do prefer KsE's last two albums, because they are more unique and have better vocals. But that doesn't mean this album is bad! It's definitely worth owning for any Killswitch Engage or metalcore fan's collection.

Okay, Jake, so I checked out your other reviews, and all you do is bash bands that scream. Then, you rated "The Used" and "Avril Lavigne" good? You obviouslly A)have no taste in music B)have no ear for good music C)Don't play an instrument/play in a band. People like you don't realize that music is about emotion, or rather, music should be about emotion. As a guitarist for a devastatingly emotional heavy metal band, I judge music on the feeling it conveys to me and the chords/instrumental harmonies/vocal harmonies that the band uses to make me feel the way I do. Killswitch does this in quite a unique way. To tell you the truth, Killswitch defines the feeling I want my music to have. They start out on some of the most wildly deviant metal riffs I've had the pleasure of hearing, and then, without warning, and with an incredible ammount of smoothness and clarity, they transition into such powerful/emotional choruses, I can't even describe. I get goosebumps on about every song on either of their albums, some songs have gone so far as to well up a lump in my throat, and cause my eyes to tear. This band is beyond words, in my opinion (as a musician), and I think anyone who enjoys music sending their souls from hell to heaven and back again will benefit greatly from anything this band ever releases.

The debut album from the now hugely popular Killswitch Engage. This album is very good. It is the basic metalcore formula of most bands deemed generic, but it just seems so fresh and powerful. Everything on this album fits perfectly together. This is an album that seems like Killswitch Engage put out with all of their focus. I am past my metalcore phase, but this is still a very good album. Highly recommended to anyone.

This CD is very hardcore and brutal and anyone who likes Alive or Just Breathing will like this CD as well. However, the band seems slightly more immature on this CD, and they don't sound as professional as on Alive or Just Breathing. There are many good songs, as well as two that were redone on Alive... and done better as well.Basically if you are a fan of KsE you owe it to yourself to pick this up. If you've never heard Killswitch Engage, they are similar to bands like Chimaira, Shadows Fall, Sworn Enemy, Hatebreed, Lamb of God, Slipknot, American Head Charge, Slayer, and In Flames. If you like any of those bands you will most definitely love Killswitch.

Despite the words of fellow reviewers that have stated that the album is "directionless" and a "mess of disjointed riffs", this album is still incredible and has stood the test of time well. Forget the production (I found a remastered version fairly cheap at a local CD store) and focus on the song writing and the vocal stylings of then KSE singer Jesse Leah. Genius. Jesse is merciless on this disc and the guitars match him inch for inch! His guttural growls are not only enjoyable to listen to, they're hook laden. Listen to a song like Soilborn with lines that ache to screamed, "I am not alone, this is greater than I! SET ME FREE!"

If you think about when this album came out (2000) it becomes pretty hard to compare the album to many other metalcore bands going at the same time. These guys are the kings of the genre despite criticism saying they "sold out" or "are posers." Forget those kids; let them go lock themselves in their basement listening to bands only "hardcore music lovers like, YEAH!" I'll listen to the music I enjoy, underground or not!

Let's talk about the sound. Let's talk comparison! These boys have toured with a ton of metal monsters. Soilwork, In Flames, Slayer... but to whom do they pay homage? They have Sweden's melody and charm but they have that American brutality. Think Slayer but think more modern. This album is thrashy but it has no limits. These boys didn't write a thrash album, they wrote a brutal a$$ metalcore disc with no regrets!

If you like, check out: Unearth, Lamb of God, and Shadows Fall

I've been a Killswitch fan for awhile now. The first album I bought was "Alive Or Just Breathing." I liked the vocals and the melodic guitar rifs so much i decided to look into this band further. My next album was The End of Heartache. I was absolutely blown away. I will go into detail on The End of Heartache some other time, but it's worth every penny, trust me. Now, KsE's self-titled debut i bought most recently and i have to say i was somewhat dissappointed. The sound quality, no doubt, was much less than their other 2 albums. But as i listened to it more and more, i realized that that factoid definately does NOT take away from the uniqueness of this album. Irreversal is absolutely amazing and the different version of Vide Infra(I heard the AOJB version first)absolutely kicked ass. Now, if i had to pick between Howard or Jesse, i'd go with Howard. Dont get me wrong, Jesse Leach is an amazing vocalist who i wouldn't take a damn thing away from, and what also makes these 2 unique, is they can actually sing AND scream in tune. It's one of the many things that makes this band great. Previously Howard Jones was in Blood Has Been Shed, which is an absolutely brutal album. Insane vocals and lots of screaming. Bottom line, KsE's First album was an awesome start to something even more promising. Pick it up if u like them.

First off i cant believe what the real metalhead from ohio said, Everything besides killswitch on Roadrunner is Nu-metal garbage?he must not even know whos on roadrunner, What about Cradle of Filth? Obituary? Chimaira? Deicide? Are you out of your freaking gord man? Why dont you go check roadrunners roster on their website, all kinds of "real" metal bands on roadrunner.
To the cd, best tracks are Rusted Embrace, Vide nfra, Soilborn.
Very good album overall, not enough of it though.