Tuesday, February 19, 2008

298. Killswitch Engage / As Daylight Dies. 2006. 3.5/5

A funny thing happened when I went to see Anthrax in concert one day… there was this support band called Killswitch Engage… and they were mightily impressive! Which meant I eventually got around to getting this album to see what it was like.

I find myself surprised still that this appeals to me. It’s not in my usual genre of metal, but it’s catchy. Probably the thing that first drew me to it was that Howard’s clear vocals tricked me into thinking it was Mike Patton singing. To me, the similarity is uncanny. From there, it’s easy to take in the music itself – punchy, raw in places, melodic and heavy throughout.
In the modern world of heavy metal, Killswitch Engage are one of the leaders, because they stay true to the roots of metal while still modernizing the sound that is a natural progression of the genre.

Have they captured me completely? No – not quite in my field of metal. But this album is great, and needs to be played loud to gain the full effect.

Favourites me include “Daylight Dies”, “This Is Absolution” and “My Curse”

Rating: One for the new generation. 3.5/5

No comments: