Review by Sheri Bicheno for MPM
I cannot deny that when I’d heard Killswitch Engage’s ninth album was in the works, I was buzzing! These guys need no introduction and being such an integral part of my growth with music since my teens, as with any other fan, I have loved seeing their evolution through the years.
The last album Atonement was released in 2019 and left such a mark in terms of establishing new elements in the sound for Killswitch Engage so I am really looking forward to what 6 years has conjured since then.
Seeing them play and reviewing their set at Bloodstock a couple of years ago really cemented some insight into some of their new techniques but this did not stop the ever loving nostalgia of these guys either.
So getting stuck into This Consequence, intro track Abandon Us dives straight into a sledgehammer of groove splintered riffs and maddening blasts of drums colliding together – there is absolutely no hanging around, we’ve got something utterly HEAVY on our hands here and much more than the signature Killswitch metalcore sound.
Jesse Leach’s growls cut through the chaos, sharp and demanding and a harsher, gruffer take on his vocals for this first song.
The melodic moments are still here and give a space for Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz strings to shift from tech infused notes to some brutal hardcore riffs and an injection of a killer little solo before shifting back into a melodic groove tone.
A fade out completes the track and gives into suspension for next track Discordant Nation.
The drumming technique here from Justin Foley is absolutely out of this world.
From the speed bullet first note of the track, we can hear blast beats folded into the double pedalling pummeling of the drums – and throughout, the precision through the heaviness of the groove and djent-ish ever changing twists of tempos is delivered to utter perfection. This is where I see a lot more of that groove fuelled of heaviness is more apparent in the new offering from Killswitch Engage.
There is such a new type of aggression in this track and aaaaalmost gives off a death metal vibe in places on Discordant Nation. Amongst the clean singing of Jesse, his growls bring forward a melodic brutality to the track and work with the intersections of breakdowns where the guitars bring a rainfall of melodic riffs and we hear Mike D’Antonio’s bass seal everything together with his frequency of chunky bassnotes,
No Killswitch Engage album would be complete without a start off to a track with some purely beautiful dreamscape melodics. Aftermath soothes in some of those beautiful strings and kicks into an epic uplifting harmony before Jesse delivers some earth shaking vocals and talks to us about finding yourself again after going through a dark time.
The tone shifts to an almost anthemic vibe and gives more of a light into Jesse’s clean vocals – herein kicks some nostalgic notes which takes me back to The End Of Heartache without loosing the new elements of the album.
Forever Aligned served as the album’s first single, the first song to be released since 2019! A flawless fusion of intense riffs, melodic passages, and varied vocal dynamics that showcases the evolved heavier elements of Killswitch Engage, yet still hold onto those cathartic nostalgia metalcore notes that they are so well known for.
The blend of melodics and heartfelt tones that pull on your heartstrings but have you headbanging like crazy are boldly outlined in this magnetic track. Throughout the track, you’re sucked into a vortex that pulls you to and from so many moods that invoke emotions and hammering brutality. The ending of the track with the beautiful melodic strings tops this off beautifully after such a journey!
I Believe was the second single and is another anthemic tone into the album which highlights Jesse’s power behind his clean vocals that join with a bouncing rhythm throughout.
With a huge focus on a positive message in the album, this is such an empowering track that injects a hopefulness and huge ignition to urge their listeners to carry on through anything. The musicianship behind this track is absolutely stunning and had me near to tears halfway through to be honest – this is a song that I feel could be so helpful to it’s audience for those that seek console in music.
A really beautiful track and one that I feel has all the makings of being one that fans new and old will turn to through dark times.
Where It Dies is arguably one of the heaviest tracks on the album, it starts out as a storm of groove infused riffs and if you listen carefully, you can hear the absolute power of the chugging bassnotes from Mike setting the pace from the get go.
The guitars are outstanding here too – not just with the groove techniques that are used, the dual skill on the guitars of Adam and Joel work so well together here. Where we have a technical edge to the riffs, there’s interludes of absolutely brutal rhythm sections and almost thrashy elements to match the pace of Justin’s powerhouse of drums on this track.
Again, this is where Killswitch Engage have shown that they don’t have problems incorporating genres together to deliver something with a twist. Jesse’s vocals are brutal here and take on a combination of his signature high screams with the rawness of his blend of gutturals and roars.
A track that will knock your block off.
Collusion starts as another chunky riffed hard hitting track that blends into melodics that whisk you off into a dimension of massive energy and absolutely jaw dropping vocals. Jesse’s vocals here are both clean and absolutely BRUTAL. I feel like this song really shines some of his best techniques all in one song.
Clean and beautiful vocals that seamlessly glide into some of the most core splitting gutturals I’ve ever heard from him. The dude has definitely upped his technique in the new songwriting stage, if even that was possible.
This track is a battering ram of energy, brutal vocals and stunning riffs of strings at the forefront.
The Fall Of Us has a distinctive change in pace and genre in This Consequence. Another track that is one of the heaviest on the album, I feel a little like there are some blackened elements in delivery of Justin’s drums in a few places of the track. From the start there’s a tonne of sections where he is completely blast beating the absolute life of the kit and gives a monstrous energy with the tempo blends alongside the maddening riffs of the guitars.
From the get go, the track is a complete inferno of brutality and unrepentant aggression that invokes some of the biggest sounds on the album.
This is a breakneck headbanger – and with the small interjections of melodics, is definitely one of my favourites of this new offering.
It has everything that pulls you into it’s energy – it encapsulates you with the melodically clean and stunningly brutal vocals, the facemelting riffs and rhythm sections of the guitars and frequency of the bassnotes. And the drums top off the pace of the track with both blackened and death -esque techniques that still hold onto the groove of the album. Amazing songwriting!!!
Broken Glass nears the end of the album and again showcases the album’s ability to show another evolution of Killswitch Engage.
There’s some hardcore hidden in this track in places, though cleverly not in the conventional sense and though it’s the slowest paced track of the album, it’s heaviness takes form in chuggy breakdowns and bass infused interludes with hypnotic sections amongst bulldozing drums.
This is not a style I’ve heard from Killswitch Engage before and in all honesty, it suits them – the sludging riffs and bassline, the blast beating interludes of drums amongst breakdown style beats and guttural vocals come together with the signature core elements of these guys and they make it all fit together so that nothing sounds like it’s out of place.
Love this track and the fresh direction of Killswitch Engage it gives.
Requiem is the finale of the album and though full of the newer groove styles, is such a nostalgic trip back in time. The epic heightened moods of the guitars and solo brings such a killer reminder of where Killswitch Engage started out and shifting into their 25 year journey, they have morphed and are never afraid to try new things – but never, ever forget their roots.
Absorbing This Consequence was phenomenal – this gives me so much excitement for Killswitch Engage and all who love them when this is out and when the guys play these songs live. To watch them live in their evolution playing new songs after around 6 years is going to be such an experience after releasing what I believe is going to be an album that will mark their history.
Order here: http://www.killswitchengage.com
