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MetalBite Review by Michael on 12/8/2002

It’s about time! America has some good bands floating around, but I would never push for much more than a ‘good’ rating. As far as anything long the lines of melodic death or thrash goes America just have not had bands up to standard for a very long time... that is until now.

Killswitch Engage have exploded onto the world scene with one of not the best ‘debut’ full length albums I have ever heard. Their sound is an interesting one. Many influences can be heard in their music from melodic death bands like Soilwork to elements of hardcore and traces of old school thrash along the lines of Slayer. The thing that sets this band apart from others is their amazing ability to effortlessly and seamlessly move from some of the most aggressive and abrasive riffs and verses to some of the most smooth, melodic and flowing chorus’ I have had the pleasure of experiencing.

Musically the band are brilliant. Every musician seems to understand the importance of taking a place in the band and doing what is needed, not what they can unlick many bands out there at the moment. The drums sit perfectly, always as technical as is needed and always solid. The guitars and bass together are huge, this album has some of the best recoding and production out there right now which is always a refreshing change. Now to the vocals... what can I say? Howard Jones may well have the most versatile voice in metal at the moment. His range is unbelievable, from low death growls all the way through to black metal screams and to top it off can sing with the best of them. The lyrics are also very strong. Gone are the classic metal theme’s of steel wings and creatures of the night (sorry Rob) and welcome to songs that actually have positive social meanings and directions.

Bottom Line: Killswitch Engage are an amazing band. The sheer force and power of this album is amazing. A must have for the collection.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8.5
Originality: 7
Overall: 9.5

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Submitted by Tim Nesmith on 9/5/2003

I first heard of these guys form uRANIUM on MMUSA. My first thougth was, HOLY S#!T, this is heavy!!!!!! The firts song I haerd was," My Last Serenade" Which was cool becuase it has a acoustic intro with a choir behind the lead singer. Your first thought is, "oh boy another slow song. Then it gets into f**king heavy crap, which makes u want to get up and go insane!!! After I seen that video, I went to Best Buy and bought the CD. It was a REALLY good deal. I like the fact that the lead singer can actually sing REAL good, then growl and scream like hell. The guitarists are really good together. I REALY like the double bass drum that comes in once in a while. I've been spreading the word about them. Now i got like 10 or more of my friends to like them in just 2 weeks!!! I give this CD a 9 out of 10!!! ROCK ON KsE and keep kicking ass!!!

Submitted by Tim Geist on 3/3/2005

Perfect. Nuf' said.

Submitted by kylereece on 11/25/2006

I knew I was onto something when I went to see In Flames live and their opening act, Killswitch Engage, seemed to have more fans and positive reaction than they did. I bought this album a few days after that show and I wasnt disappointed!. The album is tight, fantastically produced and to the point. Songs like "Numbered Days", "My Last serenade" and "Fixation on the Darkness" showcase a simple but effective approach to hard metal of this kind. Fans of Soilwork will enjoy the lead singers vocals, who effortlessly goes from death metal growl to real bonafide singing throughout each track. The chorus are emphasized in every song giving them a feel that is hook-y without being cheesy. This is also one of the very few albums without lead guitar solos where I didnt mind the fact that there werent any. A very good album by band that is deserving in their success.