Metalcore pioneers Killswitch Engage are back, with their eighth studio album, Atonement. This is the band’s third studio album since the return of original lead singer Jesse Leach. While Leach’s contributions to the popularity of the band cannot be denied, Howard Jones, who served as lead vocalist between Leach’s two stints in the band, is equally beloved by Killswitch fans, and considered by many to be the superior Killswitch vocalist. The albums released by the band during the Jones era are widely regarded as some of the best entries in the Killswitch Engage catalogue. The band’s previous two albums, featuring Leach, have been met with lukewarm reception by comparison (not terrible by any means, but certainly not in the same weight class as their best work with either vocalist). So is Atonement a resurgence for Killswitch Engage, or simply the latest installment in a streak of mediocre releases?
Well, it’s actually somewhere in between. At its core, this is a pretty typical Killswitch Engage record. A constant back-and-forth between growled vocals over fast, aggressive instrumentals, and melodic, yet intense vocals over slower, but still heavy instrumentals, all topped with broad, generic lyrics about an epic battle between good and evil. It more or less follows the same formula that every metalcore record of the past two decades has followed. However, this can be at least partially forgiven, as Killswitch Engage are among the bands credited with creating this formula. But even if the skeletal structure of this album is nothing groundbreaking, the album’s best moments prove to be some of the most effective uses of the Killswitch Engage formula in years. “The Crownless King” and “Ravenous” are two of the heaviest cuts on the album, carried by intense, thrashing guitars, that sound like they came straight off of the first Metallica record. In general, this album features some of the band’s best guitar work to date. For a band that is largely recognizable for their rhythm guitar sound, this album features a surprising amount of melodic lead work, clearly drawing inspiration from Iron Maiden.
As I said before, Killswitch Engage is known for switching between heavier passages and more melodic passages, within their songs. And while the heavier moments on this album stick the landing more often than not, the softer moments really tend suffer. While on the classic Killswitch records, these moments are peppered into the songs tastefully, to make them more dynamically interesting, on this record, it seems like they take up almost as much of the run-time as the heavier moments. This on its own isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but wow, the softer moments on this album are super corny. Tracks such as “Us Against the World” and “I Am Broken Too” nearly reach Five Finger Death Punch levels of overly dramatic schlock. On top of this, “I Am Broken Too” essentially sounds like a bad metalcore interpretation of a pop-punk song. Oddly enough however, these slower, more pop-centric cuts feature some of the most epic, harmonious lead guitar work on the album. At the end of the day, there isn’t a track on this album that is completely without merit.
As on the previous two albums, the “good vs. evil” themes that have always been central to this band’s lyrical content, are injected with references to lead singer Jesse Leach’s Christian faith. Even though God is never mentioned by name, it is clear that many of the tracks on Atonement are about him. Specifically, “The Signal Fire” (which features Howard Jones) and “As Sure as the Sun Will Rise” include Biblical sentiments regarding faith, courage, and deliverance. Even though the vast majority of these lyrics could be interpreted as broad, ambiguous, or even generic, Leach is certainly not without conviction in his delivery of them. It is clear that Leach truly believes every word he sings (and shouts). Leach never lets up for the duration of this album, and his vocal performance is one of the major highlights. There are a few notable, and effective, deviations from the aforementioned lyrical themes. “Know Your Enemy” is a bold, anti-authoritarian ode to freedom of thought, set to one of the most infectious grooves on the entire album. The album’s closing track, “Bite the Hand That Feeds” is an overt anti-war anthem, one of the very few explicitly political moments on the album.
While this album is certainly not without its flaws, the highpoints ultimately outweigh them. The energy, passion, and blistering instrumental performances packed into this album are more than enough to make it worth a try. After Killswitch Engage parted ways with Howard Jones, they certainly struggled to regain their footing. But with this release, the band seems to be finding their old groove. Jesse Leach sounds as comfortable in his role as lead vocalist as he did during his first stint with the band, giving their sound a well-needed boost in tightness and confidence. Even if this album is lacking in innovation and creativity, and falls flat in several places, overall, it sounds like a Killswitch Engage album is supposed to. If Killswitch Engage and the metalcore genre aren’t your thing, Atonement isn’t likely to change your mind, but for longtime fans, this album will be satisfactory, and at its best moments, even somewhat refreshing.
Score: 7/10
Favorite Song(s): The Crownless King, Know Your Enemy, Bite the Hand That Feeds, I Can’t Be the Only One
Least Favorite Song(s): I Am Broken Too, Us Against the World
Phil Klinker Music Reviews 