The End of Heartache

The actual review of this album doesn't matter much does it. We're all just a lot more interested in why such an album, in the context of the greater emerging metalcore phenomenon, should come to be. A word will still be consecrated the tracks of course, but first, the interesting part. There was an intriguing commentary that was made about how the socioeconomic context of a historical period strongly affected the art that came out during that time, which seems relatively evident. But then a closer look specifically at the level of collective suffering occurring, notably as it pertains to war, allows far more insight. It seems the generations that grew up to become the bands from the 80's up to about the early 90's, had a deeper affliction they carried with them into the realm of musical expression. The music in a broad sense had more substance to it, because although the individuals themselves hadn't gone to a war, the memories from the traumatic world events of the 1930's and 40's, in conjunction with more recent developments like Vietnam or the Cold War, were current and hardly forgotten.

Compare a metal band that made it mainstream like Slayer in the 80's - when thrash was king, home to all the big names - to a mainstream metal band from the early/mid 2000's like, say, Killswitch Engage, when all the kids were into the melodic stuff. There's a tremendous difference in the very conception of what music is, and what the endeavor of the music maker should be. The former spoke of concentration camps, Hell and death, and their imagery and language were dark and apocalyptic. Even with Slayer, there was always going to be a part of it that was a show, "make believe", but the clenched fist demeanor was there. Now KSE doesn't represent all of metal in 2004, but here, a fair comparison could be made between these two bands considering the target audience in terms of age was roughly the same: the teenagers and twenty somethings of their time. Loads of kids in the 80's were moshing to Slayer in large arenas, the same way lots were moshing to KSE in 2004 in big venues. That "clenched fist" just mentioned now with metalcore bands would see its grip set loose, to better embrace the softer, rounder shape of ...a foam ball.

Don't get me wrong. It's fun blasting some 'Rose of Sharyn' for old time's sake, what with its teeny melancholic candor and its poppy chorus - who doesn't want to feel like they're 20 again every so often ? For that matter lots of choruses are catchy on this and were put together with some purpose; considering how at large, this is pretty low effort composition quite frankly. The chorus on 'Breathe Life' is possibly the best on here, as both musically and lyrically it at least attempts to approach the distant shores of musical depth and sheer sorrow rather than the prevailing Hollywood-cued, manufactured foam ball choruses (yes, this again). Howard Jones' voice is so powerful with his neo-operatic flights, and the production so neat, that it's easy to catch oneself sing along, which would be fine, if not for the fact that the choruses are obviously using the most stereotypical chord progressions available to people. So the music is indeed cheap, save a couple of moments here and there. It's just well packaged. The manner with which each track is filled with exactly the same material every other track is; from formulaic intro to bland verse of heavy guitars with tough-guy vocals, a pre-chorus, the chorus and then some predictable break, the final chorus... with every track playing pretty close iterations of every other part throughout the record.

More about historical periods and their art: the music here isn't even close to heavy enough for the initiated metalhead running on thrash and death or black, which means it caters to the younger generation, the adolescents that grew up in a more asepticized, risk-free environment. Their collective imagination was filled with Japanese anime and video games, and pop culture. War was the last thing on their minds. So that distance from human reality effectively turned a good chunk of the underground artists of society, into strolling minstrels with an energy so casual and harmless it gathered juvenile minds from a time when the most devastating thing that could happen to you (bar rare tragedies) was your crush didn't like you back. Of course not all of metal was safe, utterly conventional, musically and artistically stale material in the early 2000's. But hailing from an East Coast suburban type setting, all part of Generation X, the new millennium and all that...it makes sense a band not terribly preoccupied by the more disturbing aspects of existence would want to make music like this. And hey, it may be fun to listen to every once in a while, but it isn't music that takes long to write and surely won't be deeply affecting, and its farthest reach is hardly that of genuine heartache *wink*.
In fact to end on a catty note, spending too much time on this is probably futile and... the beginning of headache. *wink wink*

I always namedrop Killswitch as the prototypical metalcore band by the definition that caught fire around this time in America, but in all honesty As I Lay Dying was always right there with them and I've always seen them as sister bands to each other. I came around to AILD years ago, but KSE has no such love from me, almost entirely because I'm only familiar with with their 2013 album that nobody listened to and have a vague memory of them being one of the wimpier bands in the style when I was a teenager. In giving The End of Heartache a full, good faith listen well over a decade after the fact, I think I lucked out with my assumption being more or less right on the money. At least when compared to AILD, as they so often were back then, Killswitch is definitely the less threatening band by a pretty wide margin.

So when I say they're one of the earliest examples of metalcore to break through, I'm obviously not talking about the Converge style where manic hardcore got dashed against metal. I'm talking about this very specific substyle with an identical name that spawned an inescapable scene in the early to mid aughts. This style (and so by extension, this album) is basically just Swedish melodeath as popularized by In Flames (which I sometimes deconstruct into "Iron Maiden with growls") blended with a vaguely hardcore proclivity for big knuckle-breaking breakdowns and a more explicitly post-hardcore love of emotive lyrics about inner struggles and relationships delivered with sugary sweet vocals in the invariably cleanly sung chorus of every single song. So what you get when you hit play here is a sequence of predictable songs that start with double bass and screaming over aggressive Slaughter of the Soul b-sides before transitioning into expressive cleans over a half-time melodic chorus. Repeat once, do a big heavy breakdown, bring the chorus back with harsh vocals layering in the background. Rinse and repeat twelve times for a guaranteed success.

From what I understand, The End of Heartache was a major moment for Killswitch Engage, since judging by what I've picked up in my research, this was a bit of a hard melodic turn for them. This could well be due to the introduction of vocalist Howard "Bones" Jones. According to people I asked who like this band, the original (and now current again) vocalist, Jesse "The Body" Leach, is a better screamer, while Jones is a better singer. So in theory it was the correct move to pivot to a more melodic approach in order to play to his strength. And I won't deny it, Jones has a fucking beautiful voice. His screams are nothing to write home about but his cleans are these booming injections of tender mid-range smoothness into the music that I can't help but admire unironically. "Smooth" really is the operative word here, because once he switches to his cleans he doesn't have an ounce of grit in him, but they work marvelously in the context of what the music is trying to do with these grand melodic choruses.

The issue is that he works with what the music is trying to do. In practice, the actual instrumental component of this record is so uninteresting and dull that he winds up being a wonderful singer miscast in a really average metal band. Going straight from Shadows Fall to Killswitch has shown a positively canyonesque gulf in riff writing ability. The End of Heartache is just as formulaic as anything in the niche tended to be, but apart from the crazy intense intro of "When Darkness Falls" and an awesome straight-to-the-point riff about thirty seconds into "Wasted Sacrifice" they fail to squeak out something that's even accidentally exciting. "Simple" is not a dirty word for me, but god damn half of this album feels like first draft riffs that sorta fit into whatever song they were working on at the time that they failed to workshop even a little bit. This feels lazy because that's such a hard criticism to back up, but it's really the best I've got. I imagine a scene where "Mad" Adam Dutkiewicz sits down in his bedroom with his guitar. He's already done his warmup exercises and jammed through some classic tunes he likes, so now it's songwriting time. He closes his eyes and says "Okay, let's just play a metal riff", so he opens his eyes and plays the very first generic melodeath-y pattern that pops into his head before proudly saying "Done!" and emailing Jones to let him know the eighth track is ready. I know they're professionals so I'm sure they worked really hard on all of these songs but man that's the vibe I get and it's hard to elucidate further. Listen to that first riff on "Rose of Sharyn" and tell me with a straight face that that wasn't the first god damned idea he had before laying it to tape. Hell it even sounds remarkably similar to the first riff on "Breathe Life"! Same tempo playing similar patterns with the only substantial difference being a few more trilling bits on the latter track.

Even though I'm 100% sure these aren't literal first drafts, that's really the approach that makes the album make the most sense to me. Structures are reused and so many sections are similar to one another throughout the album, from the tempos to the drum beats to the interplay between the guitars in the most melodic sections, The End of Heartache sounds like three songwriting tricks being flogged to the point of tedium and that's really the overarching problem with the whole album. I can dig simplicity and pop song structuring, not everything needs to showcase some sort of avant-garde wizardry, but this goes too far in the other direction and plays everything so safe that it's actively un-fun to listen to. At the end of the day, I'm walking away from this experience feeling like I just listened to a royalty-free audio pack labeled "metal-1.midi" with an inexplicably good vocalist crooning over the top. It's a weak final thought but it's a weak album and I don't have much to work with, capice?


Originally written for Lair of the Bastard

For some 2004 is marked as the year that metalcore died, whereas others mark it as the point where the sub-genre matured and became a truly viable movement within the American metal scene. The truth is naturally somewhere in between, though from an objective standpoint it leans a bit further towards the latter argument, and Killswitch Engage's famous/infamous third studio outing The End Of Heartache is the focal point of this coming of age moment in metalcore's two decade history. The visual of two bloodied hands holding a heart pieced by dozens of nails is itself a fitting visual of a style that has planted its flag on a confessional and emotionally-charged character that is often compared to the earlier emo-rock movement, and it is also an accurate summation of the sentimental character of the music that dominates the arrangement. But relative to the primordial metalcore offerings that preceded the mid-2000s, which includes the earlier Jesse Leach-fronted material of this very outfit, the musical picture has taken on a decidedly more accessible tone.

Much of this pivot in sound can be credited with the exodus of the aforementioned previous singer and the entry of Howard Jones, though naturally it doesn't fully terminate on this. Jones' huskier and more soulful baritone clean vocals provide a unique cathartic affect upon the admittedly pop-like chorus material that permeates most of these songs, though he proves to be a more adept screamer than Leach was in the early days and gives the more thrashing and melodeath elements of their formula a needed boost in the aggression department. The sing-along value that is established during the refrain points alone gives these songs the sort of arena-oriented flavor that explains the resulting explosion of the style in the subsequent years following this album's entry, yet at the same time enough of the older, rawer character of the style is maintained as to keep a sense of metallic credibility in play. To put it in succinct terms, this album basically accomplishes what In Flames was going for on Reroute To Remain, minus the whiny character of Anders' gimpy attempts at clean singing.

Then again, there is definitely a flip side to this equation, namely the argument that the resulting pop-influences rob the style of its spontaneity and turn it into a formulaic drag. This objection tends to hold true for a lot of the overtly pop-core nonsense that followed this album's lead, but overall this album is not really hampered by its more concise format, but thrives off it and brings a distinctive set of heartfelt anthems into the mix. Generally the album does a bit better when it lays on the faster, more riff-happy thrashing moments and dissonant rage as heard on "When Darkness Falls" and "Breathe Life", but even when things take on more of a mellow, bordering on power ballad-like character as on the ultra-catchy radio single "Rose Of Sharyn" (which has a couple riffs that sound like they were lifted directly off of In Flames' Whoracle) and the kinda emo-tinged tinged title song "The End Of Heartache", there is a metallic credibility at play amid the hook-oriented sweetness. Even the full on atmospheric, bordering on alternative rock interlude material in "Inhale" and "And Embers Rise" have a charm to them that plays well to the album's sentimental character.

Chalk it up to wanting to take an unpopular opinion or a change of heart in a middle-aged metal head who finds himself losing the hatred he used to hold towards certain popular phenomenons within metal's softer side, but this writer doesn't find much wanting in this heavily controversial slab of metallic innovation. Granted, it definitely has a formulaic nature to it and it can get a little repetitive listening to the album all the way through, not to mention that the songs are build entirely off of riffs and strict drum patterns that leave little time for fancy guitar soloing or any other technical noodling to break up the predictable flow of things. It's among one of the better things to come out of the 2000s metalcore explosion, and is among the best efforts ever put forth by the band in question. Whether one prefers their metal tuneful and easy to get into, or jagged edged and loaded with intensity, there is a bit of everything in here, which is a big part as to why these songs became so influential. Don't let a subsequently bad Dio cover and a recent string of lackluster output with their original singer fool you, this is a legit piece of metal history.

The latest review for this album suggested The Black Album of Metalcore. They weren't wrong. This album is exactly it. I'm not saying that this album went down in comparison to how Metallica's The Black Album/self-titled did, as far as success goes, but this record IN COMPARISON features some really bad and forgettable songs, therefore earning its overrated status and actually justifying it by the quality of the music.

When it comes to the new lineup, it remained consisted and solid to this day, albeit having Howard Jones as the replacement of Jesse Leach and becoming the full-time member of the band until he had to quit and Jesse returning to fill his place as the full-time vocalist once again (which during that time Phil Labonte was auditioning, despite having his run with his own band, All That Remains). All the strings guys stayed, yet Howard's recruitment wasn't solely; meaning the drummer he was playing with BEFORE he was called up to join the band joined as well, and that man is Justin Foley (AKA, Erick Rowan; although he didn't look like him until 2006). You see: while Howard had his first run with his metalcore band, Blood Has Been Shed, Justin was in his band local/state band, Red Tide. He only joined Howard in Blood Has Been Shed's final album - which unintentionally spawned deathcore with its drop G-fuck knows tuning. That album was decent regardless, and when that band broke up both parties ended up forming a new lineup to prepare for The End of Heartache. It's like Killswitch Engage meets Blood Has Been Shed.

So much like how Brian Fair was the hottest thing in metalcore back in the day, Howard was in that exact same spot; even though Blood Has Been Shed being pretty underrated and didn't have the same impact as a band like Overcast had. Howard mainly has his screaming and melodic vocals and that great baritone of his - you'd obviously want to work with someone with such unique voice, especially when you're in Adam's position.

Then there's the solidity of the band's current position, not only in terms of the lineup but the sound and music as well. The End of Heartache was a new beginning and marked a significant change in the music; transitioning to prominent melodies and truly defining "melodic metalcore", whereas with Jesse it has always been more hardcore and heavy - which is mainly why I've always liked Jesse; not just because he's the original singer, but even his modern albums suffice.

A Bid Farewell has a climatic beginning (much like how Rise Inside from Alive or Just Breathing had expect it was from Mike's ravishing bass tone), not just for the song itself but for the entire album. It's got some catchy, slow melody and the whole riffage is great. At least Howard sounds like himself, so that eliminates any expectations gathered from his version of Fixation on the Darkness. Rose of Sharyn is one of the band's famous songs and it's already catchy with fine melodies from start to finish. After the second verse, the melodies become even wider until the chorus where it doesn't offer any huge moment like the last two songs, but the melodies are great regardless. Adam sings in the bridge, too. Breathe Life is one of the best songs on the album since it delivered in heaviness, melodies and how unbelievably catchy they sound. The screaming and vocals are also powerful, and the lyrics fit the music. The chorus sounds a bit similar to Take This Oath, only it more refined. And now for the most famous song in metalcore: the title track. The catchy intro melody, the huge scream by Howard, the - well, quite simple verses, and the chorus is too damn good because of the vocals and riffs. It's not a godlike song by any means, though, let's be honest. It's amazing, but it's beatable by other songs in the band's catalog. Declaration is tied with A Bid Farewell for having the best intro. The song itself while it progresses sound heavy and melodic. To simply put, it's one of the best tracks on the album. Even the outro vocals by Howard sounded amazing. Hope Is... is EVERYTHING this album should've turned out: the riffage, the drums, the vocals, and the progression from start to finish. This song is a prime example of what made As Daylight Dies great. Another fun part of this song is the heavy breakdown. Phil Labonte appears once again with Killswitch Engage, adding low gutturals and some audible unclean vocals with Howard. My Life for Yours should've ended up on the original tracklist since it's one of the heaviest songs recorded for this album - I mean that fucking breakdown is the best the band has ever written. Had the band removed those pointless fillers and added this song (perhaps as the final track) instead, I would've slightly respected this record more. Very underrated song.

Take This Oath, which surprisingly features Jesse; just to prove he never intentionally left and was still friends with the band, adding backing vocals in the chorus. The bridge features Howard's excellent melodies, backed by the guitar melodies which is really the best part about this song all the way to the outro. Overall, the song sounds pretty simple; like a rock song. When Darkness Falls already begins with some blasting drums and heavy guitars, as well as Howard's screams and unclean vocals, while the chorus calms the song down with Howard's cleans and the music transitioning to some groovy riffs and melodies. All the "heavy" expectations went down when the melodies and clean vocals started - and I thought to myself it was in the same caliber as most of the songs on Alive or Just Breathing. What a shame. Inhale is an electric guitar interlude that offers NOTHING; just a pointless filler. World Ablaze, which is also titled after their famous video/live album from 2005, the chorus riff sounds like Demon Hunter in a sense, yet the riffage overall is a letdown and not impressive. Howard sounds very boring with little to no impact on the vocals, and the song pretends to sound good - much like When Darkness Falls. And Embers Rise is more atmospheric with extra acoustic guitars, yet still just another filler. Without Sacrifice has awesome riffs, but the song sounds so predictable and ultimately turned out to be generic, especially during the chorus. The breakdown also reminded me of a lot of Demon Hunter - and by mentioning them twice now, I'm not implying that either band copied one another, when coincidentally both bands recorded and released their respective records around the same dates But the amount of heaviness in that particular song sounds like they copied Demon Hunter, because the breakdown's riffage sounds like most of what Demon Hunter plays prominently. Irreversal also features Phil with his low gutturals, but Jesse makes his second appearance on the album, singing in the chorus. I find it amazing to have at least three of the greatest metalcore singers in the same song, but its main con was the music. The drums sounded odd and almost out of place. The acoustic guitars on the bridge sound so tasteless, compared to the original version's heavily-effected guitars that built a beautiful, yet devastating atmosphere. The music was out of sync. The deluxe edition offers a short version of The End of Heartache - also available in the Resident Evil: Apocalypse movie. It also has a music video. Anyway, not only it's one minute short, but most of the screaming that made the original version great have been turned down and covered by the newly clean vocals, not to mention the long opening scream is cut. I guess this is the "to-fit-the-audience" version, and while Howard didn't sound bad on the newly clean vocals dubbed over the original screaming, it's still a pointless version to exist.

The End of Heartache is a boring record that essentially was a melodic experiment to the music and vocals - that only in As Daylight Dies this experiment was fully prepared. Even the bad songs that contain some good parts didn't signify any potential for improvement. Whatever impact this album initiated in the genre, come on... this album is decent. Maybe Howard's vocals were the primary source that triggered such "unbelievable and breath-taking music", but the band produced better music after this - with Howard.

I always saw the potential in Rose of Sharyn and Declaration, and I'm happy they eventually turned out the way I expected them to sound. If given the chance, they deserve the listen. With that being said, the best songs are Breathe Life, the title track, Hope Is..., and My Life for Yours. These four songs were heavy and fit the criteria that defined "melodic metalcore" in the band's case.

I am a bit disappointed that this was less popular than AOJB. Let me explain...


For a long time, I have been a bigger fan of the direction that -core hasn't leaned to, to be fair. I have long since preferred the rawer evolutions that would become genres such as "thrashcore" "fastcore" "crust" and "powerviolence." However, "metalcore" has been a misnomer for some time, and Killswitch Engage has always been caught in the middle as equally a pioneer as they are a defiler of the genre. There was clearly more "thrash" and older "metalcore" elements on AOJB, and I'll be the first one to say that in general, there are some songs on AOJB that are better than any given song on "End of Heartache". But of course this is meant to be a critique for one entire album, and I feel that this album doesn't quite as flamboyantly flaunt such a degree of uncomfortably predictable breakdowns, and nowhere near as ridiculous an overuse of pinch-harmonics that might contend for the most ridiculous abuse of guitar squeals in mainstream heavy metal aside from Zakk Wylde.


Of course, there are breakdowns and squeals on "End of Heartache," (especially on the single "When Darkness Falls") as old dogs don't typically learn new tricks, but all the songs are far more approachable, vastly more memorable, and most importantly, the heavy riffs stay heavy and don't meander until they are done and ready for the poppy verses that are inevitable, but not as uncalled for. Even the jingle "When Darkness Falls" tends to take a far more precise stab to the heart than singles and anthems past and future.


I have pissed off "true metal" fans and "metalcore" fans alike by liking this album, but I really cannot cease to do so, as there is such a cohesive sense of blending emotion and heaviness without really, at any point, "whining" like many modern metalcore bands do. I'd even say that listening to this album is a breather from such bands, like Iron Maiden and many derivative "speed/power" metal bands experimenting with melody were for people disenchanted by the big wave of "melodeath" that may have been equally perverse in its commercialization as "metalcore" is now.


No, it's not a classic album, but it truly is a much more prominent expression than the confused and arbitrary "core?metal?melody?" nature they originated with. Fans of early Shai Hulud, or early 90's core bands that were a precursor (Orchid, etc.) might take or leave it, as well as many buffs of "thrash", "punk", and "hardcore" might take or leave it, but for my dime, this is one hell of a last hurrah in an era where genuine subgenres were still trying to exist and thrive in a business that puts pressure on many great artists to become digestibly terrible. It's a more focused anger, and if you don't pick up on it, then maybe you should stop stigmatizing the middlemen and missing links that were overlooked simply because of their being middlemen and missing links.


In summation, I believe that his album has more feeling than any of their releases. Not only that, but it has a more political message than people give it credit for. Burnt by the Sun's "Heart of Darkness" was ignored for a similar reason.

Let me start by saying that this band was one of first heavy bands I've listened to, and if it wasn't for this album. I don't think I would've been able to appreciate anything heavy, even so, my tastes have grown. However I think that this band deserves a healthy applause for what they have offered us in this release. Yes, this is not for metal puritans, this album is for those who are new to the concept of heavy music. I believe this album contains some good stuff.

The first thing that I like about this album are the guitars, it has a very thick sound. These riffs are all very intricate, we have typical metalcore riffs as well as some melodic death riffs here and there. The badass utilization of the guitar sound in "Rose of Sharyn" is really awesome, and I think the song itself may well be the best song recorded in the album.

The second thing I liked was the drumming, it draws some comparison with As I Lay Dying and Trivium's style of drumming. Sounding like the drummer was really enjoying himself when he played this, it's not that irritating "I are br00tal kid" drumming you find in bands like Memphis May Fire, there is a sense of metallic decency here, the hardcore routes were easy to detect, but very respectable.

The third thing that stood out to me was Howard Jones' vocals. Jones has very good vox, he switches between metalcore growls and clean singing which sounds very much like a symphonic metal vocalist. No emo bullshit, very masculine and elegant. "Breathe Life" was the best vocal performance of Howard on the album. Very good.

All in all, a very respectable metalcore release. I think this album is very underrated, and it's disgusting. A release I recommend for metallic newcomers, get this.

The release of this album is located at the exact moment in time when it dawned on all the metalcore bands in the world that they were actually way better at writing heavy-sounding pop songs than actual metal or hardcore, and thank god it happened, because all those pre-'04 metalcore releases that are nothing more than turgid post-thrash with breakdowns are some of the most obnoxious things on the fucking planet. 'The End of Heartache' was a pretty fantastic move for that scene, really. This isn't to say that with this album all the kinks were worked out; definitely not. This album still has a ton of the stillborn aggro-rock that defined early releases by Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall, but you can see the clear movement towards a poppier, more accessible style that marks the exact moment where metalcore started to become more than merely tolerable.

I'm not going to lie: this is an album of moments, not songs, for the most part. I think there's exactly one instance where the band manages to string together a full song that I enjoy all the way through, that being 'Rose of Sharyn,' which is unsurprisingly probably the most obviously pop-oriented track on the record. It doesn't feature toughguy breakdowns, particularly aggressive riffing, or any of the meaningless concessions to extremity that dot the other tracks. And in that same vein, the best moments of this record follow suit: they're the cleanly-sung, bombastic choruses, which always feature the best riffs, the catchiest lyrics, and the most infectious musical structures. Killswitch Engage always possessed this poppy element to their music, but it's only on 'The End of Heartache' that it really came to the forefront, and it was absolutely for the best, because they're much better at it than seriously heavy compositions. With a special knack for blending alt rock melodies and metalcore rhythms and song structures, Killswitch Engage came into their own in a lot of places on this record where they faltered before.

Of course, I can't ignore the fact that for every phenomenal moment there's a dull one- those being the more aggressive ones. This album is dotted with pseudo-thrash riffs and aggressive, propulsive drumming, but they rarely if ever lead to anything significant. The bland one chord breakdowns just sound completely feeble and lifeless compared to the melodrama of the choruses and melodic riffs, so what's the point of their inclusion at all? To get the Hatebreed fans in the crowd convinced that what they're listening to isn't as undoubtedly lame as it clearly is? It really sucks, because minus all the aggressive material, you'd be left with a phenomenal pop-metal album that I would probably listen to constantly. As it stands, though, it doesn't get there, and I tend to do a lot of skimming and skipping when this is on.

This is definitely a worthwhile listen for purely historical reasons, as it irrevocably changed the game for metalcore and mainstream metal in general. It could have been better- substantially better- but for what it is, it's still listenable, if rather obviously dated at this point. Then again, why am I talking about it like this? It's fucking 'The End of Heartache.' You have a copy of this in your sock drawer somewhere.

It's analogy time. You know the drink V8? This is what this album reminds me of. It's made up of pretty much every metalcore technique you can think of, all of which enthusiasts of the genre would tell you would make a good metalcore album but the problem is that the most irritating elements are used the most often with the enjoyable elements spaced out sparingly throughout the album. I doubt it's intentional though, as in 2004 metalcore was just starting to develop and gain prominence with 'The End Of Heartache' among other albums leading the way. Thus I don't think that they intentionally made an album with a whole bunch of different metalcore stylistic elements on purpose; rather I think a lot of the mediocre metalcore bands combed through albums like this and based their sound out of a few of those elements. Returning to the analogy, just because V8 has a whole bunch of nutrients it doesn't matter because it still tastes bad. It's not because the band are incompetent musicians, it's because they are playing to a carefully measured formula that tends to restrict the potential they have. Make no mistake, this is very calculated mainstream metal, mainstream first and metal second.

No discussion or review of Killswitch Engage would be complete without a discussion of vocalist Howard Jones. Depending on who you talk to, he's either an amazing singer or an abomination to music itself. To me, it seems like he is a little of both. In a technical sense, he is excellent. He has a huge range, and can pull of a multitude of vocal styles with a large lung capacity and a strong tone. Theres's a few very harsh almost black metal style screams scattered about that unfortunately he doesn't use more than a handful of times, and the clean vocals which are stellar except for one glaring flaw: he has this whiny underdone in his voice that is really irritating to listen to for the whole album. You also have the generic tough guy hardcore screams, the kind that are harsh enough to be 'heavy' but not too harsh as to be unintelligible or scare away a mainstream auidience and that are also very grating to listen to. In general the vocals follow the harsh verse and clean chorus, though often in the chorus Howard's strong clean voice is dragged down by more hardcore screaming taking place at the same time.

Structurally the music follows the same pattern of potential being wasted at the expense of a stylistic prison. The songs are written, first and foremost, to be catchy, and in doing that they are all about big chorus's and sometimes bridges. In this sense, they succeed as I've had vocal lines and riffs stick to my head for days on end. Although some people on this site would tell you differently, it does take some songwriting ability to write a catchy song. Unfortunately, the rest of the instruments get shoved aside for the vocals during the big cleanly sung parts, most of the time you only get a power chord or a few 'emotional' notes from the guitar and the drums similarly back out of the way. The album's very conventional structure and emphasis on being catchy is also it's biggest flaw, in that there isn't really a lot of variety in terms of delivery because everything is written to be immediately accessible to almost any type of listener. As such, the album has a severe tendency to drag.

When the band isn't focusing on poppy vocal loops, the remaining space in the songs are fairly evenly divided by guitar riffs and breakdowns. Oddly, I can't pick out more than one breakdown from the album but I remember them being there, even after dozens of listens; they are integrated within the tracks rather than being a dreaded gimmick that dominates the songs. The breakdowns are a bit more complex than your average open note chugging, but not by a huge amount, usually consisting of a grooving sequence of single notes.

Guitar riff wise, pretty much every type of metalcore riff you can think of is present, though in varying proportions. There's the fast paced simple half thrash riffs (I say half thrash because they would seem pretty intense and 'metal' to people that have never listened to thrash) and the other variety of fast paced riff the start stop metalcore riff that takes queues from melodeath. Sometimes you have a full-on melodic death metal riff, but it's unfortunate that when these riffs turn up they aren't repeated very often. The main bulk of the riffs are irritating, plodding harmonic strumming and groove riffs with power chords in the choruses. Occaisonally you get a few harmonies, but they most consist of one guitar playing a more complex riff and another playing a mosh riff. It's frustrating because I hear them play a decent riff once per song on average, but then they don't develop it and they just return to playing idiotic mosh riffs. It again follows the pattern that they are aiming for formulaic mainstream metalcore, and once again the potential of the album is wasted in order to fill that formula.

The other parts of the music are as predictableAs far as drums and bass goes, they really stay out of the way of the guitars and vocals most of the time, as you can only really notice the drums in a few double bass parts where the band wants you to hear them, same with the bass as the only bass line I can remember is on the end of a groove riff before a breakdown. The drums keep time in 4/4, and the bass does even less. Lyrics are either incredibly horrid emo whining like:"Numb and broken, here I stand alone...wondering what were the last words I said to you" or a bunch of 'metal' words and phrases that sound like they were picked out of a hat like 'destruction of innocence'.

What exists here is carefully crafted music that is written primarily to sell albums, but it's saving grace compared to a lot of the imitation -core bands is that it is professionally written, highly polished music with a lot of bits of potential thrown around that unfortunately is largely untapped. The more metallic bits definitely aren't the seeds of a mature band springing up from that of a novice band trying to find their sound, like everything else it is there for a reason most likely to dazzle more mainstream listeners with the relative technicality of the melodeath riffs and harmonies and to appeal to some of the less 'true' minded metalheads. Personally speaking, I didn't like this album much, it seemed too tame, too bland, and too commercial, however, I get that it wasn't made for people like me and that's fine. If you live and breathe extreme metal and underground music, this probably isn't for you as you will see the flaws I see very easily; but if you happen to like melodic metalcore, pick this up you might like it.

There could be many reasons contributing to Jesse David Leach's exodus from the ranks of Killswitch Engage after their steaming (pile of) sophomore effort Alive or Just Breathing, but the official statement was that he had some health issues which were affecting his ability to perform, and he didn't want to hold the band back. I like to imagine he really just woke up one day, took a good long look in the mirror and realized 'God this band sucks, and I suck with it', but I'm okay with keeping that fantasy to myself. However, considering the massive upswing in the band's popularity due to their high profile tour packages and deal with Roadrunner Records, there was simply no way this band would give it a rest so early in their career. Money was to be made. The sucking was not about to end. Just the heartache...or was it?

So in addition to bringing aboard Justin Foley as a permanent drummer (guitarist and writer Adam Dutkiewicz played the drums on the first two records), the band acquired a new singer in Howard Jones. Jones was in a pretty promising Connecticut metalcore band called Blood Has Been Shed, who on their worst day were far more exciting than anything Killswitch would ever commit to audio, but he had the right look, attitude and vocal hooks for the job. Here on The End of Heartache, he actually expanded his range to include harsh barking similar to Leach, deeper manly Panterrible vocals, and his cleans, which are far more soulful than Leach and thus recall the works of Corey Glover (Living Color), Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust) and the more obscure Chaka Malik of post-hardcore bands Burn and Orange 9mm. This was at the same time an interesting change for the Massachusetts metalcore godz, and not necessarily a change at all, because Jones' predecessor used a similarly annoying mash of styles, and they work no better over this music with someone else at the microphone.

Yes, The End of Heartache is once again the pits, from the laughable album title and cover image to the weak at the knees lyrics which I cringe to even read. Whatever semblance of political unrest and 'save the world' lameness the band once espoused had now been magnified into high school teen pop lyrics and that would probably have worked on a Pink or Clay Aiken CD just as much as they function on a metalcore effort, that is when they're not heralds of generational 'rebirth' like the Left Behind of hardcore. But it's not just the lyrics that suck, it's the overall sterilization of the band's sound into a far-too polished pop medium. The vocals have so little impact here as they shift from a growl to a hammy soul line and back again with such awkward delivery that by comparison a Sister of God would be less shocked by a King Diamond record on her first play through.

From the first, roaring disappointment of "A Bid Farewell" you know exactly what you are about to suffer. A series of rolling, mosh riffs that took about as much effort to write as plugging in a guitar part to Jones' manly climb towards the radio friendly, emotional chorus, and a surge of melodic death lite that sounds like it was licensed directly from the band's Swedish influences. Around 2:30 the band even breaks out a fucking Pantera style groove that instantly dissolves any ability to take the album seriously, so obvious is it reaching into its own asshole to mock itself and you, the listener. "Take This Oath" merges more grooves with some fairly straight melodic death/thrash plucking, the latter of which might be acceptable without the shit sandwich surroundings it is tucked between. "When Darkness Falls" is one of the better regarded tracks on the album, and it starts with about 10 seconds of furious potential before it goes into some Lamb of God groove rhythm, complete with annoying guitar squeals and metalcore vocal cruise mode which often recalls unsuccessfully the great Rob of 108.

"Rose of Sharyn" is another pretty straight of pedestrian Gothencore and generic, escalating note sequence which reminds me of a punk band like Good Charlotte. Oh, so uplifting I just want to scream Jesus into the sky, born again to a happy world of bouncy metalcore that even my kid sister can swoon to in Teen Beat magazine. Next is the country/folk instrumental "Inhale" which is entirely worthless. There's another interlude called "And Embers Rise" deeper in the album which is actually the sole highlight of the record, as its a glistening wall of acoustics (something In Flames might also do) with a slight post-rock atmosphere. But you'll find no other such solace on this effort, it's all meat headed LCD obsessed poppy metalcore with big chorus parts and bad mosh parts. Try not to have your stomach knot as you listen through "Take This Oath" or the big tease "Wasted Sacrifice" which sounds like youth core is about to erupt before the hideous slam pit nu-grooves erupt, or "Breathe Life" which throws away a completely reasonable modern melodic thrash/death riff so that it can rock out with generichugging stupidity.

Riff for riff, I'll give this album a slight edge over its predecessor Alive or Just Breathing, but it still doesn't even border on tolerable. How a farce like this prospers in the country at large while hundreds of excellent US metal bands sink even deeper into obscure hopelessness is a mere testament to the poor taste of the masses, and I refuse to buy into it. Clean out your fucking ears for a moment, or better let, floss them with barbwire and vintage Razor records, and see the forest for the trees, you apathetic swine. The End of Heartache is more like the Persistence of a Headache, so fragmented and pathetic that I'd rather listen to Justin Bieber lipsync Jonas Brothers covers for the 40 minutes here that do not include "And Embers Rise".

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Most of it was good, or at least satisfactory, but some parts of it sucked I must say. But yet again, the majority of it was at least middle of the road or if not decent. But the only thing is, why do I feel like an emo when I listen to this? Not that it's a bad thing because it's not something to get worked up over, but for gods sake, put some metal in the fucking songs rather than take a tip from Green Day turn into an emo band. I'm in no mood to find something called emo metal in the metal inventory of sub-genres.

Of course, aside from my personal criticism, there were definitely positive part here. TEoH is a Killswitch album that definitely shows off impressive vocals and bass lines and at least somewhat audible, which is actually the best that they can be, too much bass will make it so the guitar riffs are more bass riffs, and too little bass, is really, well... broken and sludgey. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, it's quite obvious the vocals and bass lines soar well above everything and creates a good sound and, if not emo sounding, that more unique metalcore sound. The typical lead and rhythm guitar parts were well, right in the middle of the sandwich that they made here, not good, but not bad. The riffs were decent, some intros were awesome, and solos, if more were there, the sandwich would be gone. As for the drumming, oh god, what happened to consistency, they're awesome one minute then the next minute we're just smashing random shit to let out some anger because my girlfriend ditched me. For fucks sake, I love it then hate it, so then it's like my ears are ringing from all the switching. Yet the best for last, we have our vocals. Ah, a job well done, well, beyond well done. Vocals soar high above anything else, like how they should in metalcore. Clean vocals were awesome, they can just literally take your heart away, much like a male voice of Sharon del Adel of Within Temptation or Sabine Dunser of Elis, one that can literally sing you to sleep. For unclean, even better, did Alissa White-Gluz clone herself, turn it black, shave its head, give it a dose of testosterone then put two balls and a dick on her clone? Those unclean vocals were fucking brutal as hell, like a male voice of Alissa White-Gluz.

As for good songs, well, you gotta find one, and they are there with some digging, you'll find a awesome song that sticks out, way out. But, with the condition, one song that'll stick out far beyond words, is not enough to cut it, you need more variety, that's what makes more songs that stick out. And as we might assume, that one song that sticks way out is the song of the same name as the album, The End of Heartache.

The End of Heartache, well, there's so much to compliment here that I'm starting a new paragraph. Literally, the video is fucking awesome, but yeah, one step away from perfection, use the album version of the song for the video. In which case, I can't blame them that they chose this song to be the Resident Evil: Apocalypse soundtrack if it's so awesome. Now what makes this song so awesome? Well, lots of things, if you look, most of the songs on the album are more heavier and more unclean vocally dominant, here, the other way around. How does that make it good though? Well one answer, variety, half the reason why I think this one particular song stands out most are the differences it brings compared to literally every other song. Now, I'll admit as I've said before, I'm more of a harcore metalhead that enjoys more extreme metal that's heavier and more brutal, but as I am also a fan of symphonic and gothic metal, I can literally say that this song is probably well written beyond even some the most infamous gothic/symphonic metal bands such as Within Temptation or Lacuna Coil, or even Rammstein (yes, I know, industrial metal, but whatever). Now for the guitar parts and bass lines for, here, they all meet their peeks here, with really catchy riffs and vocals, and even lyrics. How they make that riff catchy, beyond me being able to explain really. But like we say all good things must come to an end, and that includes praise the major stand out. To start, god damn those drums at some points were fucking annoying. The cymbal tap throughout the song is to the point my ears ring! For gods sake, should we make it a holiday when the drummer hits the snare maybe a couple times or kicks the double bass at one point? Also, what's with the emo sound? I feel like an emo listening to this, throw in a complex solo to lose the emo sound.

So my final thoughts on this album include a couple things. Yes good songs, very good songs, but only one major stand out is the link to a sporadic album. Second, um, sorry but some songs, emo metal. Third, ah, good parts, bad parts, quite a move to create this little sandwich you just so desperately wanted, yes leave your lead and rhythm guitarists to be the well loved peanut butter and jelly.

Dark Tranquility, Meshuggah, Mastodon, Pantera, old Metallica, old Megadeth, Behemoth, Deicide and Judas Priest are all just a few examples of what metal is. Just because a band screams and has some "heavy" riffs doesn't exactly make them metal, which is the exact reason why I feel bad reviewing them as a metal band. If I were to review them as say, a screamo band or something along those lines, maybe the rating would be a few points higher. But I do not listen to screamo/emo, they are on the archives and my brother made me listen to this entire album straight through claiming it to be metal, so alas, I must review this as a metal album.

Firstly, the fucking album is called The End of Heartache. Secondly, the cover art is a picture of a bunch of needles through a grey heart. And thirdly, the lyrical content...well, here's just one example from the title track: "Sleep brings release and the hope of a new day, Waking the misery of being without you, Surrender, I give in, Another moment is another eternity." Don't get me wrong, I don't think all metal lyrics should have to do with evil and death and so forth, in fact it is a great idea to branch out, but fucking christ man! There's a difference between variation in metal lyrics and just non metal pussy lyrics altogether. This falls in the later category. Every song is about the same fucking love/emo shit.

Some of these riffs actually aren't bad, and are the main reason why this gained any points to begin with (other than "When Darkness Falls," but I'll get to that later). The only problem is, even though some of them are catchy for a certain amount of time, they quickly become tiresome because of how generic they are. I feel like I've heard most of these riffs by almost every other metalcore (I hate calling this band metal) band around. The production is really clear, but actually doesn't help the fact that there is almost no atmosphere at all in this record and it actually makes it more difficult to differentiate this from other metalcore albums.

Actually, there is ONE song I would consider metal on this album. That is "When Darkness Falls." in my mind, it is the only song passable as metal. The vocals are actually pretty intense, the chorus isn't emo, there are some melodic and heavy riffs going on, all in all I hate to say it but it's a relatively acceptable song. After that song, "Rose of Sharyn" comes on and the album goes right down the fucking toilet again, demolishing any sparkle of hope that may have stricken you for a brief 3 minutes and 53 seconds.

My suggestion: download "When Darkness Falls" if you're really that interested. For fuck's sake, don't waste your money though. There are plenty of other amazing metal classics that you either haven't purchased yet or have yet to come out. Save your money.

Killswitch Engage first crossed my path sometime in 2004, when I had the unfortunate priviledge of seeing them open for Slayer. They sucked ass live, but you never really know how much a band sucks until you hear them in the studio. Predicting full well the aural atrocities I would unleash upon myself, I borrowed a copy of their ’04 album, The End of Heartache, and listened to it the whole way through, so that whoever reads this might not have to. And be glad that I did; this is one of the worst albums ever penned.

If you took the collective riff sets of Lamb of God, In Flames, and Shadows Fall and compared them to this album, you would find that every riff already existed in one of those band’s songs. There isn’t a shard of originality on here that’s put to good use: all their originality is spent creating the worst fusion of metalcore and emo ever thought possible. There are no metal songs on this album, only emo songs with more distortion. You want to argue that this isn’t emo? Where do you want to start? The lyrics, the cover art, the vocals, the melodies, the lack of guitar solos: all of these can be used to form the basis of that argument being ridiculous (well, the last one not so much, but it’s something that pisses me off). Even Avenged Sevenfold at their most odious is miles above this fucking band: compare The End of Heartache to Waking the Fallen and it becomes crystal clear how pitiful this shit is.

All of the songs, excluding the two segue tracks, are virtually the same. By about track four, you’re going to start hearing the same riffs from back in track two, which you really heard on a Shadows Fall album a year before, etc. etc. Breakdowns exist here in boatloads, only outdone in their awfulness by the faux-aggressive fast parts, the clean interludes, and the melodic choruses. Howard Jones is an abomination more than a vocalist. Maybe Killswitch were bearable before he was hired, but they certainly aren’t now. When he’s not doing that fucking horrible hardcore screaming, he has to his credit quite possibly the whiniest clean vocals ever delivered. You can almost literally hear him crying as he delivers his lines, like fellow modern metal fuck-ups Bullet For My Valentine and Five Finger Death Punch. And of course, there’s no musical virtue to make up for his performance. All the riffs are pilfered and the single guitar solo is fucking terrible (a mere two bars long and drenched in wah). The drummer sucks, the bassist can only be heard in the soft parts, and nobody does anything redeeming at any time. Failure in the highest order.

The absolute worst part about this band, however, is that kids today actually consider this to be metal. I shudder to think of the day when shoddy pussified tough-guy emo-core is the cutting edge in modern extreme music. Anybody that would praise this is a traitor. A deserter from the metal legions in a time of war. A guilty party by association.

The End of Heartache is a travesty in every respect.

Killswitch Engage is one of the more popular metalcore bands that is played on MTV, and hearing this, many metalheads will probably shun “The End of Heartache”, which is a shame, because TEOH is really a good album.

The formula here is quite simple: lots of well sung, clean vocals, some metalcore growls, chugging drop c riffery, and breakdowns. Sounds pretty standard, doesn't it? Well, it is. The thing is, is that Killswitch Engage does such a good job at making average sounding metalcore, that you can't help but like it.

Musically, this album is pretty good. I like it the best out of all their records. It has the heaviness of Alive or Just Breathing, with the improved vocals of As Daylight Dies. The vocals range from clean rock styled vocals to some good (better than AOJB) metalcore growls to occasional hardcore shrieks, courtesy of Adam D.. One thing I liked about the vocals was that they were able to convey emotion, but not sound emo, unlike many other metalcore bands. And the growled vocals were pretty well done, not anything too different, but well done nonetheless. The guitarists crank out some really catchy riffs, especially in “Wasted Sacrifice” and “The End of Heartache”, and there is even a short solo (a metalcore rarity) in “Breathe Life”. The band showcases their ability to write slow, instrumental songs on “...And Embers Rise” and “Inhale”, that include acoustic guitar. The drums on this record are probably the low point, because they are rather bland, and the double bass pedal is rarely used. The bass on this cd wasn't anything impressive, doing nothing more than following the guitar riffs (well, what were you expecting, it is metalcore).

Of course, being on a record label like Roadrunner, the production quality is top notch. The guitars sound great, with a very heavy, very fat tone. The drums are at just the perfect volume, not too loud, and not too soft. The vocals are perfectly integrated with the other “sounds” and flow seamlessly with the rest of the music. Lyrically, this album is well written, but not anything too amazing. The themes are generally positive, which I like, so that is definitely a plus. The cover art is actually pretty cool and eye catching, so that is another plus.

I must say I really like this record, and would recommend it to most metalheads. It isn't very technical, original, or unique, but it is just so well done, and so much fun to listen to, that I can't help but recommend it.

Killswitch Engage were one of the front-runners of the whole metalcore scene along with Unearth, Shadows Fall and a bunch of other crappy bands. Killswitch always had more "polish" than the others it seemed. Well it's not polish folks, it's crappy pop sensibility that's about as metal the plastic on my grandmother's furniture. There's nothing wrong with good pop, just don't call it metal.

Killswitch are very good at being predictable, offering a very constant formula of:

- heavy intro riff, possibly with a scream
- "harsh" vocals over groovy riff
- super clean chorus with a catchy and memorable melody
- repeat previous two bullets
- maybe a bridge
- close with one final "bringin' er' home" chorus to get the little girls wet.

And there you have it folks, the result is a super clean, super family-friendly dose of american pop-metal. No crust here, just good ol' sugary sweet toppings. Honestly I will give them props on production and the occasional good riff such as the one on Rose of Sharyn. Howard Jones is a talented vocalist but unfortunately songs about heartbreak are best suited to crooners or emo kids with bad haircuts.

On to actual songs... there aren't many to really discuss. The aforementioned Rose of Sharyn has its good bits and a cool main riff. When Darkness Falls has a pretty good chorus. Besides that you have unimaginative, cookie-cutter metalcore love songs with the occasional twang or artificial harmonic.

If you're into this kind of thing, I would strongly recommend this record to you. If you want to listen to metal however, look somewhere else.

"Killswitch Engage" are the one's who popularized metalcore, the genre that has tormented many a metalhead and is essentially a combination of hardcore, some melodic death and emo-style screaming and clean vocals. "Alive Or Just Breathing" sucked and yet it's better than this monstrosity. In "The End of Heartache", "Killswitch Engage" further their emo elements which is clearly seen by the rather horrible title given to the album. They have a new vocalist and I can say that both of them sound exactly the same except Howard's clean vocals are far far worse and much more emo than the one he replaced.

The music present here is Hardcore mixed with nu-metal (yes!) and emo. This album is severely lacking in riffs and everything here are breakdowns and melodic passages. Everything here has the predictable and nu-metal verse-chorus-bridge structures. Did I mention there aren't any solos on here? Bah, this thing really sucks. The vocals I have to say are much better than Heafy from "Trivium" but instead of having the already scanty riffs that "Trivium" has, KsE is all about breakdowns!

Nonetheless, some of the melodies here are interesting and that’s a plus point. Especially that intro melody to the title track before it gets butchered by horrid clean vocals and stupid breakdowns. KsE also use gang vocals well but music without gang choruses could be just as good as band's with so I can't add ay points for that. KsE aren't nearly as irritating as "Trivium" but nobody could be as irritating as "Trivium" even if they tried. Every single song has the same structure and the horrid clean emo-vocals which are irritable but isn't the 'Little Kid' voice of Matt Heafy. The lyrics are horrendously emo in approach especially the title track ("For the end of my broken heart"?). "When Darkness falls" has the worst chorus on the album, annoyingly bad in the vocal section. The title track is simple breakdown stuff with a good intro melody and some terrible vocal work. "Hope is..." has some nicely done gang choruses but is nothing different in the end. Hell, everything basically sounds the same just like "Trivium". There's only one song that's bearable here and a bit interesting as well - Rose of Sharyn. Even though the lyrics are horribly emo and a terrible break mid-length. It still has some interesting melodies and bearable vocal work.

If you’re a metalcore fan, you'd love this CD but if you're a metal fan and you've heard even one metalcore band - it's just the same thing done again in an emo fashion with bearable melodies. Recommended for metalcore, hardcore and emo and maybe even mallcore kiddies. After all, simple song structures and annoyingly clean vocals do take their roots from mallcore and therefore, even mallcore kids could like this.

KsE were under a lot of pressure when this album came out. AOJB had rightfully been praised to the skies with it's mix of melody and brutality, and the soaring and throat shredding vocal stylings of Jesse Leach. But Jesse quit, so KsE had to live up to huge expectations.. with a new singer. And while these guys make a good go at it, they can't keep up the brilliance exhibited in AOJB. Oh well.

The album does start off particurly terribly. The first minute of A Bid Farewell is terrible, full of nu-metalish moments. But just when you're ready to throw away the album, a headbangable and very melodic riff comes jumping out from the speakers. This song has a monster of a chorus, and the bridge riffing is very fast and fairly techincal. At this point in the album, it looks like KsE still had the magic.

But there's plenty of crap stuff here too. FIrst off, the vocals are fairly terrible. Howard has a whiny singing voice, and there's just too many "HEEEE YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" moments for me. A lot of the songs get very close to emo as well, and while the first two albums had fairly unpredictable song structures, this album always does the HEavy Verse-Melodic Chorus thing. Again and again. The ultimately generic drums should also rate a mention. Dammit, they're almost as bad as In Flames drumming.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of great moments in this album. When Darkness Falls, while for the most part fairly crappy, does have an amazing pre chorus. Take this Oath has some incredible riffing (and a guest vocal spot by good ol' Jesse). Hope Is.. boasts a great verse, and an awesome chorus with gang vocals (Hell yes!), and it's easy to imagine that being a huge live favourite. Basically, when KsE get it right in this album, they really nail it down.

So to put it simply.. This isn't KsE's best album, it's definetly their most plain album, and some parts do go very very close to emo. Nonetheless, the great parts are awe-inspiring, and so I would have to recommend this album to everybody. Keep the skip button handy and you've got a great listen here.

Edit: I'm dropping this down ten percent. The good parts are good, but damn, some parts suck so much. I'm very fearful of what their next album will be..

This album basically sounds too similar to its predecessor. There are good instruments, nice riffs, but we've heard this before...

The album starts off with a weak song, "A Bid Farewell", which at times just sounds like the same drum bang and scream played over and over. There is no melody, just endless screaming, drumming, and guitars. Thankfully it gets better from here. "Take This Oath" is both more melodic and more impressive instrument-wise, you have some nice riffs, but it does still feel like its lacking something. "When Darkness Falls" is unfortunately more of the same. This is actually pretty good except we have heard similar riffs, screams, and drumming in the first two songs. Seems pointless. Rose of Sharyn is a much better song. The drumming and guitars work well together, the vocalry is more pleasant and seems like its going somewhere. "Inhale" is some really nice acoustic work, and is a calmer and more enjoyable track.

"Breathe Life" finally sounds a tiny bit different and is a decent song as well as "The End of Heartache" which really isn't that heavy a song. The guitar work is pretty good, as well as the drumming and percussion...then we have "Declaration" which sounds more of the same. "World Ablaze"....more of the same..."And Embers Rise" is another nice short acoustic peace, except for one thing, you already had an acoustic piece which sounded exactly the same. "Wasted Sacrifice" is one of the best songs from this album because of the awesome riffs from about 0:28 to 0:42 and then they appear some more throughout this song. "Hope Is..." a good song closing with some more riffs.

Overall this isn't bad although the review may sound harsh, the elements, riffs, instruments, they just all sound the same which is my main beef with this.

I’ve just re-read my review of the first issue of ‘The End of Heartache’, released back in May 2004. Interestingly, my opinion has changed a little. However, rather than forming a more negative view, this disc has continue to grow on me like a cancerous tumour. I really liked ‘TEOH’ the first time around, but could certainly identify with some of the failings that the more cynical fan could detect. Yet, since then, for the past 10 months I have not tired from listening to it. My opinion is even more affirming now. Of all the albums I received in 2004, this is the one that I’ve had on constant rotation (particularly in my car – although its speed ticket inducing qualities are its only draw back).

As is the norm with any Roadrunner release that sells by the plane load, its success is capitalised upon by the almost obligatory re-release/limited/bonus disc/dig-pak edition. So here you have it – presented in a nifty black cardboard slipcase (which is unfortunately, the only new artwork associated with it), you get the original ‘TEOH’ disc - which you’ll have no need to play until the other wears out in the year 2121 - plus the all important bonus disc!

You can check my original review of ‘TEOH’ elsewhere on this site. I concur with everything I wrote initially although I would amend by original score of 8/10 to a shade under 9/10. As I say, for me this album’s infectious melodic/thrash groove has me under a spell.

As for the bonus disc, well, let me just say that it’s worth every cent. The six audio tracks include three studio cuts:
1. Opening up with ‘Irreversal’, a track that appeared on their first demo (and the subsequent self-titled disc), this version has current vocalist Howard Jones joined by original leadman Jesse Leach and Phil Labonte of All That Remains. All killer!
2. Next up we get ‘My Life for Yours’, which appears to be a previously unreleased track (although it is not mentioned anywhere), as it doesn’t appear on any other KSWE release. Furthermore the lyrics were written by Howard Jones leading me to believe it is a left over from ‘TEOH’ sessions (please, someone correct me if I’m wrong!). Again, All killer!
3. The next track is possibly the most disappointing cut on the whole thing – a doctored ‘resident evil’ version of the albums title track. Without question this song soars on the original album, but clearly RR spotted the commercial potential of the song and this version has been tweaked in the vocals, edited in the mid-track breakdown and thus it is virtually devoid of its original emotion and vocal intensity. Not Killer.
Tracks 4-6 are possibly a greater reason to invest in this release. Recorded live in December 2004 when touring with Slayer, we get three scintillating versions of ‘Life to Lifeless, Fixation on the Darkness and My Last Serenade’ all with Howard Jones on vocals. Having witnessed Jones performing these very tracks back in April 2004 in Melbourne, they bring back great memories. If you’ve never seen KSWE live and wondered how Howard would go with the ‘Pre-Heartache’ material (which Jesse Leach recorded) these tracks will confirm the guys ability once and for all.

To make this bonus disc complete, RR have done well to include the bands two videos for the title track and ‘Rose of Sharyn’. Both are great additions; professionally shot and presented (although once again, the ‘resident evil’ version is used for the title track; furthermore I find it increasingly amusing to watch metal bands play their instruments, marshall stacks in tow, in the middle of nowhere, burnt out forests and jungles…why don’t they just go to a sound stage?).

Roadrunner must be pretty thick skinned bunch. The stick they get when these re-release versions are made available is phenomenal. Still, it’s clear that they sell and in particular it’s the rabid dedicated fans that they’re trying to appeal to (although they’ll be banking on picking up a few new fans that passed on this the first time around). The only thing needed now is the DVD!

Krozza

original review for http://www.pyromusic.net

Well, I guess that says it all really. Metalcore seems to be making a bit of break in the U.S. Right now with Headbanger's Ball reinstated and running on the metalcore train. Starting off in 2000 with a self-titled release on Ferret Records that basically sucked aside from a few songs, then onto Roadrunner Records with their second, and suprisingly decent, album Alive or Just Breathing. Now here we are with The End of Heartache with new singer Howard Jones from Blood Has Been Shed.

Well this new album does have it's moments but at the same time I think Killswitch are resting on what they did with their last album. I don't really hear much progression and this album has the same problem as the last one, the first half of the album is pretty killer, the rest is just filler. The first 7 tracks (aside from the shitty acoustic piece) are cool, upbeat, catchy, heavy, and decently moshy in a rather harmless way. It's the type of music that 14 year olds will mosh to in their bedrooms, now I know that sounds terrible but there is something strangely fun about listening to the music. Maybe it's because I don't have to care or listen that much to what's going on to enjoy it.

Of the first 7 I'd say When Darkness Falls, Rose of Sharyn, and The End of Heartache stand out the most. Although I enjoy the songs quite a bit they're terribly formulaic and Rose of Sharyn is such a typical upbeat metalcore song that anybody could have done, it just turned out to be Killswitch Engage.

So yes, we have a bit of a contradiction here... I enjoy it but I realize how many faults there are in what's going on. Basically I'll say that you shouldn't spend your money on it but if your friend wasted his or hers, borrow it from them. For me it's a bit of a guilty pleasure that really shouldn't be taking listening time away from so many more worthwhile and unique bands...

End of Heartache is a really good metalcore album. It features some decent guitar and drumwork, and some pretty nice vocals. The only problem with this album that was also a problem in AOJB is that all the songs follow the same formula, a verse in which Howard screams, then a chorus which is sang. This formula obviously works, its just overused and gets really repetitive.

The guitars on this album are pretty well done. The riffs are more then decent and will keep you satisfied throughout the album. There are a lot of open C triplet palm muting and a couple breakdown style riffs. There is even a solo in Breathe Life thats good while it lasts, but its over before you know it. The hardcore/groove riffs can get a little repetitive at times, but its nothing bad. The only really bad problem I had with the guitars is that I couldn't hear the bass enough to all. Not only was it barely audible, there wasn't any unique basslines, it just follows the root notes of the guitar riffs.

The drumwork is so-so. Nothing really technical or anything. And the double bass was there but it could have been better. I think Justin Foley's work is much better in Blood Has Been Shed.

The vocals are great. Howard's screams are brutal and his singing his melodic. Good effects like the octave lower/octave higher double scream effect was used quite a bit. Howard's lyrics are decent, though I prefer Jesse's.

Guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz produced the album and did a damn good job. The vocal effects he used sounded good, and the nice fades into accoustic tracks sounded good. Bassist Mike D'Antonia designed the cover of the album which I like personally. The only real problum with the album is the repetitive song formula, which you can get over. Fans of AOJB won't have any problem getting into End of Heartache.