So, I have a love/hate/love relationship with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE (cue the AIC song now). I went all in with 2004’s The End of Heartache and my fandom was cemented … or so I thought. Disarm the Descent made my Top 5 Worst Albums of 2013 list, and several not-good live shows followed (Dallas, 2014 was the worst!)
A few years, and some Hella-great records and live shows later, I was back! This brings me to the new album This Consequence, out now on Metal Blade Records. Lemme tell ya, this one does NOT disappoint! All the great stuff is there. Killer riffs, fiery vocals, and grooves that’ll hit you like a two-ton heavy thing.
Immediately, we are hit with the one-two punch of “Abandon Us” and “Discordant Nation.” The latter features some sick riffage thanks to Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel. “Aftermath” is equal parts raw emotion and a punch in the noggin, with vocalist Jesse Leach doing some of his best work, at least to these ears.
And now we get to my first and second favorite tracks on the album. “Forever Aligned” lets bassist Mike D’Antonio and drummer Justin Foley kick ass and take names a la Stallone in the ’80s, while “I Believe” puts on a clinic titled “How to Wreck Shop in a Beautiful Way” if that’s possible.
“Where It Dies”… I mean, Jeezus if ever a song needed to be included in all future set lists, here it is. “Collusion” is as subtle as a chainsaw at 3 a.m. while “The Fall of Us” goes from Hell to breakfast in 60 seconds flat, bloodying noses and lips along the way.
I wasn’t sure what to make of “Broken Glass” when it first started, but the groove and melody certainly hooked me. The closer “Requiem” was another favorite on a record full of them and a great way to end things.
At day’s end This Consequence marks yet another fantastic record in the canon of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Longtime fans and new ones alike should flock to this one in droves. Whichever group you belong to, this is some killer metal. Your ears will thank you, so go git it!
STANDOUT TRACKS: ALL OF THEM
– THE MAESTRO
