Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies (2006)Release ID: 1859
While not as perfect as the initial Jesse Leach era, As Daylight Dies is probably the best of the Howard Jones trio of albums. Many different anthems can be found in this offering, and one of them I'm actually familiar with 10 years before I started listening to this band full-time. If you wanna hear Jones at his best in his time with the band, it's time to dive right in!
The hooks and grooves sail smoothly alongside Jones' vocals. Sure his role might divide the longtime side of Killswitch Engage's fanbase, and some metalhead purists might turn away, but there's a lot to enjoy in As Daylight Dies, and there's no point in denying.
The somewhat title opener "Daylight Dies" greatly blasts with the solid guitarwork of Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel, from pummeling riffs to monumental leads. We also have the sonic bass of Mike D'Antonio and the stampeding drums of Justin Foley. An epic start! I also enjoy track #2 "This is Absolution", another great track worth replaying. Then "The Arms of Sorrow" has some mellow sorrow while getting more complex. It's almost like the band's challenge of making a progressive track while staying under 4 minutes in length. The drums continue to keep me hooked. We have some more of the heaviness in the short "Unbroken", with drums blasting all the way through. However, clean vocals seem to be out of place in what's supposed to be scream-fest. After that is "My Curse", the song I've actually known since over a decade prior, and I still love it! There's an alternate version for radios that have all the screams replaced by cleans. Of course, you know which one I prefer. F***ing awesome melodic metalcore! And there's more of that in the other tracks...
"For You" starts off sounding a little more typical, then it gets more melancholic in the bridge, in which Howard continues his vocal melodies while balancing them out with his heavy screams. The one track that keeps the album away from being 5-star perfect is "Still Beats Your Name". It's not bad, but it doesn't really strike hard despite the heaviness and speed. "Eye of the Storm" is another perfect highlight, and once again this high-quality melodic metalcore sound hits me much more than it would've 10 years before this review. "Break the Silence" has more of those great screams and cleans from Howard, the latter especially shining in the chorus. The outro has Adam D., who has occasionally performed some background cleans, sneaking in some death growls behind Howard's singing. Fantastic! "Desperate Times" has heavy verses while marching in a slow atmospheric pace, the atmosphere having more light in the chorus. I also like the layered vocal melodies and Mike's audible bass in the bridge. It's almost hard to talk about "Reject Yourself" in detail, but basically, there's more of the heavy riffing and drums. Still there is some melody and Adam's vocals being more prominent than ever. The bridge quiets down then Howard unleashes one of his most intense screams of his career, "EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!", all leading into a beautiful outro.
Once again, I decided to explore the special edition bonus tracks, the first of which, "Be One", being a heavy banger with more of those cleans and screams catching my attention. The next bonus track, "Let the Bridges Burn", is my favorite one. Although we have the usual clean melodies, the heavier side with those blasts and growls remind me a bit of As I Lay Dying's "Within Destruction" when performed in E-flat tuning. There's also the usual dramatic chorus and hardcore bridge. Next up, "This Fire" is another popular track. It's short while still great, striking with melodic riffing. So heavy while still catchy. Love it! The final one of all, "Holy Diver", well... Although I usually love these "metalizing" covers, it's not too bad, but kind of a misstep. Great catchy melody, yet it feels like it could've been better. It's probably just comfortable staying as a bonus track.
With lots of variation, As Daylight Dies shows the band diversifying their sound while keeping themselves firmly in metalcore. I can definitely understand its success, and it definitely took the band's direction to the next level!
Favorites: "Daylight Dies", "The Arms of Sorrow", "My Curse", "Eye of the Storm", "Break the Silence", "Reject Yourself", "Let the Bridges Burn", "This Fire"
