Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Killswitch Engage - Disarm the Descent (2013)
Killswitch Engage came back and have since continued to stay front in the melodic metalcore scene! A lot has happened in the 4 years since their strong but somewhat disappointing 5th album. All That Remains vocalist Phil Labonte took over for touring in 2010 after Howard Jones stepped down due to illness. Howard would ultimately leave the band during the writing of the band's next album Disarm the Descent. He would later form his own band Devil You Know ( Light the Torch). Labonte dismissed any rumors of joining KSE full-time. After many different auditions, original vocalist Jesse Leach decided to return. At the time, he was in a side-project with Adam D., Times of Grace. And drummer Justin Foley recorded drums for the Unearth album Darkness in the Light. Plus several other side-projects that are all different stories for another day...
Disarm the Descent is a true treat for KSE fans wanting to hear both the earlier hardcore era and the later melodic era. This album comes close to reaching the perfect glory of those first two albums. We have the usual vocal melodies, heavy riffing, booming bass, and powerful drums. Jesse still has his strength in his screams and cleans, and in some songs, Adam has his own clean singing plus some death growls. This album is quite well-thought for one leaning into the hardcore side of metalcore. Everything has gone according to plan, thanks to Jesse and his stunning voice in which barely any other vocalists can reach the same height!
Proving that last statement right, "The Hell in Me" shows that the band are indeed back, with pulverizing riffing straight from the intro onwards. Another one of my favorite tracks here is "Beyond the Flames". I enjoy the balance between growls and cleans, the latter appearing the most prominent. The riffing sounds so catchy here. We also have audible bass and killer blast beats. "The New Awakening" once again crashes in with its heavy verses and melodic chorus, and some more of the audible bass too. The main riff of "In Due Time" is pure heavy metalcore bliss. Awesome music, awesome lyrics! The motivational anthem "A Tribute to the Fallen" is also underrated with its aggressive verses and melodic choruses making a memorable blend, along with its outro that makes the song as a whole sounds like one of Parkway Drive's tracks.
"Turning Point" continues that verse/chorus aspect while adding more screams in the chorus. The riffing in the intro is also some of the best, as are the melodic chorus and soloing. Excellent drumming there too! Next track "All We Have" really fires away in the instrumentation and vocals. We have another thoughtful track in "You Don't Bleed for Me" with its ethereal bridge and more of the audible bass striking through. "The Call" is another one of the best tracks here, with his destructive growls and screams in the pre-chorus. Some of the greatest heaviness there can be found in the drums. "No End in Sight" goes speedy while staying catchy in the riffing.
"Always" is yet another one of the best songs from this band, as well as one of the first that I've found, via a music video on TV. See, fury isn't always everything in metalcore... "Time Will Not Remain" continues the fast beats, but unfortunately, it lacks some strength and originality. The clean melodies are just too generic. It just doesn't work for the standard edition that would've had a perfect 5 stars. At least one of the special edition bonus tracks "Blood Stains" captures Jesse's vocals well. The brutality and beauty fit well for the riffing rhythms and melodic leads, respectively. The drums also sound great here. "Slave to the Machine" is another weak-ish track. In an attempt at adding all they're good at into a simple 3-minute formula, it still comes out as a mess. If we were to make Disarm the Descent a perfect album, "Blood Stains" should've closed the standard edition instead of "Time Will Not Remain", which then should've been separated as a different EP along with "Slave to the Machine" and the live tracks.
Despite these slight mistakes, I would consider Disarm the Descent KSE's 4th best album behind Atonement and the first two albums. It's an impressive comeback with almost the same kind of impact as Jesse Leach's first era. He has made his return, and the heart and soul he has made for this band is unbreakable!
Favorites: "Beyond the Flames", "In Due Time", "A Tribute to the Fallen", "Turning Point", "The Call", "Always", "Blood Stains"