Reviews list for Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies (2006)

I have made my metal origin story public for quite awhile now but for those who are uninformed, I was not listening to metal early in my lifetime. It was not until I became a rebellious teenager that my musical interests broke off from the adult contemporary that my family was listening to. And I knew I did not want to listen to the mainstream pop of the Backstreet Boys, Destiny's Child, or the Black Eyed Peas. I didn't discover Alice in Chains or Tool until my first year in high school! But the thing was I still didn't feel like I fit in with the other "cool" kids in school because the metal I was listening to was so much different than theirs. So I asked "what are you listening to?" and they showed me a copy of The End of Heartache by Killswitch Engage. I did not love it at first, but as my ear for music changed, so did my appreciation for the album and the band who created it.

So, in 2006, As Daylight Dies comes out and the promotional single, "My Curse" is everywhere! And it's a great single too. Some might even go so far as to say its the greatest melodic metalcore song of all time. And with this year being the 20th anniversary of the album that changed metalcore, I went back and listened to it and checked to see how it stand up and... I mean, it's still a pretty solid mid 2000s melodic metalcore record, but perhaps my older (and wiser) ears have soured on it more than I thought they would.

I don't know what it is about As Daylight Dies that has changed over the years because all of the pieces are there for a solid metalcore album: the use of breakdowns to compliment choruses, a mammoth refrain led by the unmistakable vocals of Howard Jones, great bass presence and tasteful percussion, and a strong variety in keys, tempos and styles between the tunes. And yet, I'm not sure I feel the excitement from songs like "Break the Silence" and "Daylight Dies" as I did twenty years ago. Maybe it's... stagnation?

I do not listen to metalcore like I once did and that might be to its benefit. Because if I listened to a new metalcore album (or more) every week, I would be more likely to rate this album poorly, despite its cultural significance. So much of the modern melocore sound (i.e. Architects, Born of Osiris, Polaris, etc.) use Killswitch Engage, and more specifically As Daylight Dies, as the framework for their newest releases and there isn't a whole lot of innovation. And it leaves the whole genre as a whole feeling like it's been left behind. I know there are modern melocore bands who are growing from the As Daylight Dies era of Killswitch Engage, but even listening to this record twenty years later, I cannot help but feel like it has lost its grandeur... and I wish it hadn't.

Best Songs: This is Absolution, My Curse, Still Beats Your Name, Eye of the Storm, Desperate Times

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"