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By GREG MAKI
Over the course of their first three albums, Killswitch Engage has become one of America’s leading metal bands. The release of album no. 4, As Daylight Dies, should only reinforce that standing.
The first three tracks provide a perfect glimpse of what Killswitch is about on this album. The heavy yet melodic “Daylight Dies” gives way to the pummeling “This Is Absolution,” which is followed by the more reflective “The Arms of Sorrow,” a song accessible enough to be a major hit on rock radio. Frontman Howard Jones, on his second album with band after replacing the departed Jesse Leach (who now fronts Seemless), is as a good a screamer as there is and his bandmates take full advantage of his singing ability. They have a grasp of dynamics that eludes many of their peers. They know when to let the melodies breathe, when to ratchet up the intensity and when to pull back. You can hear all of this in “My Curse,” which as the first single, is a dead-on introduction to the album.
Guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz is again at the helm as producer and the sound he brings out of the band is simply enormous. Any number of bands play faster and more aggressively than Killswitch, but few sound as heavy. From the ominous start of “Daylight Dies” to the last note of the closer, “Reject Yourself,” it’s clear Killswitch Engage is one of the best at what they do and As Daylight Dies showcases everything that is good about modern metal.
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