Killswitch Engage not only continue to lay down incredibly powerful music album after album, but that they are constantly maturing and evolving.

By Matt Haynes

What I love overall about this album is that it reflects the fact that Killswitch Engage not only continue to lay down incredibly powerful music album after album, but that they are constantly maturing and evolving as a band as well. The power they hold in both their music and lyrical content is a true testament to how they’ve become one of the biggest names in the metalcore scene over their 26-year career.

From the moment you hit play and you hear those opening notes of ‘Abandon Us’, you’re met with a raw energy that will remind you of the band’s earlier years and is an energy that is consistent throughout each track. Killswitch Engage show us they’re not messing around. They’re here with a mission, they’re here with a message for the world to hear. Jesse Leach shows us why he is such an incredible powerhouse of a vocalist and remind us why he’s become an icon to many over the years. Not just through the heavier side where he attacks us with aggression and ferocity, but also through melodies that are chilling and haunting in the same breath. What we hear is perhaps Jesse at his absolute best, channelling every emotion he has to deliver lyrics that will provoke you into thinking about the state the world is currently in whilst letting us in to new level of his own personal character.

Of course, that’s just the vocals. We can’t ignore the power of the instrumental side of this album. The band show equal levels of aggression and power, masterfully crashing out the heavier thrashier riffs that blend with the hypnotic melodies track after track. Whilst Jesse is sounding at the top of his game after all these years, the instrumental side of Adam, Justin, Mike and Joel have every intention of showing the same in their own way. Each instrument is sounding crisp and sharp, ensuring that the iconic sound of Killswitch Engage continues to ring in the ears of fans whilst also reflecting that this is a new chapter in their books.

For an album of this calibre, it was hard to choose songs that stood out. I’ve voiced my opinions about I Believe before (with it being both beautiful and nostalgic in its own way) but I genuinely couldn’t choose just one track that stands out. They all do, its as simple as that. Each has something about them that makes them shine. As before, they all show us a side of Killswitch Engage that is mature but also delicate. ‘Collusion’ for example uses incredible guitar work, thunderous drumming and showcases why Jesse is a monster behind the microphone, but it’s the heavier deathcore/death metal style vocals that feature that stand out for that track. ‘Aftermath’ utilises an incredibly beautiful intro with eerie effects before kicking into what is a soul lifting guitar riff before the band unleashes yet even more power and an equally powerful chorus that became one of my favourites. Those are just a few examples of why this album is, to me, incredible.

Overall, this album is simply perfect. Killswitch Engage present us with something that was needed in a world that is in all kinds of ways at current times. The band often talk about bringing strength through unity, and this album is a masterful approach at portraying this theme for not just the band to bond over but music fans as well. ‘This Consequence’ is just further proof why Killswitch Engage earn the title as one of the biggest, strongest metalcore bands we’ve ever had in the scene.