Metal Blade Records
February 21
Words by Kris Peters
It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than 20 years since Alive Or Just Breathing sent shockwaves through the metal landscape and announced the emphatic arrival to the big time for Killswitch Engage.
Their subsequent albums have all been consistently in the same league, but now, with the arrival of album number nine, This Consequence, the band are loudly proclaiming that a new standard of excellence is about to be borne from the KSE camp and I, for one, can’t wait to see if they are right.
Opener Abandon Us certainly reiterates that claim with a barrage of double kicks from Justin Foley relenting only long enough to allow space for Jesse Leach to scream bloody murder over the top and we are away! It doesn’t take long for the familiar harsh/clean vocal interplay to come to the fore, but KSE are one of the few bands – in my opinion – that manage to merge the two so as to not sound forced or intrusive.
Guitarists Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel slip quickly into groove, punctuating the ferocity at well-timed junctures to allow for brief moments of respite before the storm hits once more, intent on hammering through the sonic barricades of resistance and winning resolutely.
Discordant Nation is next and picks up the pace immediately with a flurry of drums and angst that gives way to a rapid and aggressive burst of energy from Leach. The chorus soon mounts with a dose of cleans before a quick guitar lick once more declares sonic war on all and sundry. Foley must already be worn out due to the frenetic and constant barrage of drums but thankfully the guitars take over for a spell to give him rest.
The intensity so far on This Consequence is unrelenting and unforgiving, setting the tone for Aftermath to breathe life courtesy of a softer, acoustic-led intro passage. When the electrics inevitably kick in they do so with respect to the opening salvo, gradually picking up speed before Leach can hold back no longer.
The vocals aren’t quite as harsh in Aftermath, but they are still confronting in a healthy sense. The chorus in this track is catchy and infectious, screaming out for radio crossover but a brief drum and guitar breakdown halfway through adds enough sprinkling of KSE DNA to elevate the song into more of a heavier realm – that still might possibly appeal to the market that seems so intent on shunning all forms of metal.
Album single Forever Aligned is next, and if you want to know more about that, I suggest you watch the video below and decide for yourself… The other single I Believe follows, and if you are in any doubt how to proceed here, refer to the previous sentence.
Where It Dies begins with a tasty guitar lick and a steady drum pattern that borders more on the kick back and groove side of the metal fence. It’s a welcome step back slightly, still heavy as fuck but with more of a hard rock edge. Even when Leach starts his verbal assault the rhythm section holds back, silencing the rage to a degree without ever stripping away its layers.
This song is the most guitar-driven body of work yet, a point accentuated by the first real solo of This Consequence around the two-minute mark.
Collusion kicks off with an almost militant guitar roll that allows Leach to ease into things, in tune with a chugging guitar riff that sits menacingly in the background. Leach’s vocals throughout have been better than ever, switching between harsh extremities and softer moments without altering the trajectory of any material significantly. It is a delicate and subtle balance that KSE have mastered over the years and perfected on This Consequence.
Then, just to prove me a liar, Leach lets out the most guttural and menacing vocal passage heard yet, transcending the depths of Hell and choking the death out of whoever dwells there. I will learn to shut my mouth one day…
The Fall Of Us starts with a healthy scream and purposeful drumming that doesn’t relent even as the body rack takes shape amid a flurry of double kicks. This song must be a touch more personal for Leach judging by the underlying sense of menace in his voice but The Fall Of Us definitely belongs to Foley. But he doesn’t have it all his way as Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel wage a personal war of their own where music can be the only victor.
A nice, softer edged breakdown arrives halfway through amid a swirling of emotions that get more sinister the deeper the music dives. This is entering sludge territory albeit briefly but once more shows another side to KSE’s musical psyche that seems to be endless.
Broken Glass could go either way, as in either be a rough-edged love song or a nasty, abrasive piece of work, but surprisingly it starts off as neither. Instead we get a blues-infused guitar riff on its own momentarily before a more deliberate and controlled pairing of drums and vocals more folds into being than arrives with force.
This is another taste of what KSE possess in their ever-growing arsenal, down to a down-tuned and wicked bass run of sorts that adds a sense of foreboding in the face of a more laid-back approach. KSE threaten to explode on numerous occasions but resist the urge through to a slow and tempered finale that drowns itself out with a strike of the guitar.
Requiem closes out This Consequence and rather than take us out with safe passage KSE choose instead to finish as they began. With might and fury.
This is a touch more sing-a-longable than most of the other tracks but still maintains a rough exterior, highlighted by flashes of drum fury and interplay on the bass drum. This doesn’t last as Foley can’t help but speed things up more, but Leach doesn’t follow suit, maintaining a more subdued approach befitting of a song called Requiem.
Is This Consequence as good as people are hyping it up to be?
In a word. Yes. Fuck yes.
