As Daylight Dies

On the band's fourth endeavour, their second with vocalist Howard Jones, Killswitch Engage have produced a hook-laden, musically varied and groove-orientated brace of songs that captivate on different levels. Clearly not every metal-head likes this record, even amongst the band's avid fan base the album seems to be devisive, but for me, 'As Daylight Dies' is musically complex and as such thoroughly enjoyable. The opening title cut twists and turns to great effect. Both Dutkiewicz and Stroetzel provide a solid, heavy and rhythmic core, delivering breaks of monolithic proportions, coupled with whisps of tasteful lead work. D'Antonio's bass lines really cut through the sonic boom to pleasing effect. Both these elements are perpetuated throughout the album to various degrees and configurations, but I found myself repeatedly playing the opening couple of tracks upon first listen, so naturally they stand out to me. Third number 'The Arms Of Sorrow' marries more mellow tones with chunky rhythms and a more complex arrangement to outstanding effect. As a progressive metal fan, I am really taken by this song for how musically varied it is. Much like Rush from 1980's 'Permanent Waves' onwards, Killswitch Engage manage to articulate so much within such a short space of time. Although under four minutes in length, 'Arms...' feels more like a micro-symphony. And, like Rush, for me it's the drums that captivate as much as anything else in terms of musicality and expression; Foley is a force to be reckoned with. But standing head and shoulders above this killer collection of songs are two numbers. For 'My Curse', the mood created is both up-lifting and confident, thanks to the awesome, southern-metal-tinged slabs of tightly played riffs peppered throughout the first half of the song. Vocally, as evident on the whole record, the interplay between Jones and Dutkiewicz - switching seamlessly between heartfelt melody and gut-wrenching harshness of expression - is noteworthy. They breath life into the lyrics and help to articulate the band's thoughts and ideas. Secondly, 'Eye Of The Storm'. In my opinion, this song in particular encapsulates the whole sonic intention of the band for this record. It moves from the opening wall of sound to a more melodic passage, then back to a thrashing salvo of blistering guitars and drums, before ending in a slow, menacing, doom-drenched outro, but not before a tasteful mid-song bass line is deftly provided by D'Antonio. However, I have a couple of arguably minor quibbles with this release. Firstly, the irritating and, quite frankly, lazy, fade-out ending to some of the tracks. Admittedly, this is a personal gripe of mine, but to fade a song is much like reading an engrossing novel only to be disappointed by a sudden, contrived ending. Secondly, to these old ears, there is but one track that stops me from giving 'As Daylight Dies' a rating if 100%: Still Beats Your Name'. Not that it is in and of itself poor musically, but just because I don't find it as captivating as the rest of the material on offer here. Despite such a range of varied musical touches throughout, 'As Daylight Dies' is still very much metal at its core. And herein lies its success. Unlike some of their contemporaries, Killswitch Engage are unafraid to experiment, allowing them to juxtapose seemingly disparate musical styles to captivating effect on different levels indeed.