Jonathan Hill

Tag: Metalcore

  • Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage (2000) Review

    General Information:

    Artist: Killswitch Engage
    Album: Killswitch Engage (2000)
    Genre(s): Metalcore
    Subgenres(s): N/A
    Released: 2000
    Length: 32 minutes
    Language(s): English
    Label(s): Ferret Music

    Track List:

    01. Temple from the Within
    02. Vide Infra
    03. Irreversal
    04. Rusted Embrace
    05. Prelude
    06. Soilborn
    07. Numb Sickened Eyes
    08. In the Unblind
    09. One Last Sunset
    10. Prelude (1999 Demo) (Bonus Track)
    11. Soilborn (1999 Demo) (Bonus Track)
    12. Vide Infra (1999 Demo) (Bonus Track)
    13. In the Unblind (1999 Demo) (Bonus Track)

    Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage (2000) Cover
    Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage (2000) Cover

    Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage (2000) Review

    Killswitch Engage released their first self-titled album in 2000, which also happens to be their debut, and is much coarser than their subsequent releases. With nothing much in the way of melody Jesse Leach’s vocal style is mostly gut-wrenching screams that sound positively savage when paired with Killswitch Engages raw and uncompromising metalcore sound.

    One needs not look further than the first few seconds of Temple from the Within to experience this and while he momentarily dips into a melodic refrain he’ll immediately revert back to the aggro like there’s nothing to it. There’s also the uncommon pairing of singing over blast beat drumming on Irreversal and death metal growls during the breakdown at the end of the song which shows a completely different side of Killswitch Engage in their earliest incarnation.

    Underneath all of this are some positive lyrics dealing with individuality (In the Unblind) as well as on Soilborn which refers to striving for truth and integrity but it’s difficult to follow most of it without the lyrics written out in front of you unless you have a keen ear for it.

    There’s already enough testosterone for it to start leaking out their ears but on the rerelease of Killswitch Engage there are four demo versions of songs from the album that are somewhat less refined, relatively speaking, and there are a few differences like the lack of whispered vocals and drum introduction on the Prelude demo. One Last Sunset is the second instrumental and final song on the original album which shows a willingness to experiment with an emphasis on atmosphere that develops over the first half of the song before the tempo picks up and it grows into a foreboding march before a few more twists and turns appear.

    The first self-titled Killswitch Engage album is a worthwhile Metalcore album for fans of the genre as well as for those that want to hear what Killswitch Engage were like before having major mainstream success.

    Performers:

    Jesse Leach: Vocals
    Joel Stroetzel: Guitars
    Mike D’Antonio: Bass
    Adam Dutkiewicz: Drums, Backing Vocals

    External Links:

    Killswitch Engage Homepage
    Killswitch Engage on Wikipedia
    Killswitch Engage (2000) on Wikipedia

  • The Autumn Offering Embrace the Gutter Review

    General Information:

    Artist: The Autumn Offering
    Album: Embrace the Gutter
    Genre(s): Heavy Metal, Metalcore
    Subgenres(s): Melodic Death Metal
    Released: 2006
    Length: 35 minutes
    Language(s): English
    Label(s): Victory Records

    Track List:

    01. Prologue
    02. Decay
    03. The Yearning
    04. Embrace the Gutter
    05. Ghost
    06. Misery
    07. This Future Disease
    08. One Last Thrill
    09. No End in Sight
    10. Walk the Line
    11. The Final Cut

    The Autumn Offering Embrace the Gutter Cover
    The Autumn Offering Embrace the Gutter Cover

    The Autumn Offering Embrace the Gutter Review

    Embrace the Gutter is the second album by The Autumn Offering. It features a fluid blend of metalcore and melodic death metal, a style that had gained a lot of traction by its release in 2006, but Embrace the Gutter is far from a run of the mill bandwagoning effort. There are plenty of guitar leads and tasteful solos without many of the typical hardcore breakdowns or drawn out guitar chugging sessions that can be found on albums by many of their contemporaries.

    Vocalist Dennis Miller has improved a lot since the bands 2004 debut Revelations of the Unsung and while he still utilises a throaty shout, it is more accessible and easier to understand than before. His lyrics revolve around personal struggles so the mentions of decay and disease are metaphors for these things instead of being over the top and literal like in other bands.

    Aside from the excellent blend of metal guitar soloing and hardcore bridges, The Autumn Offering has some tasteful clean guitar interludes on No End in Sign and One Last Thrill that would have been a brilliant third side to the band’s sound if it was utilised fully. This third side is only brought to life properly on the instrumental closer The Final Cut and features classical piano playing over the drums and guitars. This then transforms into a cinematic interlude complete with wind effects that take up about half the song before closing with one final dramatic guitar chord and drum beat.

    Embrace the Gutter is an overlooked album but it is a worthy addition to the collection of melodic death metal or metalcore fans. Its short length works to its advantage and prevents it from ever becoming stale or tired and instead offers a great deal of replay value.

    Performers:

    Sean Robbins: Bass
    Nick Gelyon: Drums
    Matt Johnson: Guitar
    Dennis Miller: Vocals
    Tommy Church: Guitars

    External Links:

    The Autumn Offering on Wikipedia | Embrace the Gutter on Wikipedia
    The Autumn Offering on Metal Archives | Embrace the Gutter on Metal Archives