After a groundbreaking album such as Alive Or Just Breathing expectations were (too) high for the next album. And maybe because of the line-up changes (who knows?) the next album of metalcore kings Killswitch Engage indeed was a little bit disappointing for some people. Although I wasn’t one of those people, I’ve kinda become one of ‘em now. Simply because their new album, As Daylight Dies, shows how much this band is really capable of. And that’s more than they showed on The End Of Heartache, trust me!

 

As Daylight Dies truly shows a grown band. These guys are an even tighter unit than on their previous album and it shows. Although it sounds so cliché these days, on this album the melodic parts have really become more melodic and the heavier parts a little heavier. Which means that the heavier parts have become more metal sometimes and a little less metalcore. But when I listen to the melodic parts I’m not only hearing parts that are a little bit more melodic than they used to be, I also hear a lot of improvement in Howard’s clean singing. This guy has grown!

 

As for the entire album; it has really become an album that’s more complex than I was used to hearing on The End Of Heartache. The guitar work sounds somewhat more complex which results in that ‘more metal, less metalcore’-sound I was talking about earlier. As for the songs individually; they’re so incredibly catchy yet heavy as fuck. And the lyrics again aren’t based on the average metal “fuck, piece of shit, die bitch die” lyrics. Nope, again we’re dealing with lyrics about love and experiences in life many people have to deal with. I think that’s something that makes the melodic, gentle passages in KsE’s music even more tender.

 

I could go on and on about the high quality of this album but the fact is: you gotta buy this shit! Every Killswitch Engage fan out there can buy this album without a doubt and I’ll assure you this will end up in your yearlist. This album kicks fucking ass!