As Daylight Dies - Killswitch Engage
When it comes to Metalcore Masterpieces, it’s impossible not to discuss one of the founders and kings of Metalcore: Killswitch Engage. With 25 years under their belt, Killswitch remains one of the most consistent Metal bands, regardless of which singer they have at the helm. From the early days of Jesse, to the mid-2000s of Howard Jones, and back to Jesse Leach after Howard’s health issues, the band has stayed true to themselves and has crafted countless classic Metalcore albums. One of the biggest reasons the band has remained so consistent rests on the shoulders of Adam Dutkiewicz. Adam has been the band’s main producer since their first record, and you can hear the attention to detail with As Daylight Dies, especially concerning the guitar tone. The record marks a key point in Howard's time with the band, highlighting his development as a singer and songwriter since The End of Heartache, later culminating with their 2009 self-titled album. Howard continues to bring the heat with his bone-rattling screams and opera-like singing and Adam’s backing high screams shred through much of the album, fleshing the sound out further.
The album delivers track after track, with my personal picks being “This is Absolution”, “The Arms of Sorrow”, “My Curse”, “Eye of the Storm”, “This Fire”, and their cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver”. “My Curse” has toed the line with being overplayed (much like “This Calling” from All That Remains, released the same year), but the song is so damn good, it’s impervious to this. The clean intro that builds into a crunchy riff explosion is memorable and masterful. The guitar squeals are especially “nasty”, and the song is balanced with more of Howard’s operatic singing. I’m also a huge fan of the repeating and fading outro, which seals the deal on this masterpiece track. “Eye of the Storm” features killer guitar riffs and licks, with Howard’s powerful vocals and Adam’s monstrous high screaming backing vocals filling in the rest of the puzzle. There’s an awesome bass bridge that flows into a groovy, crunchy breakdown and the slowed-down outro is dirty, brutal, and ripped straight from a Hardcore anthem. “This Fire” has one of my favorite intros, with Adam writing yet another crusher of a riff. The bridge is dark, quick, and brutal, reminding me of something All That Remains would have written on The Fall of Ideals. Finally, we arrive at the cover of ‘Holy Diver”. The band finds a way to honor the original and elevate and modernize it in a way that makes it one of the best covers I have ever heard. I love this song so much, my groomsmen had this as their entrance song at my wedding per my request. Joel Stroetzel especially shines during the guitar solo, a role Adam usually takes on. Joel shreds like he’s playing with Dio in the flesh, bringing the song to new heights.
As Daylight Dies is a shining example of why Killswitch Engage has always been in the conversation for the best Metalcore band of all time. Killswitch helped pioneer Metalcore into the mainstream, with countless songs appearing on film soundtracks, video games, and radio. “My Curse” was such a massive hit thanks to the radio edit the band put out to promote it, as well as the song appearing on Guitar Hero III and Rock Band when both were at their cultural peak. As Daylight Dies was most people’s introduction to the band (with Metalcore seeing a meteoric rise in popularity at the time). I don’t think there could have been a better album for people to jump in on and that has not changed due to the timeless nature of the record. The lyrics are relatable and not beholden to current events and the production is high fidelity enough that it sounds like it could have been released within the past couple of years. If you have somehow been living under a rock and haven’t listened to this incredible record, do yourself a favor and crank it up.