Review: KILLSWITCH ENGAGE – ‘Atonement’ [Song Stream]

 

If you’ve not heard of Killswitch Engage by now, number one: you are severely missing out on some of the best music out there, and number two: you definitely live under a rock. Killswitch has been releasing perfect album after album since 1999; they hail from Massachusetts. They are credited as one of the most successful bands from the New Wave of American Heavy Metal movement. They have continued to headline international tours and have massive festival appearances. “Atonement” will be their eight LP and the follow-up to the masterpiece, “Incarnate” from 2016. The aforementioned album will be their very first release via Metal Blade Records on August 16. Killswitch Engage is metalcore perfection. If it is not already obvious, KSE is one of my all time favorite bands and I may or may not have shed a tear whilst at their shows. 

As it should, “Atonement” begins with a roar- it really does! “Unleashed” is the opening track and the first single the band shared. The first thing that many Killswitch fans will recognize is how flawless singer, Jesse Leach’s vocals sound. Many know that he underwent vocal surgery last spring, and to say he’s made a recovery is an understatement. Perhaps some of his strongest recorded performances yet are found on the new album. “Unleashed” doesn’t particularly stray too far from the tried and true Killswitch Engage formula, but that’s okay because they do it so goddamn well. The song has a verse that sticks and a chorus that ends with a sick breakdown. What more could you need?

The second track is something that many KSE followers have dreamed about for years and it has finally happened. Jesse Leach and the band’s former frontman, Howard Jones (who should need no introduction at all, but it anyone was wondering, he currently fronts Light the Torch) on one song together. This, I believe, will solve all the worlds’ problems. “The Signal Fire” comes in hot, with a deathcore introduction and it’s thrashy in your face feel. The chorus is a total earworm with such conviction. Jesse and Howard together is every girls dream… or maybe it’s just mine? Regardless, these two sound perfect and this is a standout track. 

“The Crownless King,” is such a fist pumping pit starter. This one will go over extremely well live. A great mid tempo track with soaring vocals, “As Sure as the Sun Will Rise.” Of course it’s impossible to review “Atonement” without addressing the song with the first video from the record, “I Am Broken Too.” Leach has been very forthcoming with his personal struggles with mental health in past lyrics and this one is no acception. It’s stripped down and a little more simple and incredibly powerful. Killswitch Engage both on record and live, is a great balance. Songs like this one, and older tracks like “Arms of Sorrow” and “Rose of Sharyn” deal with heavy topics and then there are just some straight up bangers. The ever amusing guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz brings the comedic relief to their sets, dawning headbands that read, “TRASH” and spurting out lewd and insane remarks. Killswitch knows when it’s time to be serious and when it’s time to be Adam.  

Like every album before and like every album will be, “Atonement” is fantastic. Currently in first place for metalcore album of the year, curated by myself. It’s out August 16 on Metal Blade and currently up for preorder. A European tour is in order for the fall, but if you are in the states you can catch them (along with many others) at the first inaugural Exit 111 Festival in October, taking place in Tennessee. This record will not disappoint and if you haven’t seen Killswitch Engage live, you’re dead to me. 


 

Exumer Release Video For “King’s End” [Music Video]

Photo: Silvy Maatman

Multinational thrash legends Exumer have released a video for “King’s End” a track off of their latest Hostile Defiance. This is the band’s fifth release, which debuted last month via Metal Blade Records. The album hit German charts on position 42, the highest chart entry in the band’s history.

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Review: AMON AMARTH – ‘Berserker’ [Video Stream]

A fearsome battle cry is heard from the North: Amon Amarth, five brutish warriors from Tumba, Sweden face an army of raving fanatics from all parts of the globe. Having formed in 1992, vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen & Johan Söderberg, bassist Ted Lundström, and drummer Jocke Wallgren have had plenty of experience venturing out into the world, speaking of Viking lore and fantasy, and conquering the stages of every land they set their eyes upon. 2019 marks the dawn of ‘Berserker’ via Metal Blade Records/Sony Music, the 11th studio album from these melodic death metal titans, and it is definitely not one that you would like to catch you sleeping. ‘Berserker’ is a full-on auditory assault of brutal savagery, primal ferocity, and plenty of beautiful melodies sure to please fans of Amon Amarth, both young and old. Continue reading

Watch BEHEMOTH’s New Video For ‘Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica’!

Extreme death metallers from Poland, BEHEMOTH, spearheaded by front man Nergal have released a fresh new music video that goes by the name of “Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica“, from their recent album, ‘I Loved You At Your Darkest‘, which was released back in October to widespread acclaim. Grupa 13 has been working with BEHEMOTH for a long time now, and continues to awe the fans on this video as well.

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KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, BORN OF OSIRIS, CROWBAR, & DEATH RAY VISION Rage In Chattanooga

Killswitch Engage

After being forced to postpone a handful of dates back in the spring so lead vocalist Jesse Leach could undergo vocal cord surgery, Killswitch Engage was back with a vengeance for a quick ten date fall run (makeup dates plus a few bonus shows) that would see them finish out their US commitments in early December before heading overseas in early 2019. Joining in on the fun were one of Killswitch bass player Mike D’Antonio’s other bands Death Ray Vision, sludge metal kings the almighty Crowbar, and progressive metalcore quintet Born of Osiris. Continue reading

RIVERS OF NIHIL Launch Music Video for ‘The Silent Life’ [VIDEO STREAM]

Are you a Rivers of Nihil fan? Of course you are! The death metal titans have officially released a music video for, “The Silent Life,” the lead single off of their new release, “Where Owls Know My Name,” an album that was as crushing and intense as it gets. The album debuted on the Billboard and Canadian music charts upon its release in March: #3 Top New Artist Albums (Billboard / USA), #9 Current Hard Music Albums (Billboard / USA), #57 Top 200 Current Albums (Billboard / USA), #61 Top 200 Albums (Billboard / USA), #50 Top 200 Chart (Canada), #10 Top Hard Music Charts (Canada).

Image may contain: 5 people, people standing

Rivers Of Nihil’s Brody Uttley (guitar) comments: “This live music video for ‘The Silent Life’ was filmed by the kind folks over at MyGoodEye Visuals in our hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania on the last date of our recent headlining tour. We had our good pal Zach Strouse playing live saxophone with us that night, so it seemed like a great chance to catch some footage. As always, working with David Brodsky and his team was a blast. We hope you enjoy.
We will also be embarking on our second European tour late this November with our friends in Revocation, Archspire, and Soreption. We will be playing a nice selection of new tunes as well as some old favorites. Come out and get in the pit!”

Rivers of Nihil tour dates and music video stream found down below.  Continue reading

HARM’S WAY Kick Off US Tour Supporting CANNIBAL CORPSE! [Tour Dates]

Chicago hardcore unit Harm’s Way will kick off a US tour supporting death metal icons and Metal Blade labelmates Cannibal Corpse tomorrow night, continuing to support their devastating new album ‘Posthuman’! Beginning at The Senate in Columbia, South Carolina, the tour will tear its way through over two-dozen cities before concluding on December 6th at The Culture Room – Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Read on for full dates!

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Album Review: Behemoth “I Loved You At Your Darkest”

Behemoth is just one of those bands that really do not require an introduction.  Spawning from pure darkness in Gdansk Poland in 1991 and emerging on to the black metal scene with raw, unfiltered ferocity, they maintained this style with heathen lyrical content into the late 90’s where they shifted to occult, and thelemic inspiration and showed that they could also be a reckoning force in the death metal scene with the release of “Satanica. At this time the world also quickly came to realize that Behemoth was unique in it’s own way thanks to the drum styling of Inferno, multi layered vocals and some middle eastern influence. Behemoth is now comprised of Nergal (vocals/guitar), Orion (bass/vocals), and Inferno (drums).  There are plenty of those who would like to say that Behemoth is a blackened death metal project, but Nergal prefers to consider them without a label, which to me is completely acceptable when facing a true artist who does in no way conform to the status quo. Behemoth has released 10 studio albums since conception, and tomorrow, October 5th 2018, they grace the world with their 11th release “I Loved You At Your Darkest” via Metal Blade Records. Continue reading

Review: REVOCATION – ‘The Outer Ones’ [Tour Dates]

With all of the momentum of being in high gear for their last album, “Great Is Our Sin,” progressive death metal masters Revocation are back and screaming with a hellish, visceral vengeance with their latest chapter, “The Outer Ones.” The Boston extreme rockers are redefining and improving on the signature sound they’ve been crafting for years, with 5 genre-bending albums being released since 2005. Shane Frisby was the man behind the boards on this album to ensure the group got the most out of the tenacious and gut-wrenching death metal sound they were striving for. This amazing piece of work is being released under Metal Blade records on Friday, September 29th and we have your first look at it here. Continue reading

State Of The Art: BYZANTINE!

Coming from West Virginia are the one and only Byzantine! With 7 official records they remain their golden yet underrated groovy sound that we call heavy metal. So without wasting anymore time, let’s get into it!

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