Disarm The Descent

**In early 2012, long-serving Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones left his band, citing a loss of enthusiasm for writing music and touring. This followed a creative slump evident in their most recent release at the time, 2009’s mediocre self-titled LP.**

The band held open auditions for a new singer, eventually re-recruiting former vocalist Jesse Leach, who had previously taken the mic on the band’s breakthrough 2002 album _Alive Or Just Breathing_. Whilst that album had not reached the commercial heights of 2004’s _The End Of Heartache_ or 2006’s _As Daylight Dies_, it had been incredibly influential, inspiring copycats from their home state of Massachusetts to every corner of the globe. Leach may not have the technical clean-singing prowess of Jones, but what he lacked in this department he made up for in energy, showmanship, and brute force.

So, then, it makes for an interesting creative move that the majority of the tracks on _Disarm The Descent_ – Leach’s first album back in the fold – heavily feature clean vocals. But it’s not an erroneous one; the band has evolved greatly in sound since 2002, and to return to the overwhelming noisiness of _Alive Or Just Breathing_ whilst making for a decent nostalgia trip, would not allow the band the opportunity to progress. That said, the album’s not exactly lacking in the heavy stuff, as opener ‘The Hell In Me’ and immediate album highlight ‘The New Awakening’ quickly demonstrate.

To call the album truly diverse would be a stretch, but it does contain elements of sound picked from throughout the band’s career: ‘Beyond The Flames’ and ‘In Due Time’ contain choruses catchier than the common cold, without lacking intensity; and the album moves from breakneck speed to brooding restraint as it sees fit – sometimes in the course of one song, as exemplified by ‘All We Have’. Penultimate number ‘Always’ is the biggest departure from the band’s previous material, with Leach’s surprisingly heartfelt, almost ballad-like vocals backed-up by a thudding, slow-burning instrumental passage.

The main criticism of the album is that no single track ever quite peaks at the highs of career-defining earlier material like ‘Rose Of Sharyn’, ‘My Last Serenade’, or ‘My Curse’. But the difficulty that comes with picking a stand-out track is indicative in part of just how consistent this album is: it may just be the most dependable collection that the band has put out yet. _Disarm The Descent_ may not change the metal world in the way that Leach’s last album with **Killswitch Engage** did eleven years ago, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable listen for fans of the band, and an unmistakable return to form.

**Similar To:** Trivium, Bullet For My Valentine.

**MP3:** The New Awakening.