#joel stroetzel

“Vide Infra” was one of two tracks Killswitch Engage re-recorded for Alive or Just Breathing, and as such provided a bridge between their self-titled debut (which was actually just a demo that Ferret opted to release as a proper album) and the more polished and melodic second album.  To that end, the track greatly benefited from Adam Dutkiewicz’s greatly improved production and Andy Sneap’s crisp mix: what came off as tentative metalcore on Killswitch Engage roared to life on the Roadrunner debut, essentially defining the subgenre in sound, approach and ethos.  Jesse Leach didn’t flex vocally like he would on other Alive or Just Breathing tracks, but his shouting was precise and confident, and his enunciation made clear that his lyrics were far from boilerplate.  There was such a strong sense of purpose coming from all corners, from the writing to the performance to the production, that “Vide Infra” was simply undeniable- this was an unstoppable number that heralded KsE as a major force in metal that both respected tradition while also carving a new path. 

MY HEAD: Oh FUCK YES!! (Singing) THERE IS LOOOOOOVE, BURNING TO FIND YOU!!!

Happy birthday Joel Stroetzel

PS: Thank you for 2000 followers ♥

“I Feel Alive Again” was the closest Killswitch Engage came to recalling Adam D.’s and Jesse Leach’s one-off side project Times of Grace, which likely explained why it was kept aside and ultimately released as part of the Atonement II B-Sides for Charity EP.  As it was, the track generally fit within the context of Atonement, but the Dutkiewicz-sung interlude as well as the general dynamics within the song also felt like a follow-up to Hymn of a Broken Man. This wasn’t a bad spot for KsE to be in, as it slightly nudged towards some kind of evolution for the band.  Of course, that said evolution borrowed from an album two of its members made 9 years earlier indicated that Killswitch was still not totally sure where they wanted to go, but at least “I Feel Alive Again” didn’t feel like a complete retread from what had come before.

“Just Barely Breathing” was the semi-title track for Killswitch Engage’s second album, and generally represented the record’s musical approach albeit in slightly more stretched-out form.  But on a lyrical basis, the track fully encapsulated Jesse Leach’s ethos at the time, mixing biblical and Rastafarian imagery together with words that were simultaneously authoritative and yearning, and powered by a multi-faceted vocal performance that was aggressive and dark, but not at all hopeless.  His singing during what turned out to be the chorus was nothing short of revelatory- it wasn’t merely a “clean” bit, but was melodic, meditative and ominous in equal measure.  To be sure, the rest of Killswitch was in full lockstep, with Adam D.’s staggeringly pristine production (aided by a customarily snapping Andy Sneap mix) giving every instrument perfect space. As a deep cut on Alive or Just Breathing, “Just Barely Breathing” enabled the record to transcend its moment, and that was in no small part to Leach, who emerged as a singular talent and was not only a foundational metalcore vocalist, but one with much more to say than most.  

“Reject Yourself” closed As Daylight Dies and aptly described the corner Killswitch Engage had painted themselves into.  Sure, the song had everything that made Killswitch the premiere metalcore band of the early ‘00s: precise riffing from Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel, pummeling but dynamic drumming from Justin Foley, emo lyrics both sung and screamed by Howard Jones, and Dutkiewicz’s punchy production.  But at the same time, KsE injected these qualities into all of their songs, especially during the Jones era, and As Daylight Dies came dangerously close to sounding like nothing more than a rehash (which was exactly what happened with their subsequent self-titled effort), though Dutkiewicz’s increased singing role added a new wrinkle.  To that extent, “Reject Yourself” represented the peak of this particular sound, brimming with urgency throughout its running time and giving the band a full workout- especially Foley, who played like a monster.  It was an epic closer along the lines of “Rise Inside” that put a bow on the album’s themes and pushed metalcore right to its natural limit.  And if this iteration of Killswitch Engage wasn’t able to transcend that, well, neither could anyone else.