Musically, the band has stuck with essentially the same formula that was so successful for them previously. Gothenburg inspired riffs and guitar harmonies and screamed vocals in the verses give way to clean vocal choruses. On End of Heartache, the choruses are even more epic and emotional than those on Alive or Just Breathing. Howard Jones, the replacement for Leach, puts on a hell of a performance and is clearly putting his whole heart into the songs. When he sings “It won’t be long/ We’ll meet again/ my love for you is everlasting” on the chorus of “Rose of Sharyn,” the listener can’t help but think that he means it. ‘Breathe Life,’ another highlight, has an absolute monster of a chorus that is perfectly sung by Jones. Jones definitely has a more forceful voice than Leach and that is used to great effect by the band.

Those looking for a heavier album may be disappointed by End of Heartache, as the band has adopted a somewhat more accessible sound on some of the songs. ‘The End of Heartache,’ is without a doubt the most radio-friendly song on the CD, with clean vocals most of the way through. Despite this, ‘The End of Heartache,’ is actually one of my favorites. The chorus could not get out of my head.

Lyrically, the album is a mixture of lamentations about unrequited love and words of hopefulness and perseverance. The focus on emo-influenced vocals may be a turnoff for some but I found them to be fitting for the album. Album closer ‘Hope Is...’ is an excellent example of the latter type of lyrics, with a chorus exhorting the listener to “Weep no more/ We will prevail.”

With ‘The End of Heartache’, Killswitch Engage have taken a step towards more melody and bigger choruses. As such, not everyone will find the CD to their liking. I however, found it to be a superior effort to Alive or Just Breathing. Anyone who is a fan of emotional, melodic metal would not do wrong to go out and buy The End of Heartache.

written by Scott Huffard

Playing time: 42.30