Previous singer Jesse parted with the rest of the Killswitch crew after their second Alive Or Just Breathing album, yet there are clearly no hard feelings in any capacity, as Jesse was involved in singing backing vocals on this release, which opens with the thunder-bolting anthem 'A Bid Farewell', packed with trademark heavy riffing, ultra-moody vibes and a spectacularly soaring chorus that really hears Howard's voice sublimely sing for itself – so-to-speak.

'When Darkness Falls’,' similarly is a rampaging monster of a metal tune and is the first song that Howard wrote on joining the band.  Horror movie fans might even recognise the track as being featured on the end credits to Freddy Vs Jason.

'Inhale' and 'As Embers Rise' are two tracks that might catch most listeners out by surprise because both are beautifully subdued and lullaby-styled acoustic numbers, yet the tenderness fails to last for long, as the much harder, faster and louder tracts of metal in 'Breathe Life' and 'Wasted Sacrifice' respectively storm out of nowhere straight after the last 'soft' notes have aired.

Killswitch Engage, truth be told, have too much energy to contain and are routinely at their most exciting when the soaring vocals, the harsh guitars and stampeding beats all violently coalesce to ensure that the end of heartache has rarely sounded so intense.  And should you want more music of a similar stock, there's always the new Twelve Tribes album The Rebirth Of Tragedy, which, even from an album title point of view, sure shares much in common with this Killswitch Engage sacrifice to the Gods Of God-Damned Great Metal.  
(5/5)

Release Date: 10 May  2004