This Consequence
This Consequence is most convincing when Killswitch Engage push their familiar sound harder. Their ninth album still places heavy verses next to clean, melodic choruses, but its more aggressive passages have a sharper edge. It is a solid metalcore record with some strong peaks, even if the whole collection does not maintain the same level.
“Abandon Us” makes a good opening statement. The guitar work is tight, the rhythm has plenty of force, and Jesse Leach’s voice moves from anger into a much larger chorus. His delivery is central to the album. Even when the writing follows an expected route, he makes the feelings of frustration and isolation sound urgent. The melodic passages carry some of that tension rather than simply smoothing it away.
The heavier songs give the record more character. “Discordant Nation” pushes towards death-metal intensity, while “Collusion” gives Leach room for a rougher, lower vocal attack. “The Fall of Us” opens with a fast, grinding section that adds another burst of energy. These moments show how much impact the band can get from changing the weight of its established approach without abandoning melody.
There is room for contrast as well. “Aftermath” opens with a quieter guitar passage before returning to a bigger sound. “I Believe” gives more space to clean singing and a direct hard-rock feel. “Broken Glass” takes a slower, heavier route, with a darker melodic character. Those differences help prevent the album from becoming a simple sequence of similar breakdowns and choruses.
The weaker point is consistency. Some hooks feel less distinctive, and the production does not always give the guitars and drums a convincing balance. The songs can sound forceful without leaving an equally strong impression once they end. That matters on an album whose basic structure offers few surprises.
This Consequence is worth hearing for Leach’s committed performance and the harder material around it. The best tracks bring genuine bite to a well-established style. A few less memorable songs keep it from being a more complete success, but there is enough here for listeners who want melodic metalcore with an angry streak.
