Hearing that there was a new Killswitch Engage album on the horizon didn’t feel all the fantastic or anything like that when I first heard about it as it’s every few years we’ve gotten something from them, and, if I’m honest, I just don’t enjoy them as much anymore especially with the later release. Something just fell off between me and them (it’s likely just my tastes changing but I digress). I was honestly more excited about the side projects more than anything like how I would just love more Times of Grace right now! But, like many things in the universe, listening to “Atonement” really feels like Killswitch was hell-bent on showing me just how foolish I am in my ways as they’ve created an album that brings back their voracious flame that hasn’t shone as bright for years.

Just everything leading up to this release kept getting better and better in my eyes. The initial announcement felt neutral for me. Then I saw the cover, pretty nice. The first single made me raise my eyebrows and give a quick, surprised grunt. Then it’s every other aspect of “Atonement” that instantly showed me that this genuinely has to be the best material that Killswitch Engage has put out in likely ten years. Right from the get-go, you can feel there’s much more of a punch in “Atonement” than some of its predecessors and Killswitch capitalizes on it like the true masters of the genre that they are. I find it endlessly perplexing as to how this album’s formula feels almost no different from previous works (tons of emotion, a fuck ton of melody, and just a band having fun) but somehow “Atonement” feels fresh as could be and ready to take on the world’s corruption and nastiness with the same spirit that made this band legendary in the first place.

Each track has something excellent to call its own, but it’s especially through tracks like “The Signal Fire”, “The Crownless King”, “Take Control”, and “Bite the Hand That Feeds” where the fantastic energy of “Atonement” reaches deadly peaks, but Killswitch also brings their trademark sound through bangers like “Ravenous”, “Us Against the World”, and “Know Your Enemy” to bring forth an intoxicating listen that feels just as massive as Killswitch has ever been but with a fresh coat of paint that makes it sexier than ever. I’d be shocked at how well this album came together with plenty of other bands, but the track record of Killswitch’s career speaks for itself and something like this should not be a surprise at all but should still be hailed and appreciated to the maximum. Whether you’re a veteran Killswitch lover or new blood for the band, there’s classy Killswitch excellence that’s sure to satiate your appetite right away.

It’s a surprise like this that can really reinvigorate my love for a band. Like many people my age, Killswitch was and will always be immensely influential on our tastes as budding metalheads, and it feels really nice as an adult to see this band come back around with material that feels like them again through and through. That’s not to say works before “Atonement” didn’t feel like Killswitch, but this is by far the most Killswitch record we’ve gotten in years, and it shows in every aspect from the quality to the power to the emotional impact that is just simply delicious from beginning to end.

“Atonement” releases on August 16th via Metal Blade Records!

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