Killswitch Engage Songs Ranked
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage’s current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, bassist Mike D’Antonio, and drummer Justin Foley. The band has released eight studio albums and two live performance albums. Their eighth studio album, Atonement, was released on August 16, 2019. Killswitch Engage rose to fame with its 2004 release The End of Heartache, which peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200, and was certified gold by the RIAA in December 2007 for over 500,000 shipments in the United States. The title track, “The End of Heartache”, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2005 for Best Metal Performance, and a live DVD titled (Set This) World Ablaze was released in 2005. Killswitch Engage has performed at festivals such as Soundwave Festival, Wacken Open Air, Reading and Leeds Festivals, Ozzfest, Download Festival, Rock on the Range, Rock Am Ring, Mayhem Festival, Monsters of Rock, Pointfest, Knotfest, and Heavy MTL. The band has sold over four million records in the U.S. and has been considered notable within the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, and has also been considered one of the earliest leading forces of the metalcore genre. Here are all of Killswitch Engage songs ranked.
Don’t miss out on TIMELESS Killswitch Engage albums below! Click to experience heavy metal songs.
20. Strength of the Mind (Incarnate, 2016)
“I think looking at it, it isn’t hard to see what the song is about. It’s about embracing the the difficulties you face in life as character building and finding strength in the face of adversity. You can’t rely on other people to fix you, when you are at rock bottom only you can get yourself out of it. Your own mind is your enemy, but you can defeat it.”
19. My Obsession (God of War: Blood & Metal, 2010)
“Amazing I love this song so much, it’s great! You should definitely listen to it! My ex told me that he listened to this whenever he thinks of me”
18. Starting Over (Killswitch Engage, 2009)
“One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard, it transitions from harsh vocals to one of the most stunning choruses I have ever heard”
17. You Don’t Bleed for Me (Disarm the Descent, 2013)
“You don’t bleed for me is one of their best songs, Best of the band, The vocals were perfect, The cleans were perfect…The lyrics were simple, Beautifully written and perfect… Everything was perfect”
See more: Killswitch Engage Albums Ranked
16. A Tribute to the Fallen (Disarm the Descent, 2013)
“The whole album Disarm the Descent is really well done but this song kills it. Jesse nails it with his shouting-like screams and then goes for an insanely epic clean vocal chorus that blows my mind away. The bridge with the solo feels fresh and is totally different from the rest of the song. The ending part fades out perfectly and the acoustic part following up just perfectly fits this modern metal masterpiece. Jesse is finally back, better than ever!”
15. Self Revolution (Alive or Just Breathing, 2002)
“Song with the probably best chorus ever. I love the whole buildup, great scream parts by Jesse and like said before unbelievably well done clean singing chorus. Also I really love the meaning, Self Revolution is an underrated masterpiece and maybe the best original Killswitch Engage song.”
14. Break the Silence (As Daylight Dies, 2006)
“If we can’t break the silence how can we survive. Amazing song and has a great song meaning to it. It’s about making society better for the future.”
13. Vide Infra (Killswitch Engage, 2000)
“This song is pure dope, probably their hardest track ever. Jesse nailed it. In my opinion Howard wasn’t able to keep up with songs like this one or “When The Balance Is Broken”, though these are some of the least popular songs from KSE, sadly.”
12. Reject Yourself (As Daylight Dies, 2006)
“The opening riff that carries into the chorus is one my absolute favorites from KSE. Howard’s singing on the chorus lines are marvelous, as always. And then “Eeeyaahh! ” plus a fairly haunting outro…I love this song.”
11. This is Absolution (As Daylight Dies, 2006)
“This song is no doubt my favorite of all time. The guitar in this is incredible and the same goes for the lyrics. Vocals in this song are amazing.”
10. Temple from the Within (Killswitch Engage 2000)
“This is their first song and it is actually the one song that gives me the MOST chills. Undoubtedly their most beautiful and haunting song.”
9. When Darkness Falls (Freddy vs. Jason, 2003)
“Makes your hairs stand!…WHEN DARKNESS FALLS WE ARE REBORN!.. great song for working out at the gym…Makes me want start a fight!”
8. Fixation on the Darkness (Alive or Just Breathing, 2002)
“This song is one of the greatest. And it kicks ass so much live in concert. I love the varying scream levels in Jesse’s voice, and the death growl undertone in the chorus.”
7. In Due Time (Disarm the Descent, 2013)
“I believe this is Killswitch Engage’s best album. I have nothing against Howard at all, in fact I like his vocals a lot, however Jesse does an unreal job on this album. The songwriting is just magic. This song showcasing what these guys are all about.”
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6. My Last Serenade (Alive or Just Breathing, 2002)
“While I love both Jesse and Howard, I really feel like Jesse is the more dynamic songwriter of the two. Old KSE songs seemed to fluctuate between soft and heavy so much more and better than their Howard-era material. This song is a perfect example of that- a brutally heavy verse riff with some of the rawest screams in all of metal right next to an emotional chorus and sentimental acoustic parts. This song really defined what metalcore is, much due to Jesse’s writing and his vocals. I love all of KSE’s songs, but My Last Serenade has my vote any day.”
5. Rose of Sharyn (The End of Heartache, 2004)
“The intro riff is so lethal dude.. It takes you by surprise.. And then pitch shift in the middle of the song adds color, great song. No fancy solo, but with such epic continuation of a great riff.”
4. The Arms of Sorrow (As Daylight Dies, 2006)
“This song is just so heavenly beautiful. It’s like a gift God sent from heaven. It’s heavy and melodic, emotional and powerful, it’s just THAT damn superb of a song. I totally understand Jesse and why he considers this his favorite Killswitch Engage song. Look at those lyrics! “Imprisoned inside this mind, hiding behind the empty smiles”. It’s just a masterpiece, AND it sends a positive message. Not to mention Howard’s vocals, he KILLS it, especially on this one. The Arms Of Sorrow for the win!”
3. This Fire Burns (WWE Wreckless Intent, 2006)
“The intro is just epic with those amazing catchy guitar riffs, screaming is just badass (Howard, best screamer), clean singing is beautiful as always and thr lyrics… well, those are some of the most inspirational, motivating lyrics ever. Hail KSE! They help me be the person I should be and that’s why I think they’re awesome!”
2. My Curse (As Daylight Dies, 2006)
“Forget the middle section, the intro is amazing! I didn’t like this in the beginning, but later I surrendered to the intro! Such a beautiful song… Makes me feel sad and happy when I hear it. Love the guitar intro and the chorus most though.”
1. The End of Heartache (The End of Heartache, 2004)
“Perfection. This man knows how to sing from his soul. His screams are ear piercing, yet he finds a way to serenade you with his voice of baritone beauty. It’s the cure for almost every mood: neither too soft, nor too heavy. Give it a try why don’t ya!”