Killswitch Engage's Musical Nose-dive

If you ask any of my friends, my musical tastes can really not make sense sometimes.I hope that you keep that last sentence in mind while reading this little blog.Seriously.Moving along. So, a few years ago a pretty musically trustworthy guy that worked at the music store across from the place I worked at recommended I pick up Killswitch Engage's Alive or Just Breathing. I had heard of them through Shadows Fall. Brian Fair spoke highly of them and was wearing one of their shirts when I saw them before I had this recommended to me (At the time, I had yet to really delve into Overcast, so I was ignorant to the Mike D'Antonio factor).So I took his word and picked it up. Let me just say I was blown away by the album and thanked him plentifully for his recommendation. It was unlike anything I had really heard at the time. It had the elements of thrash metal I love, and the thick, huge chords and breakdowns from hardcore (which I might add, is the only good thing about hardcore). And finally there was the behemoth known as Jesse David Leach. He pretty much sealed the deal for me as far as Killswitch is concerned.Needless to say, I was VERY upset at his departure and VERY leary of Howard Jones being able to hold a candle to Jesse on the songs. Then I saw them live with Howie. He did the songs justice, but still was no Jesse. I was content.Out comes The End Of Heartache. Which for me was the musical equivalent to "meh." Some songs are good, others aren't noteworthy. Many times while listening to it, I could totally predict what the next riff or drum part would be before it even came. I was upset. Insert fear of good band falling into musical rut of writing the same shit over and over again because it does well commercially.As Daylight Days. This should have been called: As Killswitch's Credibility With Me Dies. The whole album pretty much exemplifies everything I was afraid of this album being. It's really sad for me. Especially since I fell in love with Alive or Just Breathing.I don't know if I'll ever intentionally listen to it many times more, I know my iPod will probably have it come up a few times, but that's in its hands. Ah Killswitch, how I miss your glory days with Jesse. Before you were "big with the kids."I guess that's what happens.Side note: Shadows Fall is on the same path, but isn't falling as fast.