Fire-Toolz is Angel Marcloid, a Chicago artist whose inventive and overwhelming electronic tracks smash past any and all genre conventions on their way to flooding your senses. Her new album Lavender Networks drops next month, and the catchily titled lead single “Balam =^..^= Says IPv09082024 Strawberry Head” was our favorite song of the week a…
The post Fire-Toolz – “And Where Is The Heart? I’ve Searched My Entire Home” (Feat. Jennifer Holm) appeared first on Stereogum.
WESTFIELD, MA — For over twenty-five years, Killswitch Engage has been the undisputed gold standard of American metalcore. While other bands from the “New Wave of American Heavy Metal” have flickered out or pivoted genres, the Massachusetts quintet has remained remarkably consistent, navigating singer changes and shifting industry trends without ever losing their soul.
With the band currently dominating the 2026 touring circuit alongside Machine Head and supporting their visceral new record This Consequence, it’s time to settle the debate: Which KSE era reigns supreme?
Ranking the Killswitch discography is essentially a tale of two distinct vocal titans: the raw, poetic fury of Jesse Leach and the polished, operatic power of Howard Jones. Whether you prefer the hardcore-adjacent grit of the early 2000s or the stadium-sized hooks of the mid-2000s, every record on this list contributed to the blueprint of modern metal.
Check it out: An EXCLUSIVE Deep Dive with Killswitch Engage singer Jesse Leach on The Loaded Radio Podcast
Ranking Killswitch Engage’s discography is like trying to choose your favorite child—if your children were capable of crushing your skull with a breakdown. For over twenty-five years, they have been the gold standard of American heavy metal.
See Killswitch Engage LIVE in 2026 by clicking here for ticketing information.
But the story of their music is a tale of two distinct eras. You have the raw, poetic fury of Jesse Leach and the polished, operatic power of Howard Jones. Most sites will give you a dry list; we’re giving you a Loaded Radio takedown based on technicality, production, and the sheer “sing-along” factor that made this band superstars.
Loaded Radio Recommends: The 13 Most Essential Albums in Modern Metalcore History
TL;DR: The KSE Dossier
This is the primordial ooze from which metalcore climbed. Before the Grammy nominations and gold records, KSE was a feral blend of Overcast and Aftershock members merging Swedish melodeath with East Coast hardcore.
Key Track: “Soilborn.”
The Verdict: It’s essential for historians, but the thin, basement-level production keeps it at the bottom. Tracks like “Temple from the Within” show the genius to come, but the band hadn’t quite mastered the “hook” yet.
Released during Jesse Leach’s second stint, Incarnate is a technically proficient and deeply personal record. However, in a discography this strong, “very good” can feel like “safe.”
Key Track: “Strength of the Mind.”
The Verdict: While “Strength of the Mind” is a live staple, the album lacks the frantic “danger” of Jesse’s 2002 debut or the relentless speed of his 2013 return. It’s an atmospheric, moody record that occasionally gets lost in the shuffle.
Often called “KSE II” or “The Howard Self-Titled,” this record saw the band leaning heavily into a polished, hard-rock aesthetic. Produced by Brendan O’Brien, it was a deliberate attempt to cross over into the mainstream.
Key Track: “Never Again.”
The Verdict: While “Save Me” and “Starting Over” are massive anthems, the record felt a bit too “calculated” for some die-hards. It lacks the raw, bleeding-heart emotion of the records that preceded it, though Howard’s performance is technically flawless.
Atonement was a massive return to form that proved KSE could still be vitriolic in their twentieth year. This album’s “Information Gain” was the historic collaboration “The Signal Fire,” which saw Jesse and Howard trading lines—a moment that essentially healed the “fandom divide” forever.
Key Track: “The Signal Fire” (feat. Howard Jones).
The Verdict: It’s a heavy, aggressive, and masterfully produced record that bridges the gap between their hardcore roots and their melodic future.
The newest entry to the canon is a “no filler” strike. At just 35 minutes, This Consequence is the most visceral Jesse Leach has sounded since Alive or Just Breathing.
Key Track: “Abandon Us.”
The Verdict: The band embraced a near-deathcore level of aggression on tracks like “Abandon Us,” proving the “old guard” can still out-heavy the new generation. It’s a lean, mean, and modern masterpiece that feels perfectly tuned for 2026.
When Jesse Leach reclaimed the mic in 2012, the world held its breath. Disarm the Descent was the exhale—a frantic, thrash-heavy explosion that felt like the band had something to prove again.
Key Track: “The Hell in Me.”
The Verdict: This is arguably the fastest album in their career. Adam D’s production is razor-sharp, and Jesse’s performance on “In Due Time” solidified that the king had returned to his throne.
This is the Howard Jones era at its absolute commercial and creative zenith. If The End of Heartache made them famous, As Daylight Dies made them legends.
Key Track: “My Curse” (The anthem of a generation).
The Verdict: From the opening riff of “Daylight Dies” to the iconic cover of “Holy Diver,” this is a “zero skips” album. It’s the sound of a band with total confidence in their arena-metal identity.
Without this record, modern metalcore simply does not exist. This is the blueprint. Jesse Leach’s performance here—recorded while he was struggling with vocal cord issues and personal demons—is one of the most honest in the history of the genre.
Key Track: “My Last Serenade.”
The Verdict: The transition from the “Numbered Days” breakdown into the soaring melody of “Self Revolution” changed the trajectory of heavy music. It’s raw, poetic, and undeniably influential.
The undisputed heavyweight champion. Faced with the departure of their founding singer just as they were gaining momentum, the band took a massive gamble on Howard Jones and produced a flawless masterpiece.
Key Track: “Rose of Sharyn.”
The Verdict: This album mastered the “KSE Formula”: crushing Swedish-inspired riffs, intricate drumming by Justin Foley, and choruses that could fill a stadium. From “A Bid Farewell” to the Grammy-nominated title track, The End of Heartache is the gold standard by which all other metalcore is measured.
Stay tuned to Loaded Radio for more artist rankings and metal news. Stream us 24/7 here.
The post KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ALBUMS RANKED: The Definitive Guide from Worst to Best appeared first on Loaded Radio.
The post DEAFKIDS: Metal Injection Premieres Industrial-Tinged “REFLEXO” Video From Brazilian Duo; CICATRIZES DO FUTURO LP Nears May 29th Release On Neurot Recordings; appeared first on INFRARED MAGAZINE.
(The Texas-based melodic death metal band Clad In Shadows released their debut album in late February, DGR managed to come across it, and now he’s turned in the following appreciative review.) You can use your band name for many things in heavy metal, such as head-turning shock value or as a mission statement. You can […]
The post CLAD IN SHADOWS: “MONUMENTS IN RUIN” appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.
The Brooklyn-based musician Oliver Kalb makes acoustic DIY music under the name Bellows. His records are simultaneously homespun and ambitious. You can tell that you’re hearing one guy putting music together obsessively in his spare time, but the tracks themselves are packed with melodic and stylistic ideas. You could hear that in the last Bellows…
The post Bellows Announces New Double Album <em>Que Bello!</em>: Hear Four Tracks appeared first on Stereogum.
The post DOWN: Nuclear Blast Records To Issue Remastered Edition Of Over The Under; âN.O.D.â Now Streaming + Preorders Available appeared first on INFRARED MAGAZINE.