Love 'em or hate 'em they sure do write catchy shit.

ha, this is gonna go well..

Just want opinions from people that actually gave it a chance. The singer is fantastic, the drummer is solid with fast feet and great groove, the bass player has great stage presence, and the guitarists are tight as hell and if they wanted to could outshred most of the people on this board. They are Joe Stump students.

their guitarist are solid, but everything after the self titled CD and some of AOJB is just generic garbage.

I heard a track on sirus yesterday and it sounded just like all there other songs. not bad mind you, but just the same.

+1 on the generic garbage, although they do have thier own uinique sound... they aren't really a band you get confused with another band (mostly because of the vocals).

However, the vocals are also one of the biggest issues with that band because they make every song sound the fucking same.. it's like staind.

They do have some catchy tunes, even though their guitarists didn't do much for me. I do like the footwork of their drumming though on a few tunes.

I saw this band a bunch of times years ago when every hardcore kid was blowing their load over how amazing they were. They sounded like a watery nu metal band with boring generic songs.

I saw this band a few years later when they were starting to get really big. Hardcore kids were distancing themselves from the band but were still in the "i liked their early stuff" stages. To me they sounded like a watered down nu metal band with boring songs.... but louder and on a bigger stage.

I saw them a couple years ago opening for Slayer after I saw their music videos on MTV, and heard them on the metal channel. They sounded like a watered down nu metal band with boring songs but with more expensive production and a billion $20 t shirts to sell.

Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!

Engage!

Howard Jones has possibly the best voice in metal today. If he doesn't who is better and I'm not talking about cookie monster b.s.

Cab Calloway

seriously, somebody flush this thread.

A.D. said:

Ronnie James Dio has the best voice in metal.

i hate this band, the guitarist really annoys the hell outa me when ever i have to sit through them

The Howard Jones in Killswitch is gayer than the real Howard Jones

Howard is at or near the top. Come on guys....Tell me you wouldn't ditch your shitty out of pitch vocalist for Howard if you had the chance.

I wouldn't because his voice sounds exactly the same on every song and it gets boring after 20 seconds. Not to mention his scream is unbearably terrible and he has the lyrical tallent of a black man.

A.D. said:

If he is "near the top," who else is on this list?

Niccolai said:

?

Azagorth Manntis for sure as well as Agorth Aman

I saw this band at the 2002 metal fest...didn't care for it
2004: I was chillin' at my friend's house I asked him what the crap was playing on the sterio was , he got all huffy and said 'KSE'.
'nuff said

His voice is so fucking goofy.

James Hetfield....Kaki King!!!!!

I like Howard's voice. A lot. It's the reason I was pissed he quit his band to go pretend to sing for Killswitch.

Anyone who uses Howard's voice as a reason to like Killswitch is a moron. If you like his voice, it's 100% wasted potential in that band. Go listen to Spirals, and see what he's actually capable of and how little of it gets used in Killswitch.

i think the new vocalist is boring as hell. i thought Jesse was a way better all-around vocalist. i've never heard Howard's other stuff however.

Howard was the singer for Blood Has Been Shed. On the album spirals, he goes everywhere from singing like Mike Patton to metal screams, and countless variations of clean vocals. Very versatile stuff, but not nearly the same style as KSE.

When he joined KSE, he's pretty much done the exact same sevendust style vocals for every song, every record. While he did sing that way on a few of the BHBS tracks too, it wasn't 100% of his clean singing style at all.

Jesse quit KSE, supposedly, because the screamed vocals were too hard for him and were ripping his shit up. It seems that with Howard in the band, they want him to keep doing the same singsong style crap as Jesse to keep the fans they had. They could EASILY venture out and do some off the wall music, he can handle it vocally with ease, but they choose to keep themselves in the same rut because it's both successful and comfortable.

old kse wasnt bad....got me into metal...then howard jones came along

FleshFries said:

That just made me realize I am the oldest person that has ever lived.

that song "The End of Heartache" has some of the gayest sing along lyrics and vocals. "sleep brings release, in the hope of a new day" come on. where the fuck did you get that? a fortune cookie? yeah their earlier stuff teetered on the edge of being really heavy, but this new stuff is so watered down.

Niccolai said:

http://www.myspace.com/bloodhasbeenshed

Listen to She Speaks to Me or Beginners Luck. His screams are awesome. Weak at times, but at least he doesn't do the exact same thing over and over.

And for the above link, I suggest anyone bagging Howard Jones' vocals take a listen. You'll quickly realize he didn't gay up KSE. They CHOSE to be that way.

ArrowHead is watching you said:

I agree.

Novella's production to me killed that album, but Spirals is top notch, and Howard (and Justin) are fucking phenomenal.

I agree. The production could be a lot better. I don't understand how I can listen to Utah and it's so clean and balanced sounding, but then on almost the rest of the album the bass is buried with the guitars, and everything sounds like mud. I think the producer only knew how to work with clean guitars or something.

I was a fan Blood has been shed back in it's day, but his screams don't do anything for me anymore.

The guys got talent IMO, but not appeal(not for my tastes anyways).

Either way, killswitch is enjoying a little bit more success then they deserve IMO.

every member of into eternity sings circles around howard jones.

ZJD said:

Who has more talent, Peter Frampton or Paul Bearer?
Who sells more records, Peter Frampton or Paul Bearer?
Who makes more money, Peter Frampton or Paul Bearer?

Who's music am I more likely to pick up and actually listen to, Peter Frampton's or Paul Bearer's???

I like death metal!!!!!!!!!!Me gusta tetillas!!!

How dare you post this under my initials!

I like their first few albums. I have not heard their new album, but the single sounds horrible. That is all.

- Nick

blackmetal!! said:

Hey, awesome.

old Killswitch is the best. The self-titled album they put out on Ferret is some of the best "metalcore" put out in YEARS. That album should be the staple of how metalcore should be played, not the new generic crap that's being put out.

Jesse Leach has one of the best voices ever and his main project Seemless is untouchable.

My Howard Jones picture is the least gay thing on this thread.
And people wonder why I hate all ages shows.

any power metal band on my playlist = better voice than howard... and there are atleast 30. lets not even get into the progressive metal bands...

contagion said:

thank you. to say howard jones is the best or near the top vocalist in metal means you need to listen to more bands dude. how about the singer of Mercenary? fucking Nevermore?? There is def a bunch more. Howard Jones is terrible and annoying.

Mercenary:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...=user.viewprofile&friendID=18354643

Nevermore:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...=user.viewprofile&friendID=19981909

Into Eternity:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...=user.viewprofile&friendID=25567571

p.s. i'm impressed that rttp stated their valid opinions instead of just being like "Fuck metalcore you faggot!"

Power metal - proof that talent does not equal appeal.

A.D. said:

that's assuming that everyone on this board is in a band featuring clean vocals. the vast majority of bands on this board have no clean singing at all, and would rather have a vocalist that can growl/yell/scream louder and more disgusting than anyone else. and while we're on the topic of clean vocals, everyone has to start somewhere. as much as i like BHBS, some of howard's clean vocals were not quite perfect on the earlier stuff.

and is A.D. supposed to stand for adam dutkiewicz (sp?)? if so, and you're not him, that is dumb.

i also like the dude who sings on the last song of Cephalic Carnage's Anomalies. i think it's Dave Otero, their producer.

SW said:


i fucking LOVE Mercenary

thegreatspaldino said:

One of my favorite bands, ever.

although i'm mainly a fan of just the newest album, but a lot of 11 dreams is awesome too... havent really ventured too deep into their other stuff... but what i do know, i love.

Everblack is good, 11 Dreams was where they really came into their sound I think, it's my favorite, the new one fucking kills. Such an awesome band.

Fuck metalcore you faggot.

you forgot the exclamation point

11 dreams is my favorite mercenary album. the kent cover is amazing.

pam said:

i agree with this. dio is the best metal vocalist of all time and he still sounds great.

RichHorror said:

alive or just breathing was one of my favorite cds in high school when it came out, anything after i agree pretty much every song is arranged the same

thegreatspaldino said:

I'm at ease with the sentiment.

tylerl said:


Alive or Just Breathing is an amazing record and I've pretty much worn it out. I agree that the song structures haven't changed and that's probably why the last 2 albums haven't tingled my balls any.

They are a tight fucking band. To say Jesse was a better vocalist is just obsurd but maybe he lyrics we're better. You all hate him because he's black and he's kicking everyones ass and he's no a dickhead.

A.D. said:

What the fuck?

i dig em

i'm not racist... i just hate niggers.

thats because New Jersey is filled with metalcore liking faggots... just look at waking the cadaver

His skin color has nothing to do with anything.

jesse was better and alot nicer of a guy...when i met howard he was a dick.

Whoremastery said:

For everyone saying Jesse was "better", I'm confused. Jesse QUIT the BAND because he couldn't HANDLE the VOCALS. Howard bangs out Jesse's songs night after night without any issues. How is Jesse better? Because he had a better sounding scream after months of re-takes in the recording studio? Get real.

Howard has too much soul.

Jesse had way more passion, better sound and way better lyrics. AND hes not an asshole. Howard is a cocky douche bag. And he wines about girls and about how much of a pussi he is. Jesse had lyrics that meant somthing. Thats more than alot of people can say about bands they listen to. Howard should have stayed with bhbs. They were good. Back in the day howard actually wrote about shit. Spirals wasnt as good lyrically but musically it was their best.

And no A.D. howard isnt the best voice in metal there are alot of really good vocalist's out there that he has nothing on.

To answer the actual question, kse was good back in the day when they had jesse and they were a bit more raw. But after the Alive or just breathing cd it got bad, The 3rd one was ok though. Justin foley is an awsome drummer, and they rest of the band has mad talent as well. They just went the cheese way. You cant be too mad though, cause they have money playing music, while the rest of us are broke trying to get our bands on shows so 14 people can see how true we are.