"Partially responsible for hastening the demise of nu metal." We've ranked every Killswitch Engage album from worst to best

While metalcore itself preceded Killswitch Engage's arrival by almost a decade, it was unquestionably the rise of Massachusettes' finest that helped push the genre to the very front of the metal scene in the 2000s, laying the groundwork for everyone from Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine to Bring Me The Horizon and Bad Omens to conquer the planet.

Killswitch also remain one of the few metal bands to sustain major success despite changing singers at pivotal moments in their career. Jesse Leach's surprise departure following the release of 2002 breakthrough Alive Or Just Breathing could have sunk a lesser band, but the arrival of Howard Jones only rocket-boosted their ascent. Incredibly, Howard's own exit just under a decade later - and the unlikely return of Leach soon after - helped rejuvenate the band once more, and their reach and influence remains as strong as ever. Here, then, is every Killswitch Engage album so far, ranked in reverse order of greatness.

9. Killswitch Engage (2009)

The band’s last album with vocalist Howard Jones, and the only real stinker in their entire back catalogue. While the melodic, radio-friendly side of KSE’s sound was crucial to their success, the second self-titled album of their career leaned way too far in that direction – they simply forgot to add the riffs and the aggression that worked so brilliantly as a counterpoint to those soaring melodies. No revisionist opinion here: this is pretty bad.

Killswitch Engage - Starting Over [OFFICIAL VIDEO] - YouTube

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8. Incarnate (2016)

It would be unfair to deny that Incarnate has its moments – first single Strength Of The Mind is an absolute world beater – and frontman Jesse Leach deserves great credit for using his lyrics to confront his demons on the record. In terms of positives, though, that’s pretty much about it. Songs like Cut Me Loose plod along with no real fire, and the more melodic songs like the partially acoustic Quiet Distress try to soar but fall flat. Not awful, but, next to the rest of their back catalogue, not anywhere near good enough.

Killswitch Engage - Cut Me Loose [OFFICIAL VIDEO] - YouTube

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7. Atonement (2019)

It’s an improvement on Incarnate, but Atonement is still far from KSE at their very best. Howard Jones rejoined the band for a song – the admittedly massive The Signal Fire – but it’s actually The Crownless King, featuring Testament frontman Chuck Billy that wins the battle of the guest spot. The main problem is the dip Atonement takes after those songs; I Am Broken Too is an uncharacteristically sappy ballad that we could really do without. Better, but still not quite there.

Killswitch Engage - The Signal Fire - YouTube

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6. This Consequence (2025)

The most visceral Killswitch Engage have sounded in quite some time, This Consequence matches scything metallic riffs and a surprisingly gritty Adam D production job with what might just be the most impassioned performance of Jesse Leach's career. His guttural roars and exacerbated, furious musings on the state of Planet Earth give the album an extra sense of urgency and propulsion, while the likes of Forever Aligned and I Believe pack those quintessential, earwormy choruses. There's no all-time-great Killswitch banger on here, but this is still a hell of a showing overall.

Killswitch Engage - I Believe - YouTube

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5. Killswitch Engage (2000)

Back when metalcore was an underground movement that few had heard of and Adam Dutkiewicz was still a drummer, Killswitch Engage released their debut album to little fanfare. It’s aged well: the likes of Soilborn, with its blastbeats, snotty punk aggression and death metal riffs, still stand up. It lacks the massive melodic choruses that would help the band break into the mainstream, but if you long for the glory years of underground metalcore then Killswitch Engage delivers.

Soilborn (2004 Remaster) - YouTube

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4. As Daylight Dies (2006)

It’s best known for My Curse and the cover of Dio’s Holy Diver tacked belatedly on the end, but there’s way more to As Daylight Dies. This Is Absolution is one of Killswitch's great underrated songs, The Arms Of Sorrow repeats the trick they pulled on The End Of Heartache with similarly stunning results, and For You has a riff that Dimebag Darrell would be proud of. The album drops off a little during its second half, but for the most part, As Daylight Dies still holds it own with anything else Killswitch Engage have done.

Killswitch Engage - The Arms of Sorrow [OFFICIAL VIDEO] - YouTube

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3. Disarm The Descent (2013)

When Howard Jones left the band at the end of 2012, there were rumblings that it could have been the end for Killswitch Engage. Instead, they brought Jesse Leach back into the lineup and released Disarm The Descent. From the second The Hell In Me comes tearing at you like a feral Rottweiler, it was clear they had pulled it out of the bag. Songs like the skyscraper huge Always and the call to the pit of In Due Time are established as essential Killswitch Engage anthems, making Disarm The Descent an undoubted fan favourite. One of the great metal comebacks.

Killswitch Engage - In Due Time [OFFICIAL VIDEO] - YouTube

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2. Alive Or Just Breathing (2002)

The album that established Killswitch Engage as one of the most exciting metal acts on the planet, and that was partially responsible for hastening the demise of nu metal. Alive Or Just Breathing is an absolutely monstrous set of songs. The riff that opens Numbered Days, the rhythmic battering of Life To The Lifeless and, of course, the generation-defining anthem My Last Serenade are pretty much as good as metalcore has ever got. It may only have been their second record, but Alive Or Just Breathing set a benchmark that pretty much any other band would struggle to replicate for the rest of their career. But amazingly, Killswitch themselves would top it next time around.

Killswitch Engage - My Last Serenade [OFFICIAL VIDEO] - YouTube

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1. The End Of Heartache (2004)

The immenseness of Alive Or Just Breathing was tempered by the departure of Jesse Leach, leaving an absurdly high bar for his replacement to aim at. The fact that they got bigger and actually one-upped their previous effort is a staggering achievement. The introduction of former Blood Has Been Shed frontman Howard Jones brought greater levels of melody to the band and, crucially, a more romanticised set of lyrical influences that opened Killswitch up to an entirely new set of fans.

As their profile soared, they became staples of MTV2 and were tipped as future festival headliners; with songs like A Bid Farewell, the anthemic, sombre stomp of the title track and the absolutely wonderful thrash-meets-rock-meets two-step of The Rose Of Shary,n no one can say it wouldn't be fully deserved. It’s by the slimmest of margins, but The End Of Heartache edges it as the best Killswitch Engage album - and perhaps metalcore's defining statement.