This Day In Music History: May 11th, 2004 – Killswitch Engage releases metalcore classic, ‘The End Of Heartache’

When original vocalist Jesse Leach left the band after the release of 2002’s Alive Or Just Breathing, metalcore veterans Killswitch Engage were left in a bind. How was the band, who had just released one of modern metalcore’s best albums, supposed to bring in a new vocalist that also fit KSE’s vision at the time?

Enter the powerful vocals of one Howard Jones. Though his previous work in Blood Has Been Shed showed off a vocalist who could roar with the best of them, it was on The End Of Heartache that catapulted KSE to stardom. Eventually, the band landed a Grammy nomination for the title track, was certified Gold by the RIAA, and impressively emerged from a setback better than ever.

Released on this day in 2004, The End Of Heartache was released just as metalcore was entering the mainstream – replacing much of nu-metal’s downturn. Impressive tracks like “Take This Oath” and “Rose Of Sharyn”, as well as improved and matured performances from the entire band, showed why TEOH was one of the first metalcore albums to really make an impact on the general public. Still sounds fresh today, too.