Killswitch sure to 'Engage' listeners

There is a time and place for all kinds of music. I don't mean to degrade commercial rock 'n' roll along the lines of Hoobastank and New Found Glory, but if you've grown tired and find it lame, then The End of Heartache could be just the remedy.\nKillswitch Engage has a sound much like its name implies. Blending death and thrash metal with speed and hardcore, the band will certainly engage mosh pits. Luckily, this doesn't clash with the prettier numbers. You may remember track three, "When Darkness Falls" if you sat through the closing credits of "Freddy Vs. Jason."\nLike the founders of thrash, Metallica and Megadeth, Killswitch Engage brings an apocalyptic sound to "World Ablaze" and "And Embers Rise," which blend together with no definite stop between them. These tracks continue the emotive, heavy sound that permeates the album as the cataclysmic metal-core morphs into an eerie wasteland of lyrical acoustic guitars. This differs from earlier cuts. "Inhale" is a uniquely pretty metal track, as it replaces melancholy with beauty, creating a crystal clear image of a peaceful countryside, while the speed-thrash of "Breathe Life" is a brash return to the heavy metal which dominates this album.\nThe End of Heartache is a joyride through the darker/heavier sides of life while embracing love and joy with a distinctive, masculine voice. It begins aggressively with, ironically enough, "A Bid Farewell," and ends with the scarily optimistic "Hope Is …," including the lyrics "Hope is not Lost" -- too true.