by James Christopher MongerWestfield, MA-based metalcore kings Killswitch Engage's fifth full-length album (and second eponymous release) was co-produced by Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, AC\u002FDC, Aerosmith, Mastodon), resulting in the group's most commercially viable collection of progressive\u002Fthrash\u002Femo-metal to date. Where 2006's As Daylight Dies hinted at an accelerated focus on the more melodic aspects of extreme metal, Killswitch Engage cements the notion. After a typically brutal opener that epitomizes the band's penchant for scorching thrash-heavy verses and sweeping, melodious choruses, the quintet spits out the radio-ready Starting Over. Flanked by dual guitar leads that echo classic Iron Maiden and shot through with a truly great vocal take from lead singer Howard Jones (who sounds remarkably like a classically trained Trent Reznor throughout the album), it's one of the album's finest, though ultimately divisive moments. It sets a significantly different template for the remainder of the record, trading tight machine-gun riffs (Save Me, A Light in a Darkened World) for angst-fueled midtempo dirges (Lost, This Is Goodbye) that might disappoint fans who feel that the punk-infused slow-burn post-hardcore albums like Alive or Just Breathing and End of Heartache are the barometers for which all future endeavors must be compared.