Top 10 Killswitch Engage Songs

Photo: Stefan Brending – Creative Commons

Our Top 10 Killswitch Engage songs list looks at the songs of a heavy metalcore band formed in 1999 out of the city of Westfield, Massachusetts. Killswitch Engage would start with the collaboration between former Overcast bassist Mike D’Antonio and former Aftershock guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz. Adam would evolve to become the band’s new drummer, with former Aftershock’s guitarist Joel Stroetzel taking his position as Killswitch Engage’s guitarist. When it came to choosing a vocalist, the band would go the former Nothing Stays Gold’s vocalist Jesse Leach. The band would record their songs in 1999, releasing a self-titled album the following year.

While Killswitch Engage remained active, releasing song after song, they would finally rise to fame in 2004, thanks to their album The End of Heartache. Proving to be their greatest release by then, the song “The End of Heartache” was nominated for the Best Metal Performance in the 2005 Grammy Awards. While they didn’t win the awards, the nomination granted the band a chance to be internationally recognized by metalcore lovers. The band would later perform in many festivals through the popularity gained, amassing more fame for their sublime metal performances. Killswitch Engage is considered to be among the pioneers in the metalcore music genre. Currently, the band has sold over four million records in the United States alone, proving its worth to the world as a reputable metalcore band. Here are the top 10 Killswitch Engage songs that you might wish to check out.

# 10 – Hate by Design

Ushering us to the top 10 Killswitch Engage songs is one of the band’s popular songs from their 2016 album, Incarnate. The song “Hate by Design” addresses how society has been led by bad-minded souls, with bigotry and stupidity being vividly seen amongst the members of society. Probably everyone from whichever part of the world can relate to this song. The delivery of the song is as great as the message, thanks to the awe-inspiring performance by the band. “Hate by Design” has by far been one of the most popular songs in their 2016 album, Incarnate.

# 9 – The Signal Fire

And if you thought that “Hate by Design” was the only recent song that we can never seem to forget from Killswitch Engage, then you are wrong! Featured in their 2019 album, Atonement, the song “The Signal Fire” has proved to be one of the band’s most reputable songs. The song features Howard Jones as guest vocals, reminding us of the significant vocalist role he played for the band from 2002 to 2012. Leach and Howard put on some sublime performance that makes you wish that they stayed in for the band for a longer time as the vocalist duo for the Killswitch Engage band. So it is by no surprise that the song reached a peak position of number 9 in the US Hard Rock Digital Songs Chart.

# 8 – This Fire Burns

Releasing a theme song is one of the many ways you get to know that a band is making moves in its career. And for Killswitch Engage, providing the theme song for WWE superstar CM Punk was probably one of their great achievements! The ballad was also used by The New Nexus and Randy Orton for a theme song. However, Randy Orton would use it no further due to creative differences. Nevertheless, “This Fire Burns” proved to be an unforgettable song having it adopted as the WWE Judgment Day 2006 theme. This would ascertain the competence of the Killswitch Engage band in song composition and performance.

# 7 – Rose of Sharyn

The song “Rose of Sharyn” is among the few songs in the band’s first successful album, The End of Heartache. From an interview, Adam informed the world that the song was about a friend to Howard Jones, the band’s former vocalist, whose mother had passed away. In addition, its title would be inspired by a character in the play A Raisin in the Sun.

# 6 – In Due Time

2013 would never have been a better year for the Killswitch Engage than having them release their sixth studio album, Disarm the Descent. From this album, we find the song “In Due Time,” which took the music charts by storm. The song “In Due Time” would chart at numbers 23 and 26 on the Active Rock Chart and Mainstream Rock Chart. And to prove that the song was one of the best of the band’s releases, it would go on to be nominated for the Best Metal Performance at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

# 5 – The Arm of Sorrow

Featured in Killswitch Engage’s 2006 album, As Daylight Dies, the song “The Arm of Sorrow” brings on some emotional feel to rock music lovers. Howard Jones’s vocals make this song a real deal, having him spice the song up with his famous screams in the backing vocals. And the screams make perfect sense in this song, thanks to its sorrow theme. “The Arm of Sorrow” would go ahead to chart at number 30 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart.

# 4 – Holy Diver

Covers, at times, can be one of the best songs that a band gets to release, but on the condition that they outdo or match up to the original song’s fame. “Holy Diver” from the band’s 2006 album, As Daylight Dies, made the cut for a perfectly performed cover. Originally written by Ronnie J Dio, Killswitch Engage would perform the song with such great vigor reminding us of the greatness of this ballad but now in their famous metalcore style.

# 3 – My Last Serenade

Even though the band’s major success came in years after 2004, we can still trace some great ballads from their past releases. One perfect example is the band’s song “My Last Serenade” from the band’s 2002 album, Alive or Just Breathing. And to some point, this song is regarded to be the band’s breakthrough song following its popularity on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball. The song is all about burning bridges which means that time comes, and you have to leave people when they prove to be toxic. In this context, toxic means dragging you down with them.

# 2 – The End of Heartache

“The End of Heartache” was by far Killswitch Engage’s anthem in 2004. The song would solidify the band’s popularity carrying them to their never-fading greatness. In their third album, The End of Heartache, this song became the theme song for the famous 2004 film Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Its popularity would have the song nominated for the 2005 Grammys for the Best Metal Performance, only to have the song lose to Whiplash by Motorhead. Despite the loss, this platform opened up doors for the band making them even more recognized on the global platform.

# 1 – My Curse

Released as the first single in Killswitch Engage’s fourth album, As Daylight Dies, the song “My Curse” beat all odds to become one of the band’s most loved songs worldwide. Notably, the song relates to the theme of dwelling on a dead soul that one might have treasured much. In some way, the song relates to the band’s ballads “The End of Heartache” and “Rose of Sharyn.” Thanks to its powerful lyrical content that “My Curse” claimed a peak position of number 21 in the US Mainstream Rock Chart.