Disarm the Descent
studio
ArtistKillswitch Engage
CoverKillswitch engage disarm the descent cover.jpg
ReleasedApril 2, 2013
RecordedSeptember–December 2012
StudioWicked Good Studios and Zing Studios, Westfield, Massachusetts
GenreMelodic metalcore[1]
LabelRoadrunner
ProducerAdam Dutkiewicz
Prev year2009
Next year2016

Disarm the Descent is the sixth studio album by the American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. The album was released on April 2, 2013, under Roadrunner Records.[2] It is the band's first album with Jesse Leach on vocals since 2002's Alive or Just Breathing.[3] Killswitch Engage announced the return of Leach in January 2012, after vocalist Howard Jones parted ways with the group due to illness.[3] The album received generally positive reception from professional critics.

"In Due Time", the first single from the album, was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 2014 Grammy Awards.[4]

Background and recording

Prior to the albums release Howard Jones, who had been with Killswitch Engage since 2002 left the band on January 4, 2012.[5] Following this the group held auditions to fill the position beginning on January 9,[6] and on February 8, the group announced their original singer Jesse Leach would be returning to the band.[7]

By late March of 2012, Killswitch Engage officially began tracking the album at Zing Studios.[8][9] By August of that year the group had gotten 16 tracks down and went on to finish the vocals in September following a tour. [10]

Vocalist Jesse Leach stated about the album that "It is with a grateful spirit that we prepare for this record's release". "From the music, to the lyrics, to the artwork, we are all proud of what we have accomplished. To me, this is by far my best vocal performance, much thanks to Adam's guidance and faith in my abilities. I am very grateful to be where I am in life, back in an amazing band with a record we are all excited for the world to hear. Thanks to all the fans for their warm welcome back and their undying love for Killswitch Engage."[11]

The album was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and mixed by Andy Sneap.[12] The album's artwork was created by bassist Mike D'Antonio and his graphic design company DarkicoN.[13]

On April 7, 2013, the group announced the albums name and release date.[14]

Musical style

Jesse Leach stated in an interview with Loudwire that "the music is definitely the fastest Killswitch record ever, it’s very heavy but still maintains the signature Killswitch hooky, melodic stuff there too. There’s definitely melody attached but I pulled out some new styles vocally, yelling and screaming and growling and layers and it sounds massive".[15]

Drummer Justin Foley stated in a documentary, detailing the making of the album, that his drumming parts features more blast beats than the other previous albums.[citation needed]

Release and promotion

The album's first single, "In Due Time", was digitally released on February 5, 2013, and was made available for streaming on the band's YouTube channel on January 30, 2013.[16][17] On February 27, 2013, the music video for "In Due Time" premiered on Rolling Stone's website.[18] The song went on to reach #26 on the US Mainstream Rock chart.[19]

On March 18, 2013, Killswitch Engage unveiled a second song from the album, titled "The New Awakening", on their YouTube channel.[20] On March 26, 2013, Killswitch Engage allowed the completed album to be streamed online for 48 hours.[21][22] A Special Edition version of the album, with alternate cover art, is also available digitally and on physical CD/DVD.[23][24] The DVD contains a thirty-minute documentary detailing the making of the album.[24] A Music video was also made for the song "Always."[25]

The album was officially released on April 2, 2013 and sold 48,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week,[26] debuting at number 7 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 in both the Top Hard Rock Albums Chart and the Top Rock Albums Chart.[27][28][29] The album has sold 158,000 copies in the US as of February 2016.[30] The album debuted at number 15 on the UK Albums Chart[31] and number 6 on the ARIA Chart. Its current UK sales stand at over 83,000.[32]

Killswitch Engage’s initial tour in support of the album was a Spring European tour which went from April 8, to May 6, 2013.[33] Following that the band embarked on a North American tour with Miss May I, Darkest Hour, The Word Alive and Affianceas support. As I Lay Dying was originally supposed to be on the tour, but dropped out due to criminal charges against frontman Tim Lambesis.[34] They then ended the year with another North American tour in the Fall with Lamb of God and Testament.[35]

Critical Reception

Critical reception for the album was highly positive; aggregate review website Metacritic assigned an overall score of 79 out of 100, based on reviews from six professional critics.[36]

Gregory Heaney from Allmusic gave the album three out of five stars saying "In the time since Leach left the fold, Killswitch Engage have matured into a tighter, more refined band than they were for Alive or Just Breathing, and while Leach has certainly grown as a singer in the intervening years, the album doesn't quite recapture that sense of catharsis the band possessed back then."[37] Dean Brown from PopMatters gave the album a solid eight out of ten stars saying "Disarm the Descent is the bountiful fruit of the Killswitch’s rejuvenation, and proof that, in life and metal, there are second chances."[38]

Metal Hammer gave the album 4.5/5 stars stating "Nostalgia may preclude this album from being revered in quite the same way as the ones that first made us fall in love with this band, but the truth is that Disarm The Descent is a magnificent return to form. Killswitch Engage are still alive, still breathing and very much back in the game." Blabbermouth.net added "One thing is certain: the memorable songwriting touch that always differentiated KILLSWITCH from even their biggest competitors, and which was astonishingly absent from 2009's eponymous LP, is back in force on "Disarm and Descent", along with Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel's exhilarating twin-guitar interplay and a bevvy of unusually flamboyant guitar solos."[39]

It was announced in December 2013 that the single "In Due Time" was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 2014 Grammy Awards,[40] but lost to "God Is Dead?" by Black Sabbath.[41]

The album was named to The Phoenix New Times 21 Best Heavy Metal Albums of 2013,[42] and was ranked number 4 on WhatCulture’s list on the Top 10 Rock / Metal Albums of 2013.[43]

Personnel

Killswitch Engage
Technical personnel
  • Produced by Adam Dutkiewicz
  • Engineered by Adam Dutkiewicz & Jim Fogarty
  • Mixed & mastered by Andy Sneap
  • Inspiration by Alysha «Girouard» McCooe
  • A&R by Dave Rath
  • Art direction, Layout & design by DarkicoN Design
  • Photo by Jeremy Saffer & DarkicoN Design
  • Band photo by Travis Shinn
  • Cover model: Brenna Daugherty
  • Make-Up, Model: Christine McCarron
  • Stylist, Wardrobe: by Lena Utin

Charts

Chart (2013)Peak
position

References

  1. ^ Train, Dane. "Killswitch Engage - Disarm The Descent review". Metal Storm. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  2. ^ "WATCH KILLSWITCH ENGAGE 'IN DUE TIME' RIGHT HERE!". Roadrunner Records. February 28, 2013. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  3. ^ Ramanand, Liz (January 7, 2013). "Killswitch Engage Set To Unleash New Album 'Disarm the Descent' on April 2". Loudwire. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  4. ^ Connor Williams (March 30, 2013). "ALBUM REVIEW: DISARM THE DESCENT - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE'". Rock Revolt Magazine™.
  5. ^ "Killswitch Engage part ways with singer". lambgoat.com. 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  6. ^ "Killswitch Engage to audition new singers?". lambgoat.com. 2012-01-09. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  7. ^ "KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Officially Announce Jesse Leach As Vocalist". Metal Injection. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  8. ^ "KILLSWITCH ENGAGE track their new album [UPDATE] - IDIOTEQ.com". 2012-04-03. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  9. ^ Shaw, Zach (2012-03-20). "It’s Safe To Say That Killswitch Engage Have Started Recording New Album | Metal Insider". metalinsider.net. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  10. ^ "KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Hope To Have New Album Out In Early 2013". Metal Injection. 2012-08-15. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  11. ^ "KILLSWITCH ENGAGE: 'In Due Time' Lyric Video Released". BlabberMouth. February 6, 2013. Archived from the original on April 13, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
  12. ^ "Killswitch Engage: New Album Details Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. January 7, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  13. ^ "Killswitch Engage: New Single 'In Due Time' Available For Streaming". Blabbermouth.net. January 30, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  14. ^ Chopik, Ivan (2013-01-07). "KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Announce DISARM THE DESCENT As Title Of New Album Out April 2". Guitar Messenger. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  15. ^ "Killswitch Engage Singer Jesse Leach Discusses Upcoming Album, Tour with Shadows Fall + More". Loudwire. November 21, 2012.
  16. ^ Ramanand, Liz (January 7, 2013). "Killswitch Engage Set To Unleash New Album 'Disarm the Descent' on April 2". Loudwire. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  17. ^ "Killswitch Engage: New Single 'In Due Time' Available For Streaming". Blabbermouth.net. January 30, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  18. ^ "Killswitch Engage Strike a Balance 'In Due Time' - Premiere". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. February 27, 2013. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  19. ^ "Billboard Killswitch Engage Chart History (Mainstream Rock Chart)"
  20. ^ "Killswitch Engage - The New Awakening". YouTube. Archived December 11, 2021 at the Wayback Machine.
  21. ^ "UK & IRELAND EXCLUSIVE: STREAM THE NEW KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ALBUM - FRONT – the funniest, sexiest magazine on Earth | FRONT – the funniest, sexiest magazine on Earth". Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  22. ^ "Exclusive: Stream Killswitch Engage new album, 'Disarm the Descent'". Alternative Press. March 26, 2013.
  23. ^ "Killswitch Engage - Disarm the Descent (Special Edition)". iTunes. Apple Inc.. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  24. ^ "Killswitch Engage - Disarm the Descent (Special Edition CD/DVD)". Roadrunner Records. Warner Music Group. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  25. ^ Hohnen, Mike (2013-10-22). "Killswitch Engage Release Short Film For 'Always' Single". Music Feeds. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  26. ^ "KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's 'Disarm The Descent' Cracks U.S. Top 10; Headlining Tour Announced". BlabberMouth. April 10, 2013. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
  27. ^ "We're No. 1! 'Billboard #1 Gospel Hits' Debuts Atop Gospel Albums Chart". Billboard
  28. ^ "Top Hard Rock Albums". Billboard
  29. ^ "Top Rock Albums". Billboard
  30. ^ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived February 29, 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  31. ^ "Killswitch Engage UK album chart". OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  32. ^ Jones, Alan (March 18, 2016). "Official Charts Analysis: Adele's 25 holds on to top spot despite sales dip". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  33. ^ "Killswitch Engage tour (Europe)". lambgoat.com. 2013-01-30. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  34. ^ "As I Lay Dying cancels KsE tour; two bands added". lambgoat.com. 2013-05-16. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  35. ^ "Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage tour dates". lambgoat.com. 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
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  37. ^ Heaney, Gregory. "Disarm the Descent - Killswitch Engage". Allmusic. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  38. ^ Brown, Dean (April 2, 2013). "Killswitch Engage: Disarm the Descent". PopMatters. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  39. ^ Blabbermouth (2013-04-14). "Disarm the Descent". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
  40. ^ Connor Williams (March 30, 2013). "ALBUM REVIEW: DISARM THE DESCENT – KILLSWITCH ENGAGE'". Rock Revolt Magazine.
  41. ^ "Black Sabbath Wins 'Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance' Grammy Award". Blabbermouth.net. January 26, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
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  43. ^ Rahi, Harjot (2013-12-12). "Top 10 Rock/Metal Albums Of 2013". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved 2026-05-19.