Album: Disarm the Descent (2013)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is often interpreted as being about a girl, but it's really about family members who have passed away and coping with death.

    This theme is reflected in the video, which tells the story of two brothers who take a road trip after one of them learns he has cancer. After he dies, his brother takes the same trip on his own.

    The video was directed by the team of Ian McFarland and Mike Pecci, who previously helped the Killswitch Engage video for "In Due Time." In our interview with Pecci, he said: "It's this very emotional piece about him reliving this impromptu adventure that they go on, which ends up being one of his best moments that he shared. It became a very emotional track."
  • This moderately paced song adds to the ebb and flow of Disarm the Descent. Frontman Jesse Leach told Artist Direct that's why it was included on the album. "Initially, a couple of the guys were like, 'I don't know if this fits on the record,'" he said. "Adam (Dutkiewicz, guitar) and I were like, 'well, it's perfect because it gives a breather right before the last song.' Every song is put in that particular order for a reason. In a day and age where people don't necessarily listen to records from start-to-finish, we're still an album band, and we wanted to make sure this album was an experience from beginning-to-end. I feel like 'Always' was the breather before the final song. It's sort of the closer."
  • Guitarist Joel Stroetzel described this to Pop-Break.com as, "a sludgy ballad song, which is also fun to play."
  • Disarm the Descent was Killswitch's first album with Jesse Leach on vocals since 2002's Alive or Just Breathing. Leach explained to Artist Direct the album title is "a creative way of saying 'Redemption' or rising again. You're in a state of your life where you're approaching rock bottom and you find a way to pick yourself up again before you hit the floor."

    Leach added that bassist Mike D'Antonio came up with title as a reference to his return to the band. "That's initially what Mike had in mind," said the vocalist. "He felt like that's where we were all at. I took it and ran with it. It's not just about the band. It's about the state of the world. I'm writing lyrics about people in my life and family and friends so the subject matter is really broad. I tried my best to be ambiguous enough for people to draw their own conclusions in terms of what the lyrics are about. I feel like I was able to do it in a way where it's still cohesive."
  • The band doesn't appear in the video because the drummer was injured, which killed their plan to shoot it in Europe while Killswitch was touring there. The band agreed that either they would all be in it, or none of them would, so a concept video using actors was created.

Comments: 3

  • Dan Gillespy. from Courtenay Bc.A very very good but sad metal song about losing loved ones or friends or anybody you really care about. The video and song can bring you to tears but it is still a very beautiful metal song. We all will be at some point dealing with loss and that is scary.
  • John Moloney from Ireland Should be noted the line with you always is from the bible, Matthew 28:20. With you always until the end of time. Jesse Leach is religious and his father was a pastor and is now a theology professor.
    Great song and fantastic album. Bleed for me is another awesome song from that album.
  • Xsmokexemxallx from Canada This band is my lifeline and they never fail, making me happy!
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