Melodic metalcore

[5] CMJ writer Anthony Delia also credited Florida's Poison the Well and their first two releases The Opposite of December... A Season of Separation (1999) and Tear from the Red (2002) as "design[ing] the template for most of" the melodic metalcore bands to come.

[6] Killswitch Engage have also been called a pioneering force in the genre by publications such as Revolver,[7] along with artists such as 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Chimaira, Dead to Fall and Heaven Shall Burn.

[1] Killswitch Engage released their sophomore album Alive or Just Breathing in 2002, which has been noted as a significant influence on many bands to follow,[11] such as Jinjer, August Burns Red and Miss May I.

[16][17] Killswitch Engage's 2006 effort As Daylight Dies was described by Brandon Tadday of Overdrive Magazine as "without a doubt one of the most impactful releases for melodic metalcore during the mid-2000s",[17] peaking at number 32 on the Billboard 200 and spending 22 weeks in the charts, being certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2021.

[2][3][27] Practitioners of the genre tend to make use of instrumental melody, and many prominently feature clean singing alongside typical death metal growls and screams.