The End of Heartache (song)
| "The End of Heartache" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cover art for the Resident Evil: Apocalypse promo single | ||||
| Single by Killswitch Engage | ||||
| from the album The End of Heartache and Resident Evil: Apocalypse Soundtrack | ||||
| Released | August 2004 | |||
| Recorded | December 15, 2003 – January 29, 2004 | |||
| Studio | Zing Studios, Westfield, Massachusetts | |||
| Genre | Metalcore | |||
| Length | 4:58 (album version) 4:04 (Resident Evil: Apocalypse version)[1] | |||
| Label | Roadrunner | |||
| Songwriters | Mike D'Antonio, Adam Dutkiewicz, Justin Foley, Howard Jones, Joel Stroetzel | |||
| Producer | Adam Dutkiewicz | |||
| Killswitch Engage singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"The End of Heartache" is the title track and second single from Killswitch Engage's third studio album The End of Heartache.
The song became the band's breakthrough single, peaking at no. 31 on the Mainstream Rock Chart.[2]
Composition and background
Stephen Hill described the song as "a slow-building epic that eschewed the Killswitch sound of savage metallic hardcore for an altogether more anthemic vibe", noting the hook as introducing new dynamics to the band. Guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz attributed the song to a desire to do something the band had never done before which would resonate with a large number of people.[3]
Music video
Two videos were produced for the song. The video edit of the song features mostly clean singing from vocalist Howard Jones with a few background screams, much like the video for "My Curse".
The first video shows the band performing the song inter-cut with footage from Resident Evil: Apocalypse along with close-up shots of the band playing.[4]
The second video cuts out the Resident Evil: Apocalypse footage and cuts between shots of the band performing the song.[5]
Reception
The song was included on Revolver's list of "16 Great Non-Hair-Metal Power Ballads".[6]
Loudwire has dubbed the song an “epic anthem that kicked metalcore to the next level.”[3]
In a 2018 poll held by Revolver Magazine it was voted Killswitch Engage’s fifth best song the publication added "Between Howard Jones’ powerhouse croons, Adam Dutkiewicz’s djenty licks and Justin Foley’s relentless snare abuse, its instant-classic status — and place on this list — comes as no surprise."[7]
Awards
The song was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to "Whiplash" by Motörhead.[8]
In popular culture
The song also appeared as the theme song for the 2004 zombie action film Resident Evil: Apocalypse. More recently the professional wrestler Roderick Strong, has used End of Heartache as his theme song on numerous occasions, most recently in All Elite Wrestling.[9]
Track listing
- Resident Evil: Apocalypse promo single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The End of Heartache" | 4:04 |
- US/UK promo single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The End of Heartache" (Album version) | 4:58 |
| 2. | "The End of Heartache" (Resident Evil: Apocalypse version) | 4:04 |
Personnel
- Killswitch Engage
- Howard Jones – lead vocals
- Adam Dutkiewicz – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Joel Stroetzel – rhythm guitar
- Mike D'Antonio – bass guitar
- Justin Foley – drums
- Additional musicians
- Andy Sneap – additional guitar
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[2] | 31 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[10] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Loftus, Johhny (August 31, 2004). "Resident Evil: Apocalypse [Original Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
- ^ a b "Killswitch Engage Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Hill, Stephen (2020-07-25). "Killswitch Engage's The End Of Heartache: the epic anthem that kicked metalcore to the next level". Louder. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
- ^ "Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache (Resident Evil Version) - YouTube". YouTube. April 30, 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
- ^ "Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache - YouTube". YouTube. October 26, 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
- ^ "16 Great Non-Hair-Metal Power Ballads". Revolver. March 28, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ Staff, Revolver. "Fan Poll: 5 Best Killswitch Engage Songs". Revolver. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ "47th Grammy Awards". Rock on the Net archive. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
- ^ Childers, Chad (2023-04-27). "Wrestler Roderick Strong Makes AEW Debut to Killswitch Engage Classic". Loudwire. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ "American single certifications – Killswitch Engage – The End Of Heartache". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 10, 2020.