Interview by Kris Peters
Right before the turn of the century, casual jam sessions between a group of friends unassumingly lit the fuse for an insane 25-year ride to follow…
Hailing from Western Massachusetts (where the only thing icier than the freeway in winter is the blunt sense of humour shared by the locals), Killswitch Engage — Adam Dutkiewicz [guitar], Joel Stroetzel [guitar], Mike D’Antonio [bass], Justin Foley [drums], and Jesse Leach [vocals] — always stood apart. For as deadly serious as their airtight technical riffing is, they also knew how to have a good time, riling up crowds with uncontainable energy and unpredictable performances. They could bludgeon with the best of them, or serve up the kind of sing-along banger you could blast with the windows down.
From day one, they naturally appealed to the headbangers, hardcore kids, and heartbroken alike.
With eight successful albums under their belt, Killswitch Engage haveharnessed all of their strengths on their ninth full-length LP, This Consequence. They’ve distilled the hallmarks of their signature sound into a bruising, often brutal, and at times brilliantly bright body of work. This time around, the group emphasized working together face-to-face in a Massachusetts rehearsal spot. The process enabled them to apply the pressure on every element. At the collective urging of his bandmates, Jesse poured over his words like never before.
Now, This Consequence might just set the stage for another 25 years of Killswitch Engage.
HEAVY caught up with frontman Jesse Leach to find out more.
"Excited," he smiled when we ask how he is feeling about the impending release of This Consequence. "It's been a long time coming for many reasons. There's a bit of excited anxiety, like let's just get it out there. Let's just get it out there and start playing for the people."
We ask if, after eight previous albums, the excitement levels during the lead into an album release are still the same.
"It's a little different now," he measured. "It's still very exciting, but there's a certain amount of… I don't wanna use the word ease, but just comfort in the fact that we've done this enough. I think with this record, especially, we all feel like this feels like taking it to the next level. Even the decision to change the logo up… it just feels like a shift into a different era of the band. So there's an added excitement, but also a calm feeling that this feels right."
In the full interview, Jesse outlines the musical side of This Consequence, the first single Forever Aligned and why it was chosen to represent the album, the title and its significance, how this album is more of a collaboration than recent efforts, the bands blending of harmonies with brutality and how it works in the creative process, the early days of Killswitch Engage and where they fit in, how their music has changed over the years and more.