(Artist Report)

Written by: Cody Denning  

Hello Soundwave readers, today the report is going to get a bit heavy. We will be covering the band Killswitch Engage. If you grew up in the USA or have been listening to hard rock or metal music in the last 25 years, you know the sounds of Killswitch Engage.

It’s a safe bet to call Killswitch Engage “classic” with songs like “The End of Heartache,” and many others. The band has been at it for well over 20 years and has hundreds of millions of plays on Spotify alone, not to mention sold millions of records. They have achieved far more than anyone’s expectations; that is a fact. From Westfield, Massachusetts, USA, the band was formed by Jesse David Leach, vocalist and founder.

After two albums, the self-titled album and “Alive or Just Breathing,” the band had been climbing the ladder to recognition levels. Leach would step down as leader of the band due to some personal issues, needing time. As Leach stepped aside, talented vocalist Howard Jones would take over in 2002.

Howard Jones made his voice heard with the album and single, “The End Of Heartache,” released on May 11, 2004. This was a massive sweep, grabbing the scene's attention and peaking at #21 on Billboard, solidifying the band’s multi-national presence.

In 2006, Killswitch performed at the “Reading and Leeds Festival,” creating massive hype for the band's upcoming album. Killswitch released a single, “The Fire Burns,” which was released with the WWE Wrestling organization under the album titled “Wreckless Intent”. The track was floated as a theme song for several wrestlers before being used as the theme song for a special event. The song later became CM Punk’s theme song and a massive hit with fans. This progress laid the groundwork for the release of the album “As Daylight Dies” in 2007, giving the band the gold stamp... To tell you it was well deserved comes with detail; these guys had performed for crowds that resembled oceans and overachieved. Killswitch decided to cover Ronnie James Dio's song “Holy Diver,” crafting a return hit on MTV and multiple platforms.

After that, the focus became releasing a second self-titled album. With that album, Killswitch Engage had reached headline status; they performed at multiple large festivals. In 2010, Howard sat out a tour, which is notable when vocalist Phil Labonte of “All That Remains” was subbing for the band. On March 18th, 2010, and eventually, the original vocalist Jesse Leach performed on several songs and subbed in for the remainder of the tour.

On January 4th, 2012, Killswitch Engage announced that Howard Jones had left the band. Howard Jones had been with the band for 9 years; he later explained that he left the band to manage his type 2 diabetes. The hectic touring schedule and lifestyle had worsened his condition. Howard Jones has since returned to music in 2013 with the band “Light the Torch.”

After Howard left the band, Killswitch moved forward, bringing back Jesse Leach. The band kicked it into high gear, continuing to tour and recording their album. From there, it's history. The mountain of achievements and things this band has done would be hard to cover in detail in one report.

In 2018, the band did a song with both Howard Jones and Jesse Leach performing. This song showed the friendship between the two and built upon Howard's new band. Fast forward to 2024, Killswitch Engage is celebrating 25 years of great music, releasing a single in November and confirming their ninth studio album “This Consequence,” set to be released on February 21st, 2025.

We may have to come back with a short report on how these guys banded together through COVID and highlight some of the massive festivals they have played. Either way, we will be talking about them in February, and you should be too. That does it for this Soundwave Report. Thanks for reading.

ATTENTION ALL MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS!

If you're passionate about your music and you're ready to take your career to the next level, you need to reading this. In today's world, getting your music out there isn't just a dream; it's a reality. You don't need a big record label holding you back. You need freedom, control, and the tools to succeed. Soundwave Music Media has a special deal just for you. Use this link and code below to receive  20% off your DistroKid membership. Get your music out there and you maybe the next artist we report on.