The Consequences Of Life With JESSE LEACH From KILLSWITCH ENGAGE

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.

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