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Killswitch Engage Information
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'Killswitch Engage' is a metalcore band with melodic death metal influences band from Westfield, Massachusetts, USA.
Music
Killswitch Engage's sound mixes crushing riffs, double bass drum patterns, and furious screaming-growling vocals with melodic elements. Their music is heavily influenced by the Gothenburg music scene. A key feature of the band's sound is the use of complex single-note and power chord riffs featuring dual-guitar harmonies, often punctuated with pinch harmonic squeals; a guitar style which originates from European metal bands such as In Flames.
Band History
Following the demise of his band Overcast in 1998, bassist Mike D'Antonio trawled the underground Massachusetts hardcore and heavy metal scene in search of a line-up for a new band. In 1999, D'Antonio met Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel, Aftershock's guitarists. Dutkiewicz became the drummer, while Stroetzel remained on guitar. The trio searched for a vocalist and eventually hired Jesse Leach, formerly of Corrin and Nothing Stays Gold. The now four member band took the name of "Killswitch Engage", a name proposed by D'Antonio after watching an episode of the FOX television programme The X-Files entitled "Kill Switch" by writer William Gibson after meeting Seattle industrial band Kill Switch...Klick.
The band was signed to the music label Ferret on the strength of its live performances, and subsequently won an opening slot with In Flames during their U.S. tour.
This and their debut self-titled album was sufficient to earn the band a record deal with Roadrunner Records. Soon after their signing to Roadrunner records, the band decided to become a five piece by bringing in former Aftershock drummer, Tom Gomes. In 2002 they released Alive or Just Breathing, a successful record which greatly increased the band's exposure and placed them on the Billboard Magazine Heatseeker chart. The CMJ New Music Report described the record as "more addictive than crack cocaine that's been smothered in nicotine AND drenched with chocolate."
Leach left the band in 2002 and was replaced by Howard Jones of Blood Has Been Shed on vocals. The new lineup played on the Road Rage tour in the UK and Netherlands in 2002 with 36 Crazyfists, and continued touring throughout the rest of the year. In 2003 the band released the song "When Darkness Falls" which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2003 horror film Freddy vs. Jason.The same year they also played the Ozzfest, after which drummer Tom Gomes left the band to live in Los Angeles with his wife and persue their current band,Something Of A Silhouette. He was replaced by Jones' fellow Blood Has Been Shed band member, Justin Foley, who also played in the jazzmetal band Red Tide. Justin' first tour with the band was the MTV2 Headbangers' Ball tours.
The band's third album, and the first to feature Jones on vocals, was The End of Heartache which was released on May 11 2004. The album ultimately went on to sell more than a quarter of a million copies in the U.S. It also debuted on the top 40 of the Australian album charts on May 17, 2004 following a successful tour of that country with Anthrax.
In the later half of 2004, the band supported Slayer on their US Jagermusic dates, and headlined shows with From Autumn to Ashes, 18 Visions and 36 Crazyfists. In addition, the track 'The End Of Heartache' became the main single for the movie "Resident Evil: Apocalypse", and in December 2004 the song was nominated in the 'Best Metal Performance' category for the 47th annual Grammy Awards.
In late 2004, 'The End of Heartache' was re-released as a special edition album, with a second disc featuring live performances of 'Fixation on the Darkness', 'Life To Lifeless' and 'My Last Serenade' accompanied with two bonus tracks, the rerecorded 'Irreversal', featuring former vocalist Jesse Leach on chorus vocals, and 'My Life For Yours', the Japanese bonus track for the original release.
During the summer of 2005, the band returned for another spot on the Ozzfest tour.
On November 1 2005, 'Alive or Just Breathing' was re-released as part of Roadrunner Records' 25th anniversary. It was re-released with both the 'My Last Serenade' and 'Fixation on the Darkness videos, as well as a few extra tracks including the Howard Jones version of the song 'Fixation on the Darkness'
On November 22 2005, KSE released a live DVD titled '(Set This) World Ablaze' which had a live concert the band taped during their stop at the Palladium in Worcester, MA on July 25 2005.
Current Band Members
* Howard Jones - Vocals
* Adam Dutkiewicz - Guitars; Backing Vocals
* Joel Stroetzel - Guitars
* Mike D'Antonio - Bass
* Justin Foley - Drums
* Randy Mann - Bass
Former Band Members
* Jesse Leach - Vocals
* Tom Gomes - Drums
Discography
'Studio Albums'
* Killswitch Engage (2000)
:01. Temple From The Within
:02. Vide Infra
:03. Irreversal
:04. Rusted Embrace
:05. Prelude
:06. Soilborn
:07. Numb Sickened Eyes
:08. In The Unblind
:09. One Last Sunset
(Bonus Tracks on 2004 Re-Release)
:10. Prelude (Demo Version)
:11. Soilborn (Demo Version)
:12. Vide Infra (Demo Version)
:13. In The Unblind (Demo Version)
* Alive or Just Breathing (2002)
:01. Numbered Days
:02. Self Revolution
:03. Fixation On The Darkness
:04. My Last Serenade
:05. Life To Lifeless
:06. Just Barely Breathing
:07. To The Sons Of Man
:08. Temple From The Within
:09. The Element Of One
:10. Vide Infra
:11. Without A Name
:12. Rise Inside
(Bonus Disc on 2005 Re-Release)
:01. In the Unblind
:02. When the Balance Is Broken
:03. Untitled and Unloved
:04. Numbered Days (Demo Version)
:05. Transfiguration a.k.a. Fixation on the Darkness (Demo Version)
:06. Just Barely Breathing (Demo Version)
:07. Fixation on the Darkness (Howard Jones Version)
:08. Studio Out Takes
* The End of Heartache (2004)
:01. A Bid Farewell
:02. Take This Oath
:03. When Darkness Falls
:04. Rose Of Sharyn
:05. Inhale
:06. Breathe Life
:07. The End of Heartache
:08. Declaration
:09. World Ablaze
:10. And Embers Rise
:11. Wasted Sacrifice
:12. Hope Is...
(Bonus Disc on 2004 Special Edition)
:01. Irreversal
:02. My Life For Yours
:03. The End of Heartache (Resident Evil Version)
:04. Life To Lifeless (Live)
:05. Fixation On The Darkness (Live)
:06. My Last Serenade (Live)
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