Killswitch Engage

August 15, - August 22, 2012 Vol. 2-673
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KILLSWITCH
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TRESPASSERS BEWARE
Interview with Mike D ’ Antonio
by Amanda Ferrante Batista
It’s the homecoming of the prodigal
son, as original Killswitch Engage
vocalist Jesse Leach has returned to
the band. It’s a fairy tale ending of
sorts—a milestone comeback.
Similar to other metal greats like
Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden, Leach
has been challenged to prove himself
once again in a band he helped create.
Killswitch Engage had enjoyed the
greater part of its tenure with singer
Howard Jones, who replaced Leach
in 2002—a critical time for the band.
While they geared up to tour for their
first major release on Roadrunner
Records, Alive Or Just Breathing,
newlywed Leach cited a lack of
emotional drive and passion as the
reason for his abrupt departure.
The unexpected exit ensued panic,
naturally, as the band was standing at
the starting gate of success. A lovechild
of the metal acts Overcast and
Aftershock, Killswitch Engage are
regarded by their peers as pioneers of
metalcore.
The current ensemble—Jesse Leach
(vocals), Mike D’Antonio (bass), Justin
Foley (drums), Adam Dutkiewicz
(backing vocals and guitar) and Joel
Stroetzel (guitar)—has already made
major impact, noted for their musical
skill sets and versatility.
They’ve toured with Slayer and
Mastodon, but have broken bill rules
by sharing the same stage with My
Chemical Romance. Moving metal to
a “happier place,” Killswitch Engage’s
lyrics recognized and magnified
corruption, rather than celebrating evil
undertones.
Earning mega props from the
industry, fans and peers alike, the band
was excitingly entering a new chapter
of success, taking Massachusetts metal
to the masses.
They made amazing records together,
but with Leach’s head out of the game,
they feared for the security of the band
and were forced to find a way to keep
the momentum going.
Enter Jones, then singer of Blood
Has Been Shed. A friend of D’Antonio
and the band for several years, he
auditioned for the vocalist role and
helped the band pick up right where
they had nervously left off. Killswitch
Engage spent two years of touring for
the first Roadrunner release, which
was comprised of material that Jones
didn’t even write. The band recorded
three more albums with Jones and
earned a 2005 Grammy nomination
for the smash hit “The End Of
Heartache.” Selling more than four
million records in the U.S. alone, they’ve
also played a plethora of prestigious
shows, including Ozzfest, Download
Festival, Mayhem Festival and Rock
On The Range, among others.
While the band rode a long wave
of steamy success, in Jan. 2012, the
band announced that Jones would no
longer be part of the lineup. They
announced Leach’s return shortly
thereafter.
In this exclusive interview, bassist
Mike D’Antonio shares his perspective
on the band’s upcoming album and the
old-yet-new dynamic with the return
of Leach.
It’s been a big year for Killswich
“It’s really just like hanging
out on the couch with a buddy
that occasionally asks you to
play some stuff. It’s really the
most stress-free, easy recording
sessions that I’ve ever been a
part of. It’s really cool.“
Engage thus far. Founding singer
Jesse Leach has returned to the
band and you guys are expected to
release a new record soon, right?
We’re still recording the record. Not
sure exactly when it’s going to come
out but hopefully we’ll have it done
soon. It’s been incredible having Jesse
back in the band. It feels like a brand
new band that people know the lyrics
to. It’s just ridiculous! When you’re on
tour and you’re with someone who
hasn’t been jaded by years and years
on the road, seeing things through their
eyes for the first time is really exciting,
as well. It’s like this big, black cloud
is gone and now we’re basking in the
sunshine, and it’s amazing.
Are you still cool with Howard?
What’s your dynamic like now?
Yeah, we’re very cool. It’s just that it
was pretty obvious that it wasn’t going
to work out. We sat for two years trying
to get him in a better situation in his
head, and it just was not working.
Nothing we were doing was where we
wanted it to be so we both looked at
each other and said, “This is probably
not the right direction.”
How has Jesse’s return impacted
the band’s composition process, if
at all, for the new record?
Killswitch Engage will be at the Prudential Center in Newark on Aug. 18 as part of the Trespass America Festival. They’ll also be at Festival Pier in Philly on Aug. 19.
For more information, go to killswitchengage.com.
12 ARTS WEEKLY AUGUST 15, 2012 www.theaquarian.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROADRUNNER RECORDS
KILLSWITCH
ENGAGE
“As far as the dynamic on
stage, it feels like a
hardcore band again. It’s
really aggressive and
fun—lots of jumping and
crowd interaction. We’re
fortunate to have some
of the greatest fans ever
who have accepted the
change when Howard
came into the band, and
now having Jesse back.”
We took two years off so we were going to get
aggressive no matter what with writing the new
record. I started a new band in the interim just to
have something to do called Death Ray Vision,
which was a throwback band to my old band
Overcast (Brian Fair of Shadows Fall sings in the
band). It just really kind of pumped me up for the
new Killswitch record and writing more of my roots
than back to basics, heavier, more aggressive
stuff—tons of blast beats and all that. But Jesse
came in at the end of that whole thing, so we
had already written this pretty blazing album before
Jesse was even back in the band. Certainly adding
his lyrics on top—which have notably been my
favorite lyrics of all time, of anybody—it’s just like
the icing on the cake and the cherry on top. We
really couldn’t be happier.
Guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz is also the band’s
producer. What’s that dynamic like for you
guys? Does it make collaboration easier or
more challenging?
If Adam had any other type of demeanor we’d
probably be at each other’s throats while we were
recording, but he’s so easy to get along with and
such a good friend. It’s really just like hanging out
on the couch with a buddy that occasionally asks
you to play some stuff. It’s really the most stressfree, easy recording sessions that I’ve ever been
a part of. It’s really cool. If there’s any discussion
on what to do next, or if something’s not going
right, it’s extremely easy to just talk it out with him
and brainstorm new ideas. I like to run through my
[bass] parts and then run through them a second
time with Adam [to think about] what builds might
work, or what may build off the guitar better than
what I was thinking. It’s a nonstop fun brainstorming
session. When we recorded our last record with
another producer, it’s pretty notable how much of
a difference it was in how other people [work]. We
prefer [to record our albums] with Adam. We spent
so much money on the last record and it took so
much time. I don’t think we’ll ever do that again.
We learned our lesson!
Since you had already worked on material
for the new record before Jesse joined the band
again, how will you integrate his vocals back
into writing and composition?
We had pretty much all the demos done by
the time he joined. So we just shipped them over
to his house, he has a Pro Tools ring, and he’ll sing
his ideas on top of it and then send them to us.
Everything I’ve heard has been fantastic—really
catchy and super fun. So that’s how we work.
What’s next for Killswitch Engage? How do
you anticipate your sound to evolve with your
newfound lineup?
We’re finishing up the Trespass America Festival
tour with Five Finger Death Punch, Trivium, Emmure
and God Forbid, among others. After that we’ll
break and finish the record. Whatever time left in
the year we’ll spend touring. We’ll be out there for
sure! As far as the dynamic on stage, it feels like
a hardcore band again. It’s really aggressive
and fun—lots of jumping and crowd interaction.
We’re fortunate to have some of the greatest fans
ever who have accepted the change when Howard
came into the band, and now having Jesse back.
What we have going on now is really cool, that
they still accept us at this point. We’ve put them
through a lot of crap.
PHOTO BY VEGAR ABELSNES
www.theaquarian.com ARTS WEEKLY AUGUST 15, 2012 13