Hailing from Western Massachusetts (where the only thing icier than the freeway in winter is the blunt sense of humor 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.
In 2002, Alive Or Just Breathing sent shockwaves through the culture, landing on Decibel’s “The Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.” Generated 3 billion-plus streams, they picked up gold and platinum plaques for The End of Heartache and As Day Light Dies respectively. They received three GRAMMY® Award nominations for “Best Metal Performance” and cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 with a trio of consecutive releases]. 2019’s Atonement represented a critical high watermark with praise from Forbes, Revolver, and NME who christened it “one of the most engaged and exciting records that Killswitch has ever made.”
The guys packed houses on headline tours and held their own sharing bills with acts from Iron Maiden, Slipknot, and Slayer to My Chemical Romance, Rise Against, and Coheed & Cambria. Killswitch Engage harness all of their strengths on their ninth full-length LP, This Consequence [Metal Blade Records]. They’ve distilled the hallmarks of their signature sound into a bruising, often brutal, and at times brilliantly bright body of work.
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