Killswitch Engage Biography
The foursome that came together and created Killswitch Engage already had strong fan followings. Mike D'Antonio (bass) was formerly the leader and principal songwriter of Overcast, the legendary underground metal group. When Overcast split in 1998, D'Antonio sought for a year to find the right combination of players to fuse hardcore and metal with melody. During the summer of 1999, D'Antonio connected with Adam Dutkiewitz, who was the drummer for Aftershock, and Joel Stroetzel, Aftershock's guitar player. Jesse Leach, vocalist for Corrin and Nothing Stays Gold, joined on, and the foursome took the name Killswitch Engage.
Killswitch Engage made their debut by opening for In Flames on tour. The Ferret label heard and liked the combination of brutality, sophistication, and breathtaking originality that the group produced, and signed them. Ferret released Killswitch Engage's self-titled debut album in June 2000 and it immediately began capturing rave reviews. The group lays out its heavy riffs mixed with both singing vocals and screaming vocals that cover a range from low-pitched death growls to the higher-pitched hyena screams. Stroetzel developed a guitar rhythm that gallops, and the others keep up as they combine elements of hardcore and metal and ferret in their melody. They come on with an intensity that does not give in.
During 2001, the band recorded "Numbered Days" for WERS' Nasty Habits live CD, a compilation with bands such as God Forbid, Haste, Unearth, and Poison the Well. Also in 2001, Killswitch Engage signed with Roadrunner Records and started recording their second full album, Alive or Just Breathing, at the Zing Studio in Westfield, MA. They expanded to a five-piece with the addition of former Aftershock drummer Tom Gomes, as Dutkiewitz moved over to guitar. The album included favorites such as "Self-Revolution," "Just Barely Breathing," and a re-recorded version of "Temple From the Within." Andy Sneap was signed on to mix and master this one in his English studio. The album aimed at even more of the growling bass tone, heavier guitar crunch, and thicker/faster double bass that permeate the music of the band, and it was greeted with high praise upon its release in May 2002 (it even shot to number 37 on Billboard's Heatseeker Chart).
Tours with Soilwork and Hypocrisy finished before the band suffered a setback that June; lead singer Leach suddenly left the group, citing voice problems and personal issues. (He later went on to join metal outfit Seemless.) Breaking up was not an option, but Killswitch was still unsure of their future -- until auditioning Howard Jones that is, vocalist for local metalcore outfit Blood Has Been Shed. The band and Jones clicked immediately, and his charismatic yet menacing stage presence sealed the deal. He made his debut with the band at summer 2002's Hellfest, and the guys stayed on the road for the remainder of the year, both home and abroad, winning over skeptics along the way. Gomes exited the group following their stint on 2003's Ozzfest and he was replaced by another Blood Has Been Shed alum, drummer Justin Foley.
The End of Heartache appeared in spring 2004, debuting at number 21 on the Top 200 and even earning Killswitch a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. Much touring followed, including acting as main support for Slayer and spots on package tours like Ozzfest and Taste of Chaos, while the band also released the DVD Set This World Ablaze in late 2005. Killswitch Engage further rocked a main stage spot at the U.K.'s Reading festival in summer 2006; all of this activity ultimately led up to the release of their fourth full-length, As Daylight Dies, that November. ~ Eleanor Ditzel & Corey Apar, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Small faces Biography: The Small Faces were the best English band never to hit it big in America. On this side of the Atlantic, all anybody remembers them for is their sole stateside hit, "Itchycoo Park," which was hardly...
Civ Biography: Named for its founder and lead singer, CIV blends traditional hardcore with an upbeat philosophy and catchy rhythms that take their cue from Adam Ant. The singer, Anthony Civocelli, was formerly a...
Node Biography: Including producers Flood and Ed Bueller with Dave Bessel and Gary Stout, Node use analogue synth instruments to recreate a classic '70s electronic sound on their self-titled 1995 album for the...
Forsaken Biography: Practitioners of the so-called Gothenburg sound (essentially, death metal heaviness paired with melody and catchy riffs), the Forsaken followed in the footsteps of Gothenburg pioneers like At the...
Angel witch Biography: In 1979, Angel Witch was one of the most promising bands of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, with a hardcore following and a modestly successful single under their belts. But like many fine bands...
Cube Biography: Formed in their school days, Stock Cube consisted of boyhood friends Chris Langdon (lead vocals, bass, brother of Royson and Antony Langdon of Spacehog fame), Nic Denson (guitars), and Jon Pike...
Ashanti Biography: With hitmaker Irv Gotti at the helm, Ashanti blasted into the urban music scene in 2002, topping the charts with multiple singles at once. She quickly became a sensation, gracing the covers of...
Rakim Biography: Although he never became a household name, Rakim is near-universally acknowledged as one of the greatest MCs -- perhaps the greatest -- of all time within the hip-hop community. It isn't...