Sometimes, a band needs to shake things up to stimulate themselves and their fans, all the while retaining the signature sonic hallmarks that have defined their sound. For their fifth album, Killswitch Engage, Massachusetts pioneers Killswitch Engage took calculated risks and traversed a different route, going outside their comfort zones. The choice yielded impressive, incredible results. None of the changes, however, make the mighty KsE sound like anyone else but KsE.
"There's different structures, but it's still Killswitch. I tried different topics and delivery, but it's still Killswitch." says vocalist Howard Jones, summing up where KsE is in 2009.
After bursting onto the scene in 2002 with the genre-defining Alive or Just Breathing, notching a Grammy nomination in 2005 for the title track from 2004's Gold-certified The End of Heartache and following up that landmark album with the near-Gold As Daylight Dies and an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, KsE adopted a versatile, non-stop touring schedule. The band's road history includes two treks on Ozzfest, stints on Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos and having the rare ability to straddle the line between the metal and alternative scenes by touring with Slayer and Mastodon as easily as My Chemical Romance and Underoath. However, KsE elected not to coast on the wave of prior successes, which saw them become one of the premier, most successful bands to emerge from the so-called New Wave of American metal. The band opted to work with an outside producer for the first time in their career. Brendan O'Brien (AC/DC, Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots) was dispatched with the task, which saw the band record in locales other than their native Massachusetts.
"We take so much care with the music," says bassist Mike D'Antonio. "We thought, 'Let's take things up a notch.' Brendan liked the band and it made sense to collaborate with him." Jones also states, in his trademark self-deprecating humor, "We're an easily identifiable band by our guitar tone, drums, and for better or worse, my voice." Jones challenged himself to explore a broader range of topics and to use his voice in other ways. "You'll hear some things vocally that I've never done," the singer says. Jones also comments, "You can count on anthems and positive lyrics, but hey, there's times when the sun isn't shining so brightly and some songs reflect that."
Guitarist and KsE class clown Adam Dutkiewicz, known for his crazy, hilarious stage antics, who co-produced Killswitch Engage, concurs, saying, "We wanted to redefine who we are a little bit. We did that by taking time to write together instead of showing up and putting parts together. We felt our last record, As Daylight Dies, sounded a little too much like 'us,' if that makes sense. We want to reinvent ourselves while retaining the Killswitch Engage integrity." While so many bands approach Dutkiewicz to produce their records, asking him for that definable "KsE sound," the goofy guitarist is modest about his work, saying, "I guess we're doing something right. We like to sound good on record. Live, there might be some hijinx and too much to drink, but that's the rock show. When we put songs together on record, we want them to sound clean and the best they can be!"
Dutkiewicz maintains that despite the bands change of routine, things were exciting in the camp. "I don't want things to be a ho-hum. I want to be over the top," he says. "We have attained a stature where we can afford to take risks now. That's not to say we will be a polka band or anything, but we can take risks, make good music and make fans happy or we will be out of jobs very quickly."
Quality music is the order of the day on Killswitch Engage. The band also wrote in a much more collaborative way. D'Antonio says, "Everyone pulled together as a team when we were writing and everyone contributed songs, which doesn’t always happen on Killswitch records. I'm spreading some of my Southern rock influence into the band. There was a little on the last record but there is more now. It's slow, dirgey, heavy stuff."
Drummer Justin Foley was able to contribute more to the process, saying, "I didn't do any over thinking with my parts. When I did Heartache, I was so new to the band that I was fitting into the band's mold and a lot of my crazy playing style doesn't work with Killswitch, so I had to adopt a new mindset. On Daylight, I may have overthought. This time, I'm so comfortable and know what we are, so the parts were natural this time around."
Joel Stroetzel, the unsung hero of KsE who serves as the quiet force and complement to Dutkiewicz's showmanship, reflects on the band's career, saying, "It's been a strange, long road. We didn't expect it in the beginning. It started as a weekend thing, with us jamming on Saturdays and playing occasional shows at bars, pubs, VFW halls. It turned into more than we expected." For the new album, both guitarists experimented with sounds, tones and effects pedals, according to Stroetzel. "There's some more spacey, ambient stuff in the background, but not in the main parts," he says. "It's heavy and guitar-driven, but it's a lot more textured."
Again, Jones contends that the change of pace was "by no means easy, but I've enjoyed the process. I like the challenge, that's one of the most enjoyable things about being in a band, getting to be creative in a way that a lot people don't get to be in normal, every day jobs." As for the impact KsE have left on the current hard rock scene, Jones and the band are modest, humble even, about their role. Jones says, "It's completely unexpected and in a lot of ways, not that much has changed about the band except we're not in a van anymore. It's still the same lunkheaded guys who get on stage and make fun of each other. Nothing has really changed, except we have a few more people who like us and we're lucky." While the band chalks it up to luck, talent and the crafting of good music that speaks to the fans also factor into the mix with Killswitch Engage and their new self-titled release.
01/07/2009 - KERRANG AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED PLUS KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ADORN THEIR COVER! It's well worth investing a few of your earth pounds in Kerrang magazine this week as our very own KILLSWITCH ENGAGE adorn th 30/06/2009 - CHECK OUT LIVE FOOTAGE OF KSE, SLIPKNOT AND DOWN FROM DOWNLOAD 09 Did you fancy re-living some of the best moments of the Download festival? Or did you not get to go and would like to check ... 29/06/2009 - NEW KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ALBUM- OUT NOW!!! The waiting is over. The new album from the mighty KILLSWITCH ENGAGE is on a store near you NOW!. The blistering self titled album, which ... 26/06/2009 - THIS WEEKS TOP NEWS!! Who put the week on fast forward?? It's freakin'Friday once again. Oh, hang on- THAT'S A GOOD THING! And here, as ever are the top ... 25/06/2009 - RECKONING- KILLSWITCH ENGAGE SPEAK The first track to be taken from the upcoming self titled album from RR faves KILLSWITCH ENGAGE was the crushing RECKONING. In this latest snippet ... 24/06/2009 - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE TALK ABOUT THE FIRST LIVE TRACK FROM THE NEW ALBUM When KILLSWITCH ENGAGE first hit the road after the recording of the new album, YouTube footage popped up everywhere as they preformed a new song ... 23/06/2009 - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ALBUM STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON MYSPACE NOW! That's right people! If you head over to MYSPACE UK now you will be able to hear the new self titled album from the mighty ... 19/06/2009 - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE TO PREMIER NEW ALBUM JUNE 23RD On June 29th, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE release their fifth studio album. Featuring the tracks 'Starting Over' and 'Reckoning', the self titled opus is one of the ... 18/06/2009 - DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL INTERVIEWS LIVE NOW If you head on over to the official DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL WEBSITE, you will see they have started to load their video interviews with the bands ... 18/06/2009 - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE TALK ABOUT THE UPCOMING MAYHEM TOUR It's a very exciting time for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE at the moment- they are touring fests in Europe (including an immense set at last weekend's Download ... 11/06/2009 - DOWNLOAD STAGE TIMES! PLUS SEE HOW YOU CAN GET THE BACKSTAGE GOSSIP!! It's almost time people!! Tomorrow DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2009 kicks off and this year, Roadrunner UK has a staggering ELEVEN bands on the bill, including the ... 11/06/2009 - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE CHECK IN WITH A VIDEO UPDATE It's been way too long since we had some KILLSWITCH ENAGAGE activity, frankly, so getting this update into the office was just what the doctor ... 10/06/2009 - GET £2 OFF ROADRUNNER RELEASES WITH OUR GOLDEN TICKET IN THIS MONTHS METAL HAMMER If you pick up the current issue of Metal Hammer (that will be the one with SLIPKNOT'S Mick Thomson on the cover), inside you wi 09/06/2009 - NEW KILLSWITCH ENGAGE SINGLE 'STARTING OVER' OUT NOW! CHECK OUT THE NEW VIDEO RIGHT HERE! KILLSWITCH ENGAGE have released a second digital single off their upcoming self titled album (which hits stores June 29th). STARTING OVER is now available on ... 07/06/2009 - NEW KILLSWITCH ENGAGE VIDEO ONLINE NOW!!! In the early hours of this morning (owing to that lovely US / UK time difference we have going on!), the new video from KILLSWITCH ... 06/06/2009 - THIS WEEK'S TOP NEWS AND MEDIA ON RR UK It's been a bloody busy week here at Roadrunner UK. You only have to have a read of the last RR UK blog entry to ... 05/06/2009 - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE TO PREMIER NEW VIDEO SUNDAY JUNE 7TH WITH MTV2 UK + SINGLE OUT MONDAY Monday June 8th sees KILLSWITCH ENGAGE release a second track from their upcoming album KILLSWITCH ENGAGE (which hits stores June 29th) as a digital single. ... 04/06/2009 - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE AT THE REVOLVER MAGAZINE GOLDEN GODS In the player below you will be able to see the cool interview that Roadrunner USA got with metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE when they were on ... 03/06/2009 - MAKE ADAM D LOOK DAFT AND WIN KILLER KILLSWITCH ENGAGE GOODIES Anyone familiar with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE knows that guitarist Adam D is just a bit of a joker, and so when we looked back at some ... 03/06/2009 - EXTRA CAMPING TICKETS RELEASED FOR DOWNLOAD If you were one of those folks who had a ticket for DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL but had no camping sorted yet, you will be happy to ... 01/07/2009KERRANG AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED PLUS KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ADORN THEIR COVER! It's well worth investing a few of your earth pounds in Kerrang magazine this week as our very own KILLSWITCH ENGAGE adorn th 30/06/2009CHECK OUT LIVE FOOTAGE OF KSE, SLIPKNOT AND DOWN FROM DOWNLOAD 09 Did you fancy re-living some of the best moments of the Download festival? Or did you not get to go and would like to check ... 26/06/2009THIS WEEKS TOP NEWS!! Who put the week on fast forward?? It's freakin'Friday once again. Oh, hang on- THAT'S A GOOD THING! And here, as ever are the top ... 29/06/2009NEW KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ALBUM- OUT NOW!!! The waiting is over. The new album from the mighty KILLSWITCH ENGAGE is on a store near you NOW!. The blistering self titled album, which ... 24/06/2009KILLSWITCH ENGAGE TALK ABOUT THE FIRST LIVE TRACK FROM THE NEW ALBUM When KILLSWITCH ENGAGE first hit the road after the recording of the new album, YouTube footage popped up everywhere as they preformed a new song ... 03/06/2009MAKE ADAM D LOOK DAFT AND WIN KILLER KILLSWITCH ENGAGE GOODIES Anyone familiar with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE knows that guitarist Adam D is just a bit of a joker, and so when we looked back at some ... 10/06/2009GET £2 OFF ROADRUNNER RELEASES WITH OUR GOLDEN TICKET IN THIS MONTHS METAL HAMMER If you pick up the current issue of Metal Hammer (that will be the one with SLIPKNOT'S Mick Thomson on the cover), inside you wi 25/06/2009RECKONING- KILLSWITCH ENGAGE SPEAK The first track to be taken from the upcoming self titled album from RR faves KILLSWITCH ENGAGE was the crushing RECKONING. In this latest snippet ... 07/06/2009NEW KILLSWITCH ENGAGE VIDEO ONLINE NOW!!! In the early hours of this morning (owing to that lovely US / UK time difference we have going on!), the new video from KILLSWITCH ... 12/02/2008DAYLIGHT DIES It's finally here!! New music from Killswitch Engage. The song in questions is the title track from their forthcoming album 'As Daylight Dies' (out 20/11). ... 12/02/2008Killin' Gear Currently Killswitch Engage is on the road in the US with From Autumn To Ashes, Eighteen Visions, and 36 Crazyfists. If you catch a show ... 12/02/200836 Crazyfists Confirm Tour Alaskan 4 piece 36 Crazyfists have confirmed a UK tour to co-incide with this years Festival season.. last seen live in the UK with Roadrunner's ... 12/02/2008Get A Free Roadrage 20-Track DVD A ROADRAGE DVD is available exclusively NOW via Virgin/V.Shops for a mere £7.99 or utterly free if you buy 3 RR CD's for £20 or ... 12/02/2008Roadrage £7 & £8 Bargains Further to the last news update about the stonkingly cheap Roadrage campaign kicking off at Virgin this month, we can now tell you it's actually ... 12/02/2008Leather, Spikes, & Satan? A piece from the Winnipeg Sun... Killswitch Engage By Rob Williams Monday, 8 p.m., West End Cultural Centre There was a time when heavy metal ... 06/06/2009THIS WEEK'S TOP NEWS AND MEDIA ON RR UK It's been a bloody busy week here at Roadrunner UK. You only have to have a read of the last RR UK blog entry to ... 12/02/2008Out Now Please make note: Monday, the Resident Evil: Apocalypse soundtrack was released. (polite applause) Do make sure to check it out, and to check out the ... 11/06/2009DOWNLOAD STAGE TIMES! PLUS SEE HOW YOU CAN GET THE BACKSTAGE GOSSIP!! It's almost time people!! Tomorrow DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2009 kicks off and this year, Roadrunner UK has a staggering ELEVEN bands on the bill, including the ... 12/02/2008Sanity And A Dream Last week we posted an update on the site from Chimaira frontman Mark Hunter talking about the band's upcoming DVD titled The Dehumanizing Process. Since ... 09/06/2009NEW KILLSWITCH ENGAGE SINGLE 'STARTING OVER' OUT NOW! CHECK OUT THE NEW VIDEO RIGHT HERE! KILLSWITCH ENGAGE have released a second digital single off their upcoming self titled album (which hits stores June 29th). STARTING OVER is now available on ... Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage (Special Edition) Killswitch Engage (Special Edition) Starting Over Starting Over Reckoning Reckoning As Daylight Dies (Special Edition) As Daylight Dies (Special Edition) As Daylight Dies As Daylight Dies Alive Or Just Breathing (25th Anniversary Re-Issue) Alive Or Just Breathing (25th Anniversary Re-Issue) (Set This) World Ablaze (Set This) World Ablaze The End Of Heartache (Special Double Disc Edition) The End Of Heartache (Special Double Disc Edition) Untitled Untitled The End Of Heartache The End Of Heartache Alive Or Just Breathing Alive Or Just Breathing Promo Live Shots Studio shots Photos from the recording of yet to be titled new album (2009 Press Other KILLSWITCH ENGAGE- JUNE 29 2009
