THE STORY BEHIND

The song that brought original vocalist Jesse Leach back into the fold and gave Killswitch Engage a second wind

WORDS: DANNII LEIVERS

KSE (left to right): Adam Dutkiewicz, Joel Stroetzel, Jesse Leach, Mike D’Antonio, Justin Foley

PRESS

BY 2012, KILLSWITCH Engage were facing an uncertain future. The Massachusetts quintet had released two era-defining records – 2002’s stratospheric breakthrough Alive Or Just Breathing, recorded with original singer Jesse Leach, and 2004’s The End Of Heartache, with replacement vocalist Howard Jones – that had cemented their position as one of metalcore’s biggest bands. But by the end of the decade, a lukewarm response to patchy late-00s material hinted at faltering momentum, and on January 4, 2012, the metal world was shocked when Howard announced his departure, citing health concerns.

Killswitch’s sixth album, Disarm The Descent, was born out of that period of uncertainty. The record that saved the band’s career and kickstarted their next era, it saw them welcome ex-vocalist Jesse back to the fold and reboot their blend of sky-scraping melodies, punk grit and savage thrash. A colossal return to form against nailbiting stakes, the Metal Hammer review at the time of its release said it “could be regarded as the most important album that the Massachusetts quintet have ever made”.

“I will agree with that,” nods guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz today, considering the record’s place in the KSE back catalogue. “It really was a statement that we’re not going away. Sorry! We’re still going to keep going and do what we do.”