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On [[May 23]], [[2006]], the track "This Fire Burns" was released on the [[WWE Wreckless Intent]] album. This was the first new studio song to be released since ''The End of Heartache''. The song was intended to be the new theme for RAW star [[Randy Orton]]; however, it was scrapped and later became the theme for the [[WWE Judgment Day 2006]] [[pay-per-view]]. "This Fire Burns" is now being used as the theme for ECW wrestler [[CM Punk]].
On [[May 23]], [[2006]], the track "This Fire Burns" was released on the [[WWE Wreckless Intent]] album. This was the first new studio song to be released since ''The End of Heartache''. The song was intended to be the new theme for RAW star [[Randy Orton]]; however, it was scrapped and later became the theme for the [[WWE Judgment Day 2006]] [[pay-per-view]]. "This Fire Burns" is now being used as the theme for ECW wrestler [[CM Punk]].


''[[As Daylight Dies]]'' peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart with sales of 60,000 copies. The album received mostly positive critical reviews, with critics praising the vocal style of Jones and the band's already notable powerful riffs and soft melodies. [[All Music Guide]] gave the album four and a half stars out of a possible five, calling it "a Top Five metal candidate for 2006 for sure." The album did, however, receive a few mixed reviews from Metal critics, who criticized the album for breaking away from the style the band established with ''[[Alive or Just Breathing]]'' in 2002, and their last album ''The End of Heartache'' in 2004, and apparently "toning down" their once extremely heavy sound.
''[[As Daylight Dies]]'' peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart with sales of 60,000 copies. [[audio mixing|Mixed]] by Dutkiewicz, the album received mostly positive critical reviews — Thom Jurek of [[All Music Guide]] called it "a Top Five metal candidate for 2006 for sure".<ref name="As Daylight Dies AMG review">{{cite web
|title= ''As Daylight Dies'' AMG review
|author=Jurek, THom
|publisher=All Music Guide
|date=
|url=http://wm08.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fzfrxq9rldde
|accessdate=2007-12-18}}</ref> ''Decibel Magazine'' contributor Nick Terry said "To call As Daylight Dies addictive would be an understatement. That it outdoes its already impressive enough predecessor could almost go without saying".<ref name="Engage your boners">{{cite web
|title=Engage your boners
|author=Terry, Nick
|publisher=''Decibel Magazine''
|date=[[]]
|url=http://www.decibelmagazine.com/reviews/dec2006/killswitchengage.aspx?terms=Killswitch+Engage&searchtype=2&fragment=True
|accessdate=2007-12-18}}</ref> Cosmo Lee of ''[[Stylus Magazine]]'' commented "the album is astonishingly badly sequenced", although thought it contributed to the album being "less emotionally heavy-handed, and a lot more fun.<ref name="Killswitch Engage Stylus">{{cite web
|title=Killswitch Engage Stylus
|author=Lee, Cosmo
|publisher=''Stylus Magazine''
|date=[[2006-12-05]]
|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/killswitch-engage/as-daylight-dies.htm
|accessdate=2007-12-17}}</ref>


The album's first single, entitled "My Curse", peaked at number 31 spot on the Mainstream Rock chart achieved by the band's breakthrough single of 2004, "The End of Heartache" as well as being featured on the cover of the January 2007 edition of ''[[Revolver Magazine]]''. Recently, the band's cover of [[Dio]]'s classic "Holy Diver" has topped these numbers, reaching number 19 on the Mainstream Rock charts. Early in 2007, the band had to cancel three of their European tour dates with [[The Haunted]] due to back problems from Adam. It turned out he needed emergency back surgery and was replaced on the tour by ex-[[Soilwork]] guitarist [[Peter Wichers]].
The album's first single, entitled "My Curse", peaked at number 31 spot on the Mainstream Rock chart achieved by the band's breakthrough single of 2004, "The End of Heartache" as well as being featured on the cover of the January 2007 edition of ''[[Revolver Magazine]]''. Recently, the band's cover of [[Dio]]'s classic "Holy Diver" has topped these numbers, reaching number 19 on the Mainstream Rock charts. Early in 2007, the band had to cancel three of their European tour dates with [[The Haunted]] due to back problems from Adam. It turned out he needed emergency back surgery and was replaced on the tour by ex-[[Soilwork]] guitarist [[Peter Wichers]].

Revision as of 04:18, 18 December 2007

Killswitch Engage

Killswitch Engage (often abbreviated as KSE or Killswitch) is a metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records. The band has sold over 1 million records in the United States.

History

Early days

Following the breakup of his band Overcast in 1998, bassist Mike D'Antonio jammed with Aftershock drummer Adam Dutkiewicz. As both bands had broken up, Dutkiewicz recruited guitarist Joel Stroetzel from Aftershock, and Jesse Leach of Nothing Stays Gold as vocalist. Former Overcast vocalist Brian Fair was considered for the role, although he was unable to join due to obligations with his band Shadows Fall. D'Antonio said the band was initially going to be for fun, and a "thing to do on the side".[1]

The band's name originated from the break-up of Overcast and Aftershock, taking things that pushed and elevated the band and putting it into a new one. D'Antonio commented "basically shutting everything down that we once knew and starting over. Killswitch which is like turning everything off. Like if someone’s hand gets caught in something in a metal working shop the foreman will press one button that will turn off the machines. A Killswitch. Then the engage is just turning it back on or something like that".[2]

Signed to a label, self-titled and Alive or Just Breathing

While touring with Steve Young and Shadows Fall, and opening for In Flames record company Ferret Music took notice of Killswitch Engage and signed the band to their label. The band released its self-titled debut album as a four-piece, and although the album was not an intial financial success or entered any charts, it garnered the interest of Ferret Music founder Carl Severson. Severson who works as a website developer at Roadrunner Records handed Killswitch Engage to several Roadrunner Record representatives and an A&R of the company, Mike Gitter, contacted D'Antonio and attended several of the band's shows. His interest led to him offering the band a recording contract with Roadrunner. Declining offers from several smaller labels the band accepted the Roadrunner deal, as they thought the company had the resources to promote and distribute Killswitch Engage releases.[3]

Killswitch Engage began writing new material for its second album in November 2001. With a larger recording budget, the band entered the studio in February and was able to spend more time "getting things right".[4] Mixed in March, the album was titled Alive or Just Breathing after lyrics in the song "Just Barely Breathing".[5] The album increased the band's exposure and the album peaked at number 37 on the Top Heatseekers chart.[6] Written and recorded for two guitarists, and although the band had one, they decided to expand and become a five-piece when Dutkiewicz moved to guitars, with former Aftershock drummer Tom Gomes taking the vacant drumming position. Kevin Boyce of CMJ New Music Report described the record as "more addictive than crack cocaine that's been smothered in caffeine and nicotine and drenched with chocolate",[7] and Jason D. Taylor of All Music Guide said the release is "a pure metal album that seemingly has ignored any fashionable trend and instead relies solely on skill and expertise to sculpt some of meatiest heavy metal since the glory days of Metallica and Slayer".[8]

New lead singer and drummer

While on tour Leach's voice could not last the full set according to D’Antonio. The band would perform for four days and take a day off so Leach could rest his voice, and sometimes the band's set would last 10 minutes. At the end of the first tour, the band members suggested Leach take voice lessons to improve his vocal chords. However, Leach decided to leave the band.[9] Howard Jones of Blood Has Been Shed disliked Killswitch Engage's sound when he first heard it. He commented "I was like, ‘Meh.’ I come from hardcore and dirtier metal, and Killswitch sounded so clean. But the more I listened to it, I realized there’s some really good songs here". After hearing of Leach's vocal problems, Jones phoned the band and was accepted as the replacement, and without listening to the self-titled album and Alive or Just Breathing in their entirety, Jones had to memorize seven songs for the 2002 Hellfest where he made his debut.[10]

The new lineup played on the Road Rage tour in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in 2002 with 36 Crazyfists and Five Pointe O. Touring continued throughout the remainder of the year, and in 2003 the song "When Darkness Falls" appeared on the soundtrack of the 2003 horror film Freddy vs. Jason. The band attended the 2003 Ozzfest, and after the festival drummer Gomes left the band to live with his wife, pursue his band Something of a Silhouette, and was generally tired of touring.[11] He was replaced by Justin Foley of Blood Has Been Shed and Red Tide. Foley's first tour with the band was the MTV2 Headbangers Ball in 2003.[12][13]

The End of Heartache

The End of Heartache was released on May 11, 2004, and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 38,000 in its first week.[14] The album went on to sell more than 500,000 copies in the U.S and was certified gold on December 7, 2007.[15] It peaked at number 39 on Australian album charts on in May 2004 following an Australian tour with Anthrax.[16] The album received mostly positive reviews, Jon Caramanica of Rolling Stone called it a "stunning collection, retaining much of their signature musical brutality", and Ed Rivaria of All Music Guide commented "riff upon riff are piled sky-high into each number that follows, it's the unpredictable rhythmic shifts used to build and then relieve internal pressure that fuel the Killswitch Engage power source".[17]

In late 2004, the band supported Slayer on its U.S. Jagermusic dates and headlined shows with From Autumn to Ashes, Eighteen Visions, and 36 Crazyfists. "The End of Heartache" became the main single for the movie Resident Evil: Apocalypse, and in 2004 the song was nominated in the Best Metal Performance category for the 47th annual Grammy Awards. The award was given to Motorhead for "Whiplash".[18] In late 2004, The End of Heartache was re-released as a special edition album, with a second disc featuring various live performances, a Japanese bonus track, and a re-recorded version of "Irreversal". During the summer of 2005, the band returned for Ozzfest, and on November 1, 2005, Alive or Just Breathing was re-released as part of Roadrunner Records' 25th anniversary. On November 22, 2005, a live DVD titled (Set This) World Ablaze was released. The DVD contained a live concert at the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts, an hour-long documentary about the band, and all of its music videos. The DVD went gold on April 8, 2006 for sales over 50,000.[15]

As Daylight Dies

In the fall of 2006, Killswitch completed work on their latest album, As Daylight Dies. At this time they also recorded a cover of Dio's "Holy Diver"' for a Kerrang! compilation album titled High Voltage. The band played the Carling Weekend Reading and Leeds Festivals in August, having played Australian dates without Dutkiewicz, who was suffering from back problems and needed corrective surgery. Other U.S. festival appearances in that year included headlining the likes of Saints and sinners festival in Asbury Park.

On May 23, 2006, the track "This Fire Burns" was released on the WWE Wreckless Intent album. This was the first new studio song to be released since The End of Heartache. The song was intended to be the new theme for RAW star Randy Orton; however, it was scrapped and later became the theme for the WWE Judgment Day 2006 pay-per-view. "This Fire Burns" is now being used as the theme for ECW wrestler CM Punk.

As Daylight Dies peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart with sales of 60,000 copies. Mixed by Dutkiewicz, the album received mostly positive critical reviews — Thom Jurek of All Music Guide called it "a Top Five metal candidate for 2006 for sure".[19] Decibel Magazine contributor Nick Terry said "To call As Daylight Dies addictive would be an understatement. That it outdoes its already impressive enough predecessor could almost go without saying".[20] Cosmo Lee of Stylus Magazine commented "the album is astonishingly badly sequenced", although thought it contributed to the album being "less emotionally heavy-handed, and a lot more fun.[21]

The album's first single, entitled "My Curse", peaked at number 31 spot on the Mainstream Rock chart achieved by the band's breakthrough single of 2004, "The End of Heartache" as well as being featured on the cover of the January 2007 edition of Revolver Magazine. Recently, the band's cover of Dio's classic "Holy Diver" has topped these numbers, reaching number 19 on the Mainstream Rock charts. Early in 2007, the band had to cancel three of their European tour dates with The Haunted due to back problems from Adam. It turned out he needed emergency back surgery and was replaced on the tour by ex-Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers.

Further tours

KSE headlined the No Fear Tour in early 2007 with label mates Dragonforce, former label mates Chimaira, and He Is Legend. Due to Adam's back problems, he was replaced this time by Damageplan/The Mercy Clinic frontman Patrick Lachman, who was formerly the guitarist for Diesel Machine and Halford. Adam was able to play once again by the end of the No Fear tour , which is when the band began shooting the second video from their As Daylight Dies album, "The Arms of Sorrow".

Killswitch Engage also played the 2007 Download Festival, along with other bands including Iron Maiden, Linkin Park, Slayer, Marilyn Manson and My Chemical Romance. Adam was unable to play. They have also been confirmed to be in Bamboozle 2007 on May 6. On April 1 it was announced Killswitch Engage would be joining Bad Religion, Pennywise, and As I Lay Dying for the entire Warped Tour.[1]

On August 6, 2007, Adam was forced to leave the Warped Tour so he could fully recover from his back surgery. He was replaced by Killswitch's guitar tech Josh Mihlek who would be filling in for certain songs, until his official return on August 14, 2007, when he was given the green light by his doctor.[22] He did perform during the Warped Tour stop in Mansfield, MA on August 9, 2007.

On October 19, 2007 it was announced that Killswitch Engage will be playing at Soundwave Festival in late February and early March 2008 in Australia. Along with headlining bands The Offspring and Incubus. Also Playing at the Festival are As I Lay Dying, Alexisonfire, Haste The Day, Saosin and Carpathian along with more than other international bands.

Between January 9 2008 and 5 February 2008 Killswitch will be touring the US with Parkway Drive, Every Time I Die and The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Band members

Current members

Former members

Discography

Main article: Killswitch Engage discography

References

  1. ^ "Killswitch Engage - Adam Dutkiewicz interview". Punktv.com. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  2. ^ McGrath, Ken. "Killswitch Engage - Blistering". blistering.com. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  3. ^ Lambgoat, John (2002-05-22). "An interview with Killswitch Engage". lambgoat.com. Retrieved 2007-12-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Killswitch Engage Interview". Punkrocks.net. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  5. ^ Brodie. "Interview with Adam". rocknworld.com. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  6. ^ "Killswitch Engage biography". Roadrunner Records. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  7. ^ Boyce, Kevin. "Killswitch Engage: Alive Or Just Breathing". CMJ. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  8. ^ Taylor, Jason. "Alive or Just Breathing - Killswitch Engage". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  9. ^ Benny, Rob. "Interview with Mike D'Antonio". Rock eyez. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  10. ^ Parks, Andrew. "Killswitch Engage - Decibel Magazine". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved 2007-12-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Terry, Nick. "For metalcore's prodigal sons Killswitch Engage, The End of Heartache is just the beginning". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved 2007-12-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ Ditzel, Eleanor and Apar, Corey. "Killswitch Engage All Music Guide". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2007-12-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Billboard Bits: EMI/WMG, Liza/VH1, 'Headbanger's Ball'". Billboard.com. 2003-09-22. Retrieved 2007-12-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Whitmire, Margo (2004-05-19). "Usher Keeps Rolling At No. 1". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2007-12-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ a b "Gold and Platinum". RIAA.com. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  16. ^ "Australian charts". Australiancharts.com. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  17. ^ Rivadavia, Ed. "The End of Heartache - Killswitch Engage". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  18. ^ "47th Grammy Awards - 2005". rockonthenet.com. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  19. ^ Jurek, THom. "As Daylight Dies AMG review". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  20. ^ Terry, Nick ([[]]). "Engage your boners". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved 2007-12-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Lee, Cosmo (2006-12-05). "Killswitch Engage Stylus". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2007-12-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ http://www.killswitchengage.com
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