Killswitch Engage

Killswitch Engage are an American metalcore band formed in 1999 in Westfield, Massachusetts, emerging from the ashes of the bands Overcast and Aftershock. Bassist and founding member Mike D'Antonio joined forces with guitarists Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel, forging a sound that fused hardcore aggression with melodic, soaring choruses — a blueprint that helped define the metalcore genre in the early 2000s. The band's name comes from an episode of «The X-Files».

Original vocalist Jesse Leach fronted the band on its 2000 debut «Killswitch Engage» and 2002's «Alive or Just Breathing» before leaving due to vocal strain. He was replaced by Howard Jones, whose powerful clean-and-harsh vocal delivery drove the band's most commercially successful era, including «The End of Heartache» (2004) and songs like «My Curse» and «This Fire». Jones remained frontman for nearly a decade before departing in 2012.

Following Jones's exit, Leach rejoined the band, a return that fans and the band embraced as a full-circle moment. Killswitch Engage have continued releasing albums and touring internationally, remaining one of the most influential and enduring names in modern metalcore, known for anthems such as «Rose of Sharyn» and «The Arms of Sorrow».