Previous to his band’s headlining look this previous Friday (August 11) on the
Bloodstock Open Air pageant at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, United Kingdom, drummer Justin Foley of Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE spoke to Perpetually Loud in regards to the standing of the their upcoming studio LP. He mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yeah, we’re nonetheless engaged on that file. Hopefully we are able to begin getting a few of it tracked pretty quickly. We’re simply attempting to do all of the earlier than work as a lot as attainable, so once we get to the opposite work, it is as straightforward as it may well presumably be. So, yeah, hopefully that will likely be executed quickly sufficient. After which subsequent time we’re again out right here [in the U.K.], we’ll have some new stuff to play.”

Requested if KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz will as soon as once more be in control of the manufacturing of the band’s new LP, Justin mentioned: “Yeah. We’re fairly positive that we’re gonna do it with Adam and Adam’s gonna be the producer. I imply, it simply is smart. He is aware of what we’re doing. We all know easy methods to work with him. Everyone knows easy methods to work with one another actual nicely, and he clearly will get the band and what we’re attempting to go for. So it simply makes an excessive amount of sense to not do.”

Final week, Adam informed Kerrang! journal in regards to the progress of the songwriting classes for the follow-up to 2019’s “Atonement” album: “We have been writing for fairly a while now. Jesse [Leach, vocals] has been understanding some lyric concepts and demos for the previous couple of days, really. We have got a number of songs type of rolling round proper now. I am interested by getting again into the studio after this tour and attending to work, and I am hoping we would wish to have the file executed by the top of the yr. However it would possibly take a bit longer than that, so I might assume new music subsequent yr, for positive.”

Final month, Leach informed Oran O’Beirne of Bloodstock TV in regards to the band’s subsequent album: “I believe we made some headway. Positively some good concepts, some good demos. I am revisiting some concepts. We had an awesome little assembly the place all of us obtained collectively and listened and talked, which, to me, has been an awesome course of. And I believe it is gonna make this album lots completely different than what we have executed previously, ‘trigger everybody form of has their voice. We’re taking extra time with it. So, yeah, it’s taking a bit longer but it surely provides me hope that the top consequence will likely be that a lot better as a result of it’s taking just a little bit extra time to do it. However I am stoked, for positive. There’s some bangers on there already.”

Throughout the identical chat, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D’Antonio revealed that he wasn’t feeling very impressed within the early days of the coronavirus downtime. “Throughout the pandemic, for me, I type of wasn’t capable of do a lot in any respect,” he mentioned. “You’d assume that that will be one of the best writing course of, to be nervous about your future and unsure what’s gonna occur subsequent. However I used to be simply locked in some form of a mode the place I could not even do graphic design; for about six to eight months, I did not do something. However I believe after that, it positively appeared to begin flowing. Particularly once we did the reside gig on the Palladium [in Worcester, Massachusetts], the livestream that we did [in August 2021], that type of helped make the juices work just a little bit extra. We discovered a number of songs from ‘Atonement’ that we really by no means performed reside collectively earlier than, in order that was an expertise. And I believe that is what sort of jarred us into, ‘Okay, let’s get this factor transferring once more.'”

In June, Leach informed Pete Bailey of Primordial Radio that the brand new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE album was “taking lots longer than, I believe, any of us anticipated, as a result of there’s a number of high quality management happening. And ensuring that it is recent; we’re not repeating ourselves,” he defined. “In order that course of has been a little arduous however I believe vital as a result of we do not wanna put out one thing that persons are gonna go, ‘Oh, yeah. One other KILLSWITCH file. No matter.'”

Concerning the place he and his KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are proper now with respect to the writing course of, Jesse mentioned: “We’re solidifying lots, however there’s nonetheless some back-and-forth and elements and rewriting the music. After which I am revisiting a number of the lyrics. I’ve really rewritten a bunch of stuff. ‘Trigger all of us obtained collectively and had a gathering, and all of us simply type of gave our enter on all the pieces, and I took notes. It is the primary time, actually, I believe we have executed that. However, once more, I do consider that it is necessary at our stage in our profession to essentially simply type of get all of our heads collectively to guarantee that this file is gonna be what all of us really feel is an effective illustration of who we’re proper now.”

On the subject of the lyrical inspiration for the brand new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE materials, Jesse mentioned: “Initially, for me, I actually wished to place out one thing that was therapeutic, one thing that might assist individuals cope. However it’s type of changed into anger, it is type of changed into frustration, it is type of changed into seeing the larger deceptions of all the pieces that is happening, the struggles of humanity. So I’ve type of taken a flip for just a little bit extra of a darker subject than I initially had hoped for, however I believe it is necessary. I believe as soon as I actually form of dug into myself, I noticed that there was lots that I used to be not tapping in to. And once I obtained trustworthy with myself, I [said], ‘You already know what? There is lots to be pissed off about.’ And possibly that is the route; possibly that is the nice therapeutic solution to cope with it. You do not at all times must sugarcoat issues and let individuals know there’s gonna be hope. Perhaps it is simply time to get your arms soiled and speak about a number of the harder-to-deal-with subjects, and that is type of what I have been doing these days.”

Again in June 2022, Leach informed Australia’s Heavy that he and his bandmates would attempt to get the brand new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE LP “wrapped up and executed shortly, as a result of we wish it to be a file that is not gonna take a number of time to create. We would like that uncooked, recent feeling, so a number of these demos I am attempting to [get] by means of shortly simply to get the vitality after which we’ll form of dissect them as new get into the studio,” he defined. “So I believe there’s an actual spirit inside us to place out new materials after which tour on that new file come subsequent yr, hopefully. In order that’s type of what we’re all considering.”

Elaborating on the schedule for the completion of the following KILLSWITCH ENGAGE LP, Leach informed Heavy: “I am personally setting objectives for me to create fast, very emotional, uncooked stuff for the demos after which most likely taking just a little extra time, as soon as we get to the studio, to shine that up and make it sound actually good. A few of these demos I am on the point of ship to the blokes, should you would take heed to them, most individuals would most likely snigger ‘trigger they’re simply me going nuts, simply attempting to get the thought out fast after which we’ll fear about re-recording it and sharpening it and form of making it sound KILLSWITCH-y.

“I’ve at all times been actually arduous on myself — a perfectionist, if you’ll — and I believe it is hindered me within the demo-making course of,” he defined. “So my method to this file is I get up within the morning and I write lyrics out of the sleep. I take heed to the music. It is transferring in a short time for me, and it simply feels recent; it feels new. After which us getting right into a room and jamming on that shit collectively, which we have not executed in years, that is the vibe we’re going for. We type of wanna carry that reside feeling, that reside sound to this subsequent file… I need that vitality to be there.

“Stay music should not be good,” Leach added. “I do not just like the studio fixes, I do not just like the tuning — I hate all that shit. So the much less that may occur, I am into it. I might somewhat maintain it uncooked. It is rock and roll, man — it should not be good. I believe steel, through the years, has develop into very compressed and really manufactured. To me, I am all about pushing away from that. So I believe this subsequent file will likely be a push-and-pull, ‘trigger [KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist and producer] Adam [Dutkiewicz] could be very a lot a perfectionist with the best way he likes issues to sound. So it must be fascinating. He is on board of that too — form of getting extra of a reside really feel to what we’re doing. I believe it comes throughout. Once you come see a band reside like us, it is just a little completely different than a file. However it ought to be.”

“Atonement” was launched in August 2019 by way of Steel Blade Data within the U.S. and Sony Music Leisure in the remainder of the world. The disc featured visitor appearances by former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones and TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy. It marked the band’s third full-length launch because the return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

In July 2021, Leach and Dutkiewicz launched the second album from their TIMES OF GRACE venture, “Songs Of Loss And Separation”, by way of the band’s personal imprint label, Depraved Good Data, distributed by ADA Worldwide.