In a brand new interview with The Razor’s Edge carried out at this previous weekend’s Bloodstock Open Air competition in the UK, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach was requested how vital it’s to him to remain true to the band’s sound and magnificence when writing new music whereas nonetheless including one thing recent for the followers and for the bandmembers themselves. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yeah, I feel it is tremendous vital. We do our greatest. You sort of wanna give individuals what they need, however you additionally wanna be happy as an artist. And I feel with this file we’re engaged on at present, 15, 14 demos in, and we’re gonna be tossing out, like, 4 or 5 of them already to redo some stuff and to rethink some stuff simply to guarantee that everyone within the band seems like we’re doing the very best we are able to, and it does sound recent but acquainted. So it is a problem… You wanna please your followers, however you additionally wanna please your self as an artist and as a band. So we’re specializing in us first. After which my hope is that the followers will in flip be happy with what we’re doing as a result of we are placing the hassle in to make sure that it is one thing that is not only a remake of one thing we have completed earlier than.”

Additionally at this 12 months’s Bloodstock Open Air, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE drummer Justin Foley instructed Without end Loud in regards to the standing of the band’s upcoming studio LP: “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 making an attempt to do all of the earlier than work as a lot as potential, so once we get to the opposite work, it is as straightforward as it could possibly presumably be. So, yeah, hopefully that can be completed 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 command of the manufacturing of the band’s new LP, Justin mentioned: “Yeah. We’re fairly certain 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 learn how to work with him. Everyone knows learn how to work with one another actual effectively, and he clearly will get the band and what we’re making an attempt to go for. So it simply makes an excessive amount of sense to not do.”

Final week, Adam instructed Kerrang! journal in regards to the progress of the songwriting periods for the follow-up to 2019’s “Atonement” album: “We have been writing for fairly a while now. Jesse has been understanding some lyric concepts and demos for the previous few days, truly. We have got lots of songs sort of rolling round proper now. I am serious about getting again into the studio after this tour and attending to work, and I am hoping we might prefer to have the file completed by the top of the 12 months. However it would possibly take a bit longer than that, so I might assume new music subsequent 12 months, for certain.”

Final month, Leach instructed Oran O’Beirne of Bloodstock TV in regards to the band’s subsequent album: “I feel we made some headway. Positively some good concepts, some good demos. I am revisiting some concepts. We had an incredible little assembly the place all of us received collectively and listened and talked, which, to me, has been an incredible course of. And I feel it is gonna make this album lots totally different than what we have completed up to now, ‘trigger everybody form of has their voice. We’re taking extra time with it. So, yeah, it’s taking a bit longer however it provides me hope that the top outcome can be that significantly better as a result of it’s taking slightly bit extra time to do it. However I am stoked, for certain. 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. “In the course of the pandemic, for me, I sort of wasn’t in a position to do a lot in any respect,” he mentioned. “You’d assume that that might be the very best writing course of, to be nervous about your future and undecided 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 feel after that, it positively appeared to start out flowing. Particularly once we did the stay gig on the Palladium [in Worcester, Massachusetts], the livestream that we did [in August 2021], that sort of helped make the juices work slightly bit extra. We realized lots of songs from ‘Atonement’ that we truly by no means performed stay collectively earlier than, in order that was an expertise. And I feel that is what sort of jarred us into, ‘Okay, let’s get this factor transferring once more.'”

In June, Leach instructed Pete Bailey of Primordial Radio that the brand new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE album was “taking lots longer than, I feel, any of us anticipated, as a result of there’s lots of high quality management occurring. 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 feel 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 lots of the lyrics. I’ve truly rewritten a bunch of stuff. ‘Trigger all of us received collectively and had a gathering, and all of us simply sort of gave our enter on the whole lot, and I took notes. It is the primary time, actually, I feel we have completed that. However, once more, I do imagine that it’s a necessity at our stage in our profession to essentially simply sort of get all of our heads collectively to guarantee that this file is gonna be what all of us really feel is an efficient 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 needed to place out one thing that was therapeutic, one thing that would assist individuals cope. However it’s sort of became anger, it is sort of became frustration, it is sort of became seeing the larger deceptions of the whole lot that is occurring, the struggles of humanity. So I’ve sort of taken a flip for slightly bit extra of a darker matter than I initially had hoped for, however I feel it’s a necessity. I feel as soon as I actually form of dug into myself, I spotted that there was lots that I used to be not tapping in to. And after I received sincere 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 great therapeutic strategy to take care of it. You do not all the time should sugarcoat issues and let individuals know there’s gonna be hope. Possibly it is simply time to get your fingers soiled and discuss a number of the harder-to-deal-with matters, and that is sort of what I have been doing these days.”

Again in June 2022, Leach instructed Australia’s Heavy that he and his bandmates would attempt to get the brand new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE LP “wrapped up and completed rapidly, as a result of we would like it to be a file that is not gonna take lots of time to create. We would like that uncooked, recent feeling, so lots of these demos I am making an attempt to [get] by rapidly simply to get the power after which we’ll form of dissect them as new get into the studio,” he defined. “So I feel there’s an actual spirit inside us to place out new materials after which tour on that new file come subsequent 12 months, hopefully. In order that’s sort of what we’re all pondering.”

Elaborating on the schedule for the completion of the subsequent KILLSWITCH ENGAGE LP, Leach instructed Heavy: “I am personally setting objectives for me to create fast, very emotional, uncooked stuff for the demos after which most likely taking slightly 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 brink of ship to the fellows, when you would hearken to them, most individuals would most likely giggle ‘trigger they’re simply me going nuts, simply making an attempt 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 all the time been actually arduous on myself — a perfectionist, if you’ll — and I feel 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 hearken 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 completed in years, that is the vibe we’re going for. We sort of wanna deliver that stay feeling, that stay sound to this subsequent file… I need that power to be there.

“Reside 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 would somewhat hold it uncooked. It is rock and roll, man — it should not be good. I feel metallic, over time, has turn into very compressed and really manufactured. To me, I am all about pushing away from that. So I feel this subsequent file can 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 ought to be attention-grabbing. He is on board of that too — form of getting extra of a stay really feel to what we’re doing. I feel it comes throughout. Once you come see a band stay like us, it is slightly totally different than a file. However it ought to be.”

“Atonement” was launched in August 2019 by way of Metallic Blade Information 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 for the reason that return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

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