The Times

Issue date: 5/9/08 Section: the Scene

Media Credit: MCT Campus Kill Switch Engage arrives at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on February 13, 2005.

From rap and R&B and jazz to rock 'n' roll, there seems to be just an endless supply of music. But there is one type of music that should get more attention, and that is metal. The one band that is electrifying the genre is Killswitch Engage.

Killswitch Engage started back in 1998, when their bassist, Mike D'Antonio, teamed up with a band called Aftershock, which was not getting the attention they so desperately wanted. This was the birth of a legendary band. Roadrunner Records, a famous music producing company, realized how great this new band was and signed Killswitch Engage to a worldwide recording deal.

In 2002, Killswitch Engage released their first album, "Alive or Just Breathing." It jumped to #37 on Billboard's Heatseeker chart and put them way ahead of the game. But as their popularity was growing, some band mates did not like the way the band was being run and the band came to a sudden halt. Their lead singer, Jesse Leach, and drummer, Tom Gomes, left the band, but the resiliency and no-quit attitude of the other band mates would not die. They brought in Howard Jones (vocalist) and Justin Foley (drummer) from New England's metal band Blood Has Been Shed. Jones's deep methodical voice to high-pitch screaming, and Foley's great solos and fast hands only made the band that much more popular.

In 2004 they released their second album, "The End of Heartache," which jumped up to #21 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart. This album kick-started their fan support. People fell in love with Jones' voice and the band's amazing riffs and solos. They were getting recognized from the United States to the United Kingdom. Killswitch was everywhere! They even received recognition from Rolling Stone magazine, which called The End of Heartache "stunning," and to add to the support of the magazine they even received a Grammy nomination.

In 2006 they released their most recent album, "As Daylight Dies." It was also a very successful CD, which had two songs that really caught the interest of people who had never heard the band's music. The song "My Curse" is a song of mixed emotions. It goes from very soothing, methodical lyrics to screaming. The song "Arms of Sorrow" is a more laid-back number but it still has the Killswitch trademark lyrical magic.

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