Killswitch Engage’s vocalist Jesse Leach had a chat with Loudwire about what it was like to rejoin the band after leaving for 9 years, his approach to creating his music and some bands he’s loving at the moment!

After time away from Killswitch, what is the most important thing you needed to consider when you recorded Disarm the Descent and also for new music going forward?

It was about being honest. You cant go into a record with too much thought. Hows the audience going to perceive it? Hows the label going to perceive it? Is it going to make radio play? All of these things that are there, you cant focus on that stuff because itll destroy the art. Im totally into the art of music Im not one of those people where its like, We need to make a song for radio and it needs to work well.

With that being said, theres a part of me that realizes with the nine years that Ive not been in the business and they took on a different sound, the songs were more of an anthem, very melodic, huge choruses. In my mind I wanted to bring my style into it but tweak it a little bit where the melody and the bigger choruses still play a role. The last thing I wanted to do was copy a style but also wanted to push my own style to fit with the times and who Killswitch is currently. That was kind of a challenge but Im happy with what we did.

For me, I would rather do music I believe in and make less money rather than craft music for the sake of making it popular. The moment you start doing that as an artist and walk into the studio saying, How is this going to work for me? then it might be time to look for a new job or youre going to make a lot of money and good luck to you. Thats just not my style, Ill take the money but I got to do it on my terms. Its a curse and a blessing, its My Curse! wow that was a terrible joke.

What about who you are now as a musician and person can we hear on the latest record?

In the back of my mind I was thinking about this term metalcore that has been kicked around so much and theres a part of me that really doesnt like that term but I get that people have to define genres. My big thing is core where does core come from? By definition, its the core of something, the center, the beginning point and for me thats hardcore. Metal and hardcore bred to make metalcore, essentially thats where it started. As the genre went on, I feel like people really lost touch with that and it became its own bastardized version of what it what it was supposed to be. Coming back to Killswitch, I wanted to bring that hardcore element back whether it was lyrically or with that positive mental attitude.

Bad Brains, Cro-Mags, Sick of It All, thats where I come from, thats my core and I wanted to bring that back in to Killswitch. I think its important for the younger generation to realize thats where that music comes from, from people that have something to say whether it was punk rock and I even tied it to hardcore and the early days of hip-hop. It was music with a voice that was saying something and metalcore lost that. You sing about relationships, you sing about this and that but theres got to be something there where its like Wake up, somethings wrong in society and think positive. I really focused on bringing that message back and sonically too, theres a bit of yelling style of screaming as opposed to just the high screaming or low guttural stuff. I wanted to find that middle, more hardcore sounding voice.

With all the bands that you have toured with since rejoining Killswitch, which have made a long lasting impact on you?

Gojira and in the same mouthful Mastodon, as well. We did a festival with them but this particular one in Sweden it was Gojira then Mastodon after that. Just coming back into the scene after not being on the road and not being at a lot of live shows especially overseas, my jaw was on the floor when I saw Gojira playing stuff off the new record. I heard the name before and its always like Yeah I hear theyre great but I witnessed it and its powerful.

Then Mastodon, theyve been one of my favorite bands for easily a decade. I love where they are right now, theyve developed their style where theyre incorporating rock and roll and this stoner vibe but still with complexity. I just have so much respect for both those bands. Im just really happy theyre able to serve, maintain and re-invent what the current metal and rock n roll scene is for me.

Head over to Loudwire to check out the rest of the interview!