Jesse Leach Talks ‘This Consequence’ And 25 Years Of Killswitch Engage

Throughout the last two decades, Killswitch Engage have reigned as kings of the metalcore genre. The New England quintet became pioneers in the early 2000s back when the hardcore and metal scenes were far less intermingled as they are today. As a result of the band’s revolutionary take on heavy music with albums Alive or Just Breathing (2002), and The End of Heartache (2004), both of which saw the band combining hardcore breakdowns, melancholic leads, and groovy thrash metal riffs, Killswitch Engage paved the sonic roadmap for what a vast majority of modern metal would use for years to come.

With this sonic revolution that Killswitch Engage helped to ignite, the 2000s-2010s metalcore genre would establish itself as one of the most popularized metal sub-genres of this century. However, like all trends, a litany of formulaic bands would eventually sprout from the scene and spoil some of the otherwise refreshing innovation established by metalcore’s pioneering acts. Despite this, Killswitch Engage has always remained true to their sound for over 25 years, and as far as metalcore goes, they’ve been one of the most consistent bands in the sub-genre throughout their discography.

Now with the band gearing up for the release of their ninth studio LP, This Consequence, 2025 is seemingly one of the most ambitious years in Killswitch Engage’s career. Not only are they celebrating over 25 years as a band, but This Consequence was five years in the making and is the longest gap KSE has ever taken between albums. With that in mind, the visceral energy that bleeds through this album is noticeably different from any of their last LPs. Sonically, it’s even reminiscent of their magnum opus Alive or Just Breathing – Killswitch Engage sound like they’re a revitalized and ready to take on the entire heavy music scene once again.

All that being said, This Consequence isn’t a stark contrast from anything the band has previously done, but rather it’s an encapsulation of all the things that fans have come to love from Killswitch Engage. Maybe it’s the result of the band taking their time with this record, or perhaps it’s their tenured status as a band. Whatever it may be, it’s great to see Killswitch Engage is back and sounding better than they have in years.

Speaking on the band’s legacy and the writing process for their new LP, Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach discusses This Consequence and why it was an album worth taking the time to develop.

There’s a tangible excitement surrounding This Consequence, and some of that is likely a result of the five-year gap the band has taken between records. How does this new record sit with you as it’s getting ready for release?

Jesse Leach: Feels incredible. Doing these interviews reminds me of the times during the pandemic when we wondered if we’d ever get back on stage—the doubts, the uncertainty, and all the things you take for granted when you live this life. It’s extremely exciting for me. Not just because we’re putting out a record, but a record we all believe in. It feels like it represents exactly who we are right now. It feels relevant. It feels passionate. I can feel it—there’s just something in the air with this record.

When exactly did KSE start writing for This Consequence?

JL: So it would have been, oh man, 2022. We had just started touring again, doing our first comeback tour after the pandemic with Slipknot. I want to say that’s when the ideas started coming up—the thought of getting together and jamming.

But to pinpoint the exact time? I couldn’t tell you. It definitely took at least a year from the start of the process to actually getting into the studio writing, demoing, and figuring things out.

When it came to writing for This Consequence, apparently this was the first time in a while that the band had written together in a jam room. What was that process like for this album?

JL: I don’t recall the last time we did it. The last time I can recall was back in the Alive Or Just Breathing sessions. So to be able to revisit that and do that, you know, after you’re just used to putting out records and touring and just doing the thing, but just hang out and jam, drink some beers, and watch the creation, watch the riffs come together was really inspiring and fun.

I do like the efficiency of demos and emailing and getting stuff done, but having that balance of the organic energy and feeling the song take shape in a room is really cool.

From a lyrical standpoint, you’ve said that you had taken a lot of time to write out lyrics forThis Consequence. Were there any problem or challenges you faced when it came to talking about particular themes or specific topics?

JL: When we first started, I was kind of unsure what I wanted to say to the audience of people that would be receiving the message. I think I was still kind of licking my wounds. You know? I think during the pandemic, I really eased back into a monastic sort of life, just out in nature a lot, not engaging on social media, not getting involved with all of the bickering and arguing that was going on. And I feel like prior to the pandemic, it kinda felt clear to me. There’s good and there’s evil. There’s wrong and there’s right. And I feel like the pandemic brought out shades of gray.

You saw ugly behavior from a lot of people and people that I didn’t even anticipate seeing that from. The division was so hardcore that it really made me sort of just go, ‘okay I’m not gonna be a part of any of this.’ So coming to write this record and someone says to you, ’what do you have to say?’

It’s like, I don’t really know what to say. So it started out with me wanting to just talk about unity and positivity. And those first couple of demos were just coming off, like, not urgent. The guys were like, ‘we’re not feeling this, like whatever direction you’re in we need to change course because this album is worthy of passion and we’re just not feeling it.’

So it was really hard for me to figure that out, and then I sort of struck on my frustration with everything, my anger, and I was like, oh, well, there it is. That’s what I need to tap into is my frustration and my anger and how to use anger as a tool to eventually unify people. To wake people up and for people to see that, you know, there is a reason why we’re being divided.

We’re being shoved propaganda, news stories at us purposely to keep us divided because if we’re infighting and we’re separated from one another as a society, it’s much easier to control us and to sway us and to and to move us with political motivation or, you know, sell us on a war. You know, all these things. We’re so busy bickering over celebrity headlines and whatever they’re throwing at us in mainstream media and even on social media.

So that’s kinda where I started to direct my energy towards. We’ve got to wake up as a society and realize that our uniqueness as individuals is power. There’s power in being an individual, but also we have such commonalities. Our commonalities far outweigh our differences, and we’re focusing so much more on our differences, and that’s continuing to keep us divided. So that’s kind of where I started from and started to get my passion, anger, and frustration from.

Are these themes of societal division that you mentioned, did they inspire the title for the album, This Consequence?

JL: Yeah, I think it runs deeper than that too. I think it’s you know, the consequence of the pandemic, for sure, the consequence of just exploiting the earth for its resources without regard, and just taking so much and not giving back.

The massive multinational corporations and their greed with no regard to how it affects humanity. It’s layered. The wars we’re engaging in, like it’s insane to me how much we are focused on a specific war when there are wars going on everywhere. It’s insane to me how again, through media, they have you focused on certain things when you’re distracted from all the other things.

So all the stuff that’s going on in society that’s the downfall of us is cause and effect. There’s going to be a time where we’re going to see and it’s already starting to happen here and there. There’s gonna be repercussions for our actions. There is gonna be pushback, whether it be from other countries, society, or mother nature. There are consequences for our actions.

Lyrically, the record does dive deep into these themes but it also takes some turns toward more uplifting themes, specifically those heard in “Forever Aligned” which seems to delve into the power of honest love. How do you find a balance as a songwriter writing these different and sometimes contrasting themes?

JL: What I’ve realized from writing this record and just what I’ve been through in my life is you have to go through suffering. You have to go through darkness to find light. You have to suffer to find redemption and to find victory. So you can’t have one without the others. It’s all about that struggle that all of us in some way, shape, or form can relate to. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor. There’s struggling. There’s suffering.

Whether you’re talking about mental suffering or or, you know, wondering where your next meal is gonna be. I mean, it runs the gamut. We all go through something, and it’s relevant. Nobody’s suffering is irrelevant. And all of that, there’s something to be learned. You know? If we can find the understanding for why we go through what we go through, to find purpose through those times, that’s what it’s all about for me, and that’s where the positivity comes in.

It’s like through a righteous anger, you can create change. You can help stir the course of your life and other people’s lives. So once I sort of move through that initial wave of anger, which is “Broken Glass,” “The Fall of Us,” these songs that were just angry, I started to see the light. I started to feel okay. Through this, we can create change.

And you mentioned love, and love is always a theme that I am very proud to speak on because I think it’s our greatest weapon against the hatred and division in humanity. So those things do come naturally to me, but I needed to get through the anger to get to those songs like “I Believe,” which was the first one where as soon as I finished writing I was like “that’s what I wanted to say in the beginning!” Like, that’s the initial energy I wanted to bring to people for this record, and I couldn’t find that inspiration until I dealt with my anger.

And to me, that’s a metaphor for existence. That’s a metaphor for anybody who is struggling. You can’t avoid the struggle. You can’t numb it. You can’t drug it or drink it away. You gotta sit with it. You gotta go through it. Whether it’s your mental health issues, whether it’s, you know, a relationship that failed. Like, you’ve gotta sit through and sift through the stuff in order for you to sort of find the balance to seek the light, to find love again.

Not only is this an important record for a number of the reasons you’ve discussed, but I think one of the big reasons is that it’s nearing 25 years of KSE. With 25 years down the road, how does it feel, and what has surprised you the most about this journey you’ve had with the band and just the band’s longevity after all of these years?

JL: I’m super proud of it, but, you know, it takes a family to make this work. The only reason this works is because we do have mutual love and respect for each other and I’m super grateful for that.

I’m surprised it’s lasted this long because I think all of us are just, like, every day, you know, stepping on stage, there’s moments where we’re just getting off tour with Iron Maiden in Australia recently, where the 5 of us are just like, “this is crazy, how do we still get to do this? This is nuts!” You know, moments when you step off stage in front of 20,000 some odd people in Australia, and then you tuck into the pub and have a beer with each other, and you’re just like, “I guess that just happened.”

So for us, we don’t take it for granted. It’s not like we’re just, ‘this is what we do. No big deal.’ It is a big deal.

It matters to us and I think that comes off. You know, we’re genuine human beings. There’s no egotistical rock star bullsh**t going on here. Like, we’re fairly down to earth guys that just have an extraordinary passion that we’re able to exercise through our music.

And I think the fans connect with that. The fans can see we’re enjoying ourselves on stage. It’s a balance between, you know, ritual and entertainment. There’s moments where all 5 of us are locked in, and it’s intense, and you’re feeling it. And I know people can see that. We believe in this. But then you have moments where, you know, someone’s chugging a beer and making a joke and having a laugh. Even mid song, I’ll turn around and see Justin [Foley] and Adam [Dutkiewicz] doing something silly and just having fun.

We take this seriously, but we don’t take each other that seriously. And that creates not just a great environment for a live show, but I think that’s all woven into the legacy of this band and why people can relate. We’re humans.

It’s a connection there between us and our fans that is just irreplaceable. So it’s all about the fans, really. It’s all about connecting with them, and they’ve allowed us to last this long. It’s because of the support we get from our fans, and we know that, and we’re grateful for it.