KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Singer's Hardcore Band THE WEAPON Unleashes Debut Album

THE WEAPON, the old-school hardcore-punk project led by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach, has released its debut album, "A Repugnant Turn Of Events", via Bandcamp.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the disc during the first month of its release "will be going to help small venues in NYC during this economic shutdown that is threatening their existence," the band said in a statement.

THE WEAPON stated about "A Repugnant Turn Of Events": "We dedicate this record to everyone fighting the good fight against tyrannical governments, racism, fascism, homophobia, and all forms of oppression. Get mad, get organized, stay focused, and stand strong."

In a 2018 interview with Revolver magazine, Leach said that he had been wanting to launch a hardcore project for years "but just never had the right people or the right timing. It started with my friend Chris Drapeau who used to play for AGGRESSIVE DOGS, a Japanese crossover band," he explained. "He saw me post about wanting to start a hardcore project and sent me some tracks he had been messing with. I was immediately into what he was doing and the rest just came together fairly easy. I have my good friend Josh Mihlek — also KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's production manager — on bass and my friend and Dark City Studio — where we recorded — owner Andy Mass on drums."

Asked what he gets out of THE WEAPON that he doesn't out of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE or TIMES OF GRACE, Jesse said: "We are not striving for perfection, just feeling. With KILLSWITCH and TIMES, it's very polished and precise. It can be tiring and tedious. Don't get me wrong, I love it and I'm very fortunate to do both of those bands, but to me, THE WEAPON is for fun and for the love of hardcore. On top of that, I can go in a little more hard on the lyrics and I don't have to concern myself with melodies or singing a part near perfect. I am not a fan of unflawed 'perfect'-sounding vocals — clearly, if you've seen me live — so it's a breath of fresh air to just belt it out and be done. Each song, I did three full takes, picked the best one and slapped backups on them and it was done in 45 minutes tops."

Earlier this month, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE dropped "Atonement II B-Sides For Charity", with 100% of the proceeds donated to the COVID-19 Relief Fund for the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. The B-sides have raised over $40,000 for the cause thus far. The release features six songs from the recording sessions for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's 2019-released and Grammy-nominated album "Atonement", out now via Metal Blade Records.