KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's JESSE LEACH On Upcoming 'This Consequence' Album: 'Angry, Dark And Aggressive' Is 'What The World Needs Right Now'

In a new interview with Joshua Toomey of the "Talk Toomey" podcast, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE vocalist Jesse Leach spoke about the band's upcoming upcoming album, "This Consequence", due on February 21, 2025 via Metal Blade. "This Consequence" is KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's ninth album overall, and sixth with Leach, who rejoined the band in 2012.

After Toomey noted that "This Consequence" is a "dark", "angry" and "aggressive" record, Leach concurred. "Yeah, I think angry, dark and aggressive, for better or for worse, is kind of what the world needs right now, I think, therapeutically speaking," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I think a lot of us can relate to frustration, anger, betrayal, all those things, and that's kind of what I highlighted lyrically with this album; I was really focusing on that stuff. But I will say this: if you really read into the lyrics, there's a positivity through a righteous anger, anger that wants to sort of wake people up and have people choose their own path instead of just the blind leading the blind, which is what we see so much in society and our governments and organized religion and all these things that control us as people. It's very much about breaking out of the matrix, if you will, and carving your own path. And there's a righteous anger underneath all of it, and that's where the positivity lies. But I think with metal music, the great thing about it is you can talk about dark stuff and it is therapeutic. That's why a lot of us get into this kind of music."

Jesse also talked about the lyrical inspiration for the first single from "This Consequence", a song called "Forever Aligned", which was made available last month. Speaking specifically about the line "now my tongue must confess", Jesse said: "Yeah, I'm always weaving in and out… I was raised by a minister, I was raised in a Christian home, so even though I don't subscribe to organized religion anymore, I like using biblical words here and there to sort of tie in the themes. I'm very much a believer in in God, if you will, in general. I know people roll their eyes when other people say that, but my journey has been such where I've just seen much deeper things that I don't think can be defined by a particular human organized religion. And 'Forever Aligned' is about that. It's about love. It's about, first and foremost, the song was inspired by the love I have for my wife and the relationship we were able to have during the pandemic, especially, where it was just the two of us, nobody else, and really learning what love and sacrifice is, and then weaving that into what I believe God is. God is love, to keep it really general for people to understand. We can try to tap into that as humans, that word 'love', but it's far beyond human comprehension. So that song is very much about being broken and in a dark place and finding salvation through love."

Elsewhere in the chat, Leach touched upon his growth as a vocalist since the release of 2019's "Atonement" LP, saying: "Truth be told, ['This Consequence'] was very difficult for me to write and sort of find my inspiration again. And even vocally, learning new techniques, like the vocal fry, and trying to add that into my old technique and still sound like me, it was a long, hard process.

"Especially after my vocal surgery in 2018, I relearned how to speak differently — I speak differently than I did," he explained. "I'm more measured; I make sure my voice is placed in the right place. And through that, it went into my vocals, my singing, especially. I was really focusing on my singing first and foremost to stay in key and not go flat or sharp. Then it was, like, my screams were — I was so paranoid. I was really worried about… We do three shows in a row. That fourth show, I'm, like, 'It's getting difficult. I can feel the swelling happening.' So I was really studying vocal fry, 'cause you can do a lot of cool stuff with fry, but me with my voice, it has such a signature sound to it, I guess, according to Adam [Dutkiewicz, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist and producer], at least, that if I just went into that new technique completely, the lows were missing something, my yelling. It different. So I was going into these demos just doing fry, saving my voice, especially thinking that, once I get to the studio, it's going to be fatiguing; we're doing four- or five-hour sessions. But I kept falling flat and the voice just didn't sound right. For some of the high stuff, it works, but for the lower, mid stuff and for the death metal growls, that's all old school… It's the old-school way, the way we all started doing it in the late '80s and early '90s. So I've learned, thankfully, through a lot of trial and error, and this album had a lot to do with it, to blend the styles. So I can do my old-school stuff, and then I can sort of blend in some of the vocal fry to hit those crazy, maniacal-sounding highs without it destroying my voice."

When "This Consequence" was first announced in late November, Leach said in a statement: "'This Consequence', to me, is the combination of everything the past five years has thrown at us as a band, as humans, and society as a whole. This album is just as much about everybody and their stories as it is for me about my journey personally. Sonically, I love the combination of everybody's ideas and contributions on this album. It feels more like a collaboration than the past few records have been. When all is said and done, I wouldn't change anything about this album."

He added: "I think it's the exact record we needed to make. I'm honored and proud of what we all were able to create and refine through this music and message."

"This Consequence" track listing:

01. Abandon Us
02. Discordant Nation
03. Aftermath
04. Forever Aligned
05. I Believe
06. Where It Dies
07. Collusion
08. The Fall Of Us
09. Broken Glass
10. Requiem

In March 2024, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Joel Stroetzel told Mathias Henrixon of A Swedish Fika With… about Leach's comment that the band's upcoming LP has been the most difficult KILLSWITCH album for the singer to make: "Yeah. He came back and retracked a lot of stuff because he had… Over the past few years, he's kind of trained his voice to do the fry technique live, which, it's been great. It's been kind of a godsend for him live, because he never blows his voice out anymore. But I think him and Adam were finding when he was tracking, using that technique, he wasn't getting all the different growls and things he used to get. So, he decided to go back and kind of revisit things, maybe swallow some glass and go for it. [Laughs] He's been doing great."

Stroetzel continued: "So we're all really excited about it. They went back and kind of retracked a few things here and there, just to beef it up. And things are sounding really good — at least we hope so. Hopefully people like it when it comes out… I think it's good. I think it could potentially be a strong record. At least we hope. Yeah. All we can do is do the best we can and hope that other people like it. Step one, I guess — make sure we like it [laughs] and hope that other people like it. We'll see what happens."

Regarding the musical direction of the new KILLSWITCH material, Joel said: "It definitely sounds like a KILLSWITCH record. I think a lot of the songs are on the heavier side. A lot of fast songs. There's still all the melody and stuff that we normally do, but there's a lot of aggressive stuff on this one."

In February, Leach wrote in an online post about KILLSWITCH's upcoming LP: "This album has been a great challenge for me. Now that it's almost complete I can say I wouldn't change a thing! All the trials, difficulties and deep anxieties were all worth what this record is shaping up to be.

"I don't ever half ass anything in my creative life. I can say this with the utmost confidence, I gave this my everything and it will show.

"I've said it before and I'll say it until the day I die, Adam D is my musical soulmate and a FORCE in my life as an artist, writer and musician," he continued. "His role in my growth as a writer can't be overstated. The man just knows how to get that performance out of me. I just don't think I'll ever have the synergy with anyone else in my life as a musician.

"Also the lessons, insights and support of [renowned vocal coach Melissa Cross] saved me and continue to guide me. I've learned new techniques (fry) that I use here and there but more importantly I've been able to really rediscovered my original style (false chord) on a whole other level because of her. The blend and the knowledge of the over all inner workings of the voice have empowered me to do things I didn't think I could still do. I've also really learned to sing with more ease and confidence and it's been super liberating to me. Pure POWER, grit, intensity and smooth big Melodie's are the result of all of it. I pulled out all of my arsenal of vocal weapons and left it all on this recording. Even if people don't like or naysay what we've done I could die happy knowing I gave this shit my ALL.

"I feel a true sense of satisfaction," Jesse added. "I stood my ground when I needed to and I acquiesced and changed when it was needed. The end result is the culmination of 2 years of hardcore work."

In January 2024, Leach wrote in an Instagram post that the upcoming KILLSWITCH ENGAGE record had "taken its toll" on him. "It is by far the most difficult album I've ever worked on for various reasons," he said. "That being said as I see the distant light at the end of this long tunnel. I can truly say it has all been a much needed growing experience. When I say that I mean it personally, lyrically and vocally. I've been able to take any criticism from my dudes and separate it from my being to push through and rise to the occasion.

"This has been a work in progress as everything I write is always deeply personal and for the most part difficult to write," he continued. "It's always hard to let go of my work. I'm very pleased I've learned to separate my emotions from the work. It's been liberating! I've also been able to stretch the limits of my voice mixing techniques and hues of sound (still working on this as a full time student of the voice via @zenofscreaming).

"Lastly, lyrically I've crafted some songs to feel more like a story, which I believe makes the material more interesting," he added. "Adam has helped a great deal as usual being a great producer and a good friend throughout. Talking me off the cliff and making me laugh when need be. It can't be overstated how crucial he is (even when I can get thrown sideways at times). He always sees the bigger picture and pushes me to my limit for better or worse. The outcome however is always far better than I imagined."

"Atonement" was released in August 2019 via Metal Blade Records in the U.S. and Sony Music Entertainment in the rest of the world. The disc featured guest appearances by former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones and TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy. It marked the band's third full-length release since the return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will embark on a headline tour in March 2025. It's their first tour of North America since late 2022. The trek will feature support from KUBLAI KHAN TX, FIT FOR A KING and FROZEN SOUL, and will kick off on March 5 in Nashville and runs through April 12 in Portland, Maine.