KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's JESSE LEACH Wants To Go 'Faster And Heavier And Harder' On Next Album

At this weekend's Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach spoke to Baby Huey of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone about the band's plans for the coming months. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[Aftershock is] the very last show for us for a long time in the States. We're heading over to New Zealand [and] Australia. And then the only thing we're looking at now is doing some festivals next year in Europe. But other than that, there's no solid plan. So the talk has begun of, like, 'Should we start writing again?' So, we'll see. We'll see what happens. I don't know."

As for a possible musical direction for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's follow-up to 2025's "This Consequence" album, Jesse said: "I'm pushing for faster and heavier and harder, for fun. But you can't really force that with this band. I can have my opinion what I'd like, but there's a natural magic that happens when those guys start writing music. So I can have an idea in mind, but when I hear sonically what they're giving me, I'm usually so inspired by that sound that I'll write according to what it makes me feel, regardless of my mindset walking into a writing process. So that natural stuff just happens. But in the back of my mind, I'm, like, 'Let's go hard and heavy.'"

This past June, Jesse told Scott Davidson of Chicago's Rebel Radio that the extra songs he and his bandmates recorded during the sessions for "This Consequence" would eventually see the light of day. He said: "[We recorded a total of] 14 [tracks], and four [were] left off. One got re-released kind of quietly on a compilation to raise money for an animal shelter. It's on CD now. And then I think we're working with the same company again to put one more song out with that. And then the other two we hope to see out in the as a B-side seven-inch."

After Davidson noted that a lot of bands now are more focused on releasing one or two songs at a time as opposed to a full-length album, Jesse said: "I'm also not opposed to doing EPs. I think it's actually a really good idea to just knock some stuff out. We've never done it, but we're talking about maybe just doing EPs for fun. And it makes that whole process of putting a record out quicker. And we also will write all these songs, and some of them don't even make it on the record, so why not just focus on five or six of the really good ones and put out an EP or a seven-inch or a 10-inch with exclusive vinyl and fun stuff like that, collectible stuff. So we're talking about all that fun stuff for the future."

Regarding how the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE songwriting process works, Jesse said: "Everybody does their own demos, between those [other] four guys [in the band]. They all submit demos of either just riffs that make sense together or full complete songs with drums and everything. And then everybody sort of picks it apart and works on it together."

He added: "I love watching somebody come with a few riffs and then somebody else has a riff. I like watching that happen. In this last recording cycle, we were in a room together jamming. It was, like, four or five sessions of that, where somebody would come with a cool riff, and then you see somebody else's lightbulb go off on their head, and they're, like, 'Oh, I got an idea,' and seeing it take shape in real time. I love when that happens."

A previously unreleased song from the "This Consequence" sessions, "Blood Upon The Ashes", was made available on "The Dogs Of Hope" benefit album, which came out in August 2025 via Iodine Records. The LP raised funds for the Randolph County Animal Shelter in Wedowee, Alabama and also included rare and previously unreleased tunes from SNAPCASE, ORANGE 9MM, DEADGUY, Walter Scheifels, TESTAMENT's Alex Skolnick and more.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio previously described "Blood Upon The Ashes" to Revolver magazine as "the one that got away" during the "This Consequence" sessions.

"Although I was fighting hard for it, this track didn't get the votes to be included in the final, 10-song 'This Consequence' record. So close," he lamented. "I'm really excited for people to hear it 'cause every time I do, there's regret for not including it on the album. Enjoy."

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE recently completed a U.S. tour with support from MACHINE HEAD, IRON REAGAN and HAVOK.

"This Consequence" came out in February 2025 via Metal Blade. "This Consequence" was KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's ninth LP overall, and sixth with Leach, who rejoined the band in 2012.

"This Consequence" arrived alongside a hugely successful winter/spring 2025 tour, yielded a Top 10 single with "I Believe" and landed the band on the covers of Revolver and Outburn.

In the summer of 2025, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE completed the massive "Summer Of Loud" tour, co-headlining alongside BEARTOOTH, I PREVAIL and PARKWAY DRIVE.

Fans got their first taste of "This Consequence" with pulverizing track "Forever Aligned", swiftly followed by "I Believe". More recently, the group shared videos for "Collusion" and "Aftermath".