KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's JESSE LEACH: 'What I'm Manifesting Through My Body Language Is Love And Acceptance'

In a new interview with Loud & Clear With Belgian Jasper, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach touched upon how politicians use polarization as a strategic tool to secure power and mobilize loyal voters by framing elections as existential conflicts. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've made a point to say it every night on stage: the biggest weapon that the powers that be, the nameless powers that be — not the people we see on social media and television; those are the puppets — I'm talking about the real Dr. Evils of this world that we don't see. Those people benefit and weaponize our separation, whether it be what God you pray to, who you make love to, who you vote for. None of that matters to any of us. What matters is the humanity. And we do have so much more, incredible amounts of similarities as humans. Our differences are very small, and it's just the focusing on those differences and weaponizing those differences to create the divide-rule-and-conquer thing. It is revolutionary to be accepting, to be compassionate, to be tolerant, and hopefully open up discussions, not arguments about our differences. I've done that personally as I travel. I've met people I don't agree with, and I don't shun them and block them and cancel them. I wanna hear what they have to say. And hopefully I can get some point across. But half the time I'm learning something from them, too. 'Oh, that's why you think that way.' It's kind of like people's interpretation of life. It's an interpretation, and I'm open to being wrong and incorrect and changing what I think if it serves the greater purpose and makes sense."

He continued: "So opening the dialogue for — compassion, I think is the best word to use, 100%, that is my goal. That is my prayer before I hit the stage. That is my meditation. That's what I'm manifesting through my body language, is love and acceptance. I want people to have fun and enjoy what we're doing, but I also want them to leave with a message, to take that light, if you will, and spread it, 'cause the world needs it."

Asked if he sometimes catches himself "being somewhat addicted to outrage as well", especially in a "social media-dominated world" which rewards emotional posts with algorithmic visibility, social feedback and peer validation, Jesse said: "I wouldn't say I'm addicted to it. In fact, I would even say in my younger years I avoided it, and I think that's unhealthy. I think either way, I think obsession with anger is unhealthy, but I think avoidance of anger is unhealthy too. If anything, I've learned that anger, just like any other emotion, is rooted in something, and I think the root of anger is fear. I think fear of what might happen to me, fear of what might happen to other people. So I think the real enemy, and that ties in to be very sort of like Yoda and 'Star Wars', hatred. Hatred and fear are... I think hatred is rooted in fear as well. I think fear is the real enemy of us. That's what creates all of these uglier emotions. So getting to the root of why you might feel that way or why you're enraged, getting to the root of it and contemplating it, walking through that anger, then you can have a perspective that can teach, a perspective that has compassion because you understand that at the root of all of us, we're people that just wanna be loved. We wanna be heard. We wanna be understood. So again, I'm gonna throw that word compassion back out there, 'cause that's what I have to do to sort of combat the anger that's in the Internet. And I think there's enough people spouting hatred and anger. There's enough of that. And I can relate to it, but that's not my gift. I'm not the person that can stand on the front lines screaming at somebody because I don't like what they're doing. I'm the one going, 'Hey, we should all figure this out together.' I think there needs to be more voices like that. And that's just my gift. I'm not very good at arguing and getting angry with people. I lose myself through that, and I don't like that. So I like to stay sort of centered in love and use that as my weapon to combat against whether it be anger, hatred or fear."

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

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album, "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".