KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's JUSTIN FOLEY On 'This Consequence' Album: 'We Stick To Our Strengths But Also Change And Evolve'

In a new interview with This Day In Metal, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE drummer Justin Foley spoke about the musical direction of the band's upcoming album, "This Consequence", which is due on February 21, 2025 via Metal Blade Records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think, after so many years, we know what we do well and kind of stick to our strengths, but we also change and evolve and stuff that we like and stuff that we wanna do. So we try to kind of mix in little bits of stuff that we're kind of interested in with what the band is and try to make that work."

Asked which songs on "This Consequence" he is most proud of or most excited for people to hear, he said: "[First single] 'Forever Aligned' probably would be the top of the list for me. I think that song really came out great. It's a good indication of kind of what the band does when we're doing it well and we've got something that's exciting, that we're all excited about and everything. That song is kind of a good representation of what comes out of us, I think. I think that's a real good one. And there's some cool stuff. There's one song that's, like, super kind of blazing fast, almost like more death metal-y. I think it was an Adam [Dutkiewicz, guitar] demo, and he wasn't even sure if we were gonna like it, and we were all, like, 'Yeah, that's cool. Let's run with that.' I think 'The Fall Of Us' is what it ended up being called… There's a lot of blasting going on in that one. I think that that's kind of a good example of us kind of getting a little outside of what is very comfortable. I think we all like listening to blistering death metal. We don't fancy ourselves a blistering death metal band at all or people that can pull off playing blistering death metal, but if we put a little tiny bit of it somewhere, we might be able to pull it off. So I think that was a good spot for it there. Yeah, that's a good one. And there's one other one… 'Broken Glass' is the other one. That one's kind of like just sort of different. I think that's a very different song, too, and it sort of stands out. I don't know how to describe it, really. But I don't think that sounds very much like hardly anything that we've probably done before."

Regarding the fact that "This Consequence" is a shorter album than has been the case with KILLSWITCH in recent years, Justin said: "It took forever to make it. So, in that regard, yeah, [the songs] were definitely pored over. We just felt like we wanted something that was sort of really to the point and shorter. If there was anything that made it feel like there was any kind of lull in the flow of the album, we wanted to just sort of get rid of those, whether it was track list order or anything. And we just kind of thought that it was strongest as a 10-song record. It kind of had the most impact when it was that length, and that's what we went with."

On "This Consequence", the members of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE distilled the hallmarks of their signature sound into a bruising, often brutal, and at times brilliantly bright body of work.

"Making this record lit a fire under my ass and made me rethink everything," KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach previously admitted. "It had to be next level. It had to be different enough for people to really recognize we're putting forth an effort-or what's the point of doing this? There was no repeating ourselves. It was very carefully planned out and passionately written. It sounds like KILLSWITCH, yet there's also a fresh spirit to it."

This time around, the group emphasized working together face-to-face in a Massachusetts rehearsal spot. The process enabled them to apply the pressure on every element. At the collective urging of his bandmates, Jesse pored over his words like never before.

"We pushed him to do more vocal demos and were super tough on him," recalled Adam. "He was so open to feedback though, and he definitely got the lyrics right. I love it when he and I are face-to-face, and ideas are flying around. We work especially well together when we're in the heat of the moment. All of the demoing made for a better record, and there was so much communication between all of the band members."

"It felt like everyone put a ton of effort into this," bassist Mike D'Antonio added. "It's the first time since 'Alive Or Just Breathing' that we really hashed everything out together in the same room. It was a combined effort, and there are even some things you've never heard from KILLSWITCH."

Jesse culled inspiration from "hours on Thesaurus.com," reading as many books as possible, and interacting with fans on the road in between. He confessed, "I found my voice again."

"I never considered myself to be a part of mainstream society," he went on. "I've always been in the middle. To me, this record is about the consequences of our actions as humans as we engage in war, hatred, division, and falling in line with control. History repeats itself. We're going to have to answer for our actions-whether it's how we treat the earth or each other. There will be an uprising and a backlash from nature. Cause-and-effect is a driving theme. We will face a consequence."

The first single "Forever Aligned" finds the band firing on all cylinders. Jesse's growl weighs heavy on a galloping beat and dual-guitar battering ram. The barrage breaks like a wave on a chantable chorus, "It's you, I find, forever in my mind, we are aligned," giving way to a melodic bridge laced with a hummable lead line.

"When you find someone who won't give up on you, forge a friendship, or have a family member who makes you a better person, you realize what love actually is," noted the frontman. "I think true love is far beyond human comprehension. We have glimpses of it, but we'll never grasp it. When you're striving to be filled with love, it's a selfless path. It's a spiritual connection; it transcends life and death. The energy of love moves on eternally, so you're forever aligned with who you love."

"Even with all of the brutality, the hook is right up there with some of our best," smiled Mike. "We felt like it was the perfect song to introduce this chapter and show we're ready to go."

"Aftermath" illuminates the dynamics of "This Consequence". A lightly picked intro bleeds into the wail of guitar as epic drums boom. It kicks into high gear towards a hypnotic refrain, "We're reeling from the aftermath, still bleeding from the damage of the past," as Jesse declares, "This is the consequence."

"If you've ever dealt with depression, one day you wake up and have this revelation, 'I'm going to be okay. This is a new day'," he went on. "You get this injection of hope and think, 'I got through this. How do I move forward]?' 'Aftermath' is simply about finding yourself again and healing from all that you went through."

Following the face-ripping "Where It Dies" and towering catharsis of "I Believe", the vital and vitriolic "Collusion" confronts corruption at its ancient roots. Jesse laments, "It's a world in collusion."

"The powers-that-be use manipulation to control the masses," he sighed. "It goes back to even the Roman Empire. There are all of these tricky secret handshakes and backroom deals. I'd rather be pessimistic and questioning than gullible and rolling with it. Dig a little deeper and read between the lines."

Then, there's "Broken Glass". It may be one of the unabashedly and uncompromisingly heavy compositions in the KILLSWITCH catalog. It crawls along on a nail-scraping stomp anchored by a thick riff and guttural scream.

"I'm most stoked on 'Broken Glass'," said Adam. "It definitely doesn't sound like anything we've ever done before."

"It's a metaphor," revealed Jesse. "A liar's words will cut you like broken glass. I'm sure anybody who has lived through the breakdown of a family or a relationship can relate to the images of shattered windows or smashed alcohol bottles. We don't realize how deep abuse can run in our blood and affect us."

Now, "This Consequence" might just set the stage for another 25 years of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE.

"This band is still just a group of friends who get together and play music — but to some of the biggest crowds we could've ever imagined," Mike left off. "Even after all of this time, there's a lot of love being thrown around."

"The goal is to make the fans happy," concluded Adam. "When you come to a show, it's about fun. I love the connection we have. If the crowd is having a good time, we're having a good time. This record is for everybody who has been with us for all of these years."

"The world is in a dark place, but we're going to get through this," grinned Jesse. "Music has always been a light in the darkness when I feel like all hope is lost. Certain albums came along at the right time and saved me. We are giving everything we have, because it's all we got. We have a chance to take KILLSWITCH to another level. That excitement is like fuel. We have everything to prove and nothing to prove, because we are right where we need to be."

"This Consequence" is KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's ninth album overall, and sixth with Leach, who rejoined the band in 2012.

"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

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.