Killswitch Engage is an American
metalcoreMetalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band from
Westfield, MassachusettsWestfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census. The ZIP Code is 01085 for homes and businesses, 01086 for Westfield State...
, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of
OvercastOvercast was an American metalcore band that started in the early 1990s, but broke up in 1998 after an unsuccessful tour; in 2008 they reunited to play a show and announced they would release a new album entitled Reborn to Kill Again with 11 re-recorded classic tracks and two unreleased...
and
AftershockAftershock was a metalcore band based out of Boston, Massachusetts. The band was formed in 1992 by the Dutkiewicz brothers, and broke up in mid 1999 shortly after Adam Dutkiewicz joined Killswitch Engage. After a 2-year hiatus, in 2001, the group re-formed for a reunion tour in Japan...
. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist
Mike D'AntonioMichael "Mike" D'Antonio is best known as the bass guitarist and founder of Massachusetts metalcore band Killswitch Engage and of the band Overcast....
, guitarists
Joel StroetzelJoel Michael Stroetzel is best known as one of two guitarists from the Massachusetts metalcore band Killswitch Engage.Stroetzel's guitar style is influenced by the bands Slayer, Anthrax, Zakk Wylde, as stated on the World Ablaze DVD....
and
Adam DutkiewiczAdam Jonathan Dutkiewicz is an American musician, recording engineer and music producer, best known as a guitarist and backup vocalist from Massachusetts metalcore band Killswitch Engage.-Biography:...
, and drummer
Justin FoleyJustin Foley is best known as the drummer of the metalcore band, Killswitch Engage. He is also an active member of the band Blood Has Been Shed along with Killswitch Engage's lead singer, Howard Jones...
. The band has released five studio albums and one DVD.
Killswitch Engage rose to fame with its 2004 release
The End of HeartacheThe End of Heartache is the third studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on May 11, 2004 through Roadrunner Records. It is the first album to feature lead vocalist Howard Jones from the mathcore band Blood Has Been Shed after Jesse Leach's departure from the band...
, which peaked at number 21 on the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and was
certified goldIn the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
in December 2007 for over 500,000 shipments in the United States.