Killswitch Engage Bassist Mike D’Antonio Talks Collaboration with Ex-Vocalist Howard Jones
Between Jesse Leach’s throat surgery and the collaboration with former vocalist Howard Jones on Killswitch Engage’s new album, Atonement, I can’t help but get all worked up. The upcoming LP, which was two years in the making, has become a reminder to KsE’s fans of the band’s tenacity and dedication to their work.
In this week’s episode of The MetalSucks Podcast, KsE bassist Mike D’Antonio spoke about Jesse’s surgery, signing to Metal Blade Records, and a slew of other topics including the band’s collaboration with Jones, who now sings for Light the Torch (formerly called Devil You Know). When asked about how the collaborative track, “Signal of Fire,” came together, here’s what Mike had to say:
“I remember recording the track with Adam [D., guitars]. I recorded all the bass tracks on the road and then there was a couple that I needed to either make corrections to or maybe I had missed a couple.
“So we were [finishing] in my house, and that was one of the songs that I went to record that day and I realize, ‘Oh crap, I guess this is going to be a single, huh?’ I hadn’t heard it with Howard on vocals before that and I was very surprised and stoked at how good it came out. That was pretty much Jesse and Adam’s call.
“We love Howard, he’s a great dude. Sometimes things don’t work out but he’s doing really well and I hope nothing but the best for him. It was really cool, he had the time to do it and help us out. Now we’re going to have to find a tour I guess.”
It’s a great track, it’s very heavy, but it’s really cool to see that. The fact that you guys are friends is probably what means the most to fans.
“It’s all hugs and high fives, it’s nothing but fun whenever we see him. There are no hard feelings whatsoever, and why should there be? Life is too short.”
Be sure to check out Howard’s appearance on Atonement, which is set for release on August 16th and can be pre-ordered here. In the meantime, listen to the podcast below.
