Jesse Leach Says Killswitch Engage Has 14 or 15 Songs Written for Next Album

It’s been four years since Killswitch Engage released their last album, 2019’s Atonement, and the band members say that they’re getting closer to recording its follow up. Talking to The Razor’s Edge at Bloodstock, vocalist Jesse Leach emphasized the challenge of staying true to your sound while still writing original music that pushes personal boundaries.

“Yeah, I think it’s super important. We do our best. You kind of wanna give people what they want, but you also wanna be satisfied as an artist. And I think with this record we’re working on currently, 15, 14 demos in, and we’re gonna be tossing out, like, four or five of them already to redo some stuff and to rethink some stuff just to make sure that everybody in the band feels like we’re doing the best we can, and it does sound fresh yet familiar. So it’s a challenge… You wanna please your fans, but you also wanna please yourself as an artist and as a band. So we’re focusing on us first. And then my hope is that the fans will in turn be pleased with what we’re doing because we are putting the effort in to ensure that it’s something that isn’t just a remake of something we’ve done before.”

At the same fest, drummer Justin Foley talked to Forever Loud and said that they hope to enter the studio soon.

“Yeah, we’re still working on that record. Hopefully we can start getting some of it tracked fairly soon. We’re just trying to do all the before work as much as possible, so when we get to the other work, it’s as easy as it can possibly be. So, yeah, hopefully that will be done soon enough. And then next time we’re back out here [in the U.K.], we’ll have some new stuff to play.”

Foley also confirmed that guitarist and longtime producer Adam Dutkiewicz will handle the LP. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for more Killswitch!