Killswitch Engage is a metalcore band that was formed in the summer of 1999 in Westfield, Massachusetts resulting after the split of the underground Overcast metal band in late 1998. Mike D'Antonio,Overcast's leader and songwriter, was for many years in the quest of a band mixing melody with hardcore metal.
When D'Antonio met Adam Dutkiewitz (drums), Joel Stroetzel (guitar), and Jesse Leach (vocals), he suddenly found himself on the right pathway to fulfill his idea of bringing to life the brand new project.
Killswitch Engage was named after watching an episode of FOX' "The X-Files" TV series (Kill Switch), although the band is otherwise known either as KSE or Killswitch.
As of today KSE's albums have sold millions of copies only in the United States, however, the band began climbing to fame as opening stage act at In Flames, Shadows Fall, and Steve Young tours.
The fine metalcore of Killswitch engage caught the attention of The Ferret Records label, which signed the band for the release of their self-titled debut album in July 2000.
Impressed by the combination of screaming vocals and heavy riffs, Roadrunner Records signed the band after a deal with Ferret Records. Then Killswitch Engage enrolled a new guitarist, Peter Cortese from former band Overcast, but he left KSE before releasing of their second album, "Alive or Just Breathing" in 2002.
Regardless of the success of this album hitting both the Heatseekers and Billboard charts, the band's lineup was modified placing Adam Dutkiewitz on guitars and new members Tom Gomes on drums and vocalist Howard Jones replacing Jesse Leach who left the band before KSE began the Road Rage Tour across the UK and the Netherlands.
During 2003 the band kept touring, playing at the Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest and recording the single "When Darkness Falls", the song featured on the soundtrack of the Freddy vs. Jason horror film.
"The End of Heartache", Killswitch Engage' fourth album, was released in May of 2004 and sold over 450,000 copies in the United States alone, consolidating the group as a top seller band. KSE returned to Ozzfest the following year and toured extensively before releasing their most recent full-length album "As Daylight Dies", recorded during the autumn of 2006.
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