Jesse back in Killswitch Engage?!

I have not seen any official announcements, but after visiting the band's homepage and seeing a pic of the band, complete with a smiling Jesse Leach, I can only conclude that it has finally happened. Jesse is back in KsE.

This is great news for me and I'm sure for many others who got into the band through their second album "Alive Or Just Breathing" back in 2002. On hearing the album, I immediately became a huge fan of the band and their (at the time) modern take on the Melodic Death formula...although the sound the band helped to spearhead, soon to become known as Metalcore, quickly became stale and the sub-genre became a dirty word among metal fans. It is easy to forget then, the impact that the band had and just how much of a breath of fresh air they were when they emerged in the early 2000's. This was an era still dominated by Nu-metal, which was by now so watered down and false, it was approaching an almost pop sound. Metal was flailing.

I remember "Alive..." being promoted with a mock funeral for Nu-metal...a clear statement of intent from a band determined to bring back the riff and the solo into metal. The album has become a clear favourite with metal fans and has more than stood the test of time. Jesse provided the album with some of the most passionate vocals I have ever heard from a vocalist...from crooning and growling through to vicious snarls. It was this that really sealed my love for the band. Therefore, I was extremely saddened when Jesse quit the band soon after the release of the album, apparently due to depression.

It was here that things started to go wrong. Yes, the band replaced Jesse with a competent, if not great, vocalist in Howard Jones, but they also watered down their sound and appeared to be chasing mainstream attention. The band were very successful with Howard leading the charge and became big players on the international metal scene, but something just didn't sit right with me. There was something missing. I soon lost interest in the band which had, at first, sparked such passion in me, and I all but wrote them off.

So, it was with great interest when I read in January 2012, that Howard had quit the band due to personal issues. Of course, I have no ill-feeling toward Howard, but following the Times Of Grace project featuring Adam of Kse and yes, Jesse, I began to wonder and to hope. Is Jesse coming back? It appears that he has. The band I fell in love with a decade ago is back...and it couldn't be a more exciting start to 2012.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the band or who may need a reminder of the kick in the arse they gave the scene in 2002, here is the video for "My Last Serenade". In my opinion, not the strongest track from "Alive..." but certainly a good starting point and a good example of Jesse's versatility as a vocalist...Not to mention, some quality riffing.