 |
"I NEVER FULLY COMPREHENDED THE TRIANGLE. THAT INSTRUMENT IS MUSIC'S LITTLE ENIGMA, I TELL YOU. - Adam D." |
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - METAL BEAST FROM THE EAST! BY CHRIS LISEE
Killswitch Engage have not merely become standard-bearers for GENERATION HEAVY. With The End of Heartache, the standard has been re-ignited by a band unafraid to rewrite the rules of the game. The current version of Killswitch is rounded out by original members Mike D (bass) Joel Stroetzel (guitar), Adam D (guitar), vocalist Howard Jones, and new drummer Justin Foley. Foley comes to the band via Jones and his other current project (Blood Has Been Shed). All the members of this band bring to it a respectability and integrity that collectively has made a mark on bands throughout the heavy music scene. Check out this exclusive FPE interview below. Enjoy!
Adam, is there an instrument you can't play?
Adam: "I NEVER FULLY COMPREHENDED THE TRIAGLE. THAT INSTRUMENT IS MUSIC'S LITTLE ENIGMA, I TELL YOU."
Between producing albums, how do you find the time to tour and write new material?
Adam: "I DON'T. I HAVE BECOME A SLAVE TO THIS THING CALLED HEAVY METAL. MY FAMILY DOESN'T RECOGNIZE ME ANYMORE, I HAVE NO FRIENDS, AND NO LIFE. NO REST FOR THE WICKED I SUPPOSE."
There are a lot of "sprinkles" on your recordings - harmonics, dive-bombs, arpeggios, etc. Who plays them, Adam or Joel? Do you split lead and rhythm parts equally on a recording?
 Adam: "USUALLY WE HAVE WHOMEVER WROTE IT PLAY IT...SUPPOSE IT JUST MAKES SENSE SEEING HOW THE PERSON THAT WROTE IT WILL HEAR IT THE WAY IT WAS INTENDED."
KsE has elements of "metal" and "hardcore" in your songs, but the term "metalcore" is so often used, how else would you describe your music?
Justin Foley: "Words that I like to use are "aggressive" or "emotional". I think those can be applied to all different styles, not just metal or hardcore and they are
some of the first things I look for in a band."
Why are there so many heavy bands coming out of New England? Which city is most likely to be the next hot spot, Hartford, Worcester or Providence?
Justin Foley: "Everyone in these bands from NE have been playing in bands with each other for at least ten years or more, so I don't see it as an explosion of a scene. It's just that these bands are finally getting recognized. Everyone out here works hard and tours, so they deserve to get noticed, and the Palladium in Worcester seems to be at the center of all of this activity."
What types of gear do you use? What one piece is your favorite, and why?
Adam: "I USE LOTS OF GEAR...DON'T HAVE FAVORITES. THEY ALL PLAY SOME ROLE IN MY MUSICAL KINGDOM OF DOOM."
Justin Foley: "I use Yamaha birch and maple custom absolute drums, Pro Mark sticks, Evans heads, and Zildjian cymbals. I guess my favorite piece is my bass drum, I just love the deep sound and the finish is just so darn pretty."
Joel: "My favorite piece of gear is the Maxon OD808 overdrive pedal. The Ibanez tube screamers are awesome too. They both bring clarity and pick attack to overdriven guitar tone, which is essential when playing metal through a tube amplifier."
Mike: "I use and Ibanez SRX700 bass. Ampeg SVT PRO 5 head. Ampeg classic 8x10 cab. Sans Amp DI pedal. Noise suppressor pedal. My favorite piece of equipment besides my SRX700 is my Sans Amp. I basically run all EQ flat on everything from the bass to the head. I use the sans amp for all my tone. This comes in very hand when I need to rent equipment for shows. There is usually no guess work involved, I know the sound will always be close to what I am used to."
What inspired you to start playing? What was the first band you remember being the biggest influences at that time?
Justin Foley: "Easy. John Bonham and Led Zeppelin. Done."
Joel: "The first bands that really inspired me where Metallica, Megadeth, and Testament. I pretty much learned to play guitar playing songs by these bands. Later on I got big into Slayer. The first few years I played guitar...these were definitely my bands."
Mike: "All my friends were in bands and it looked like a great time on stage. I would have to say SLAYER were a huge influence on my writing style growing up."
(For Joel and Mike) In the beginning, Adam was the drummer, then Tom Gomes, and now Justin Foley. Has it been difficult playing with three different drummers? Have you noticed a different "feel" with each different drummer?
Joel: "It's definitely different playing with each of these drummers. Adam has a great "bounce" to his playing. He always played hard and will a lot of attitude. Tom on the other hand is a very precise, technical drummer. Every drum hit of Tom's is very subdivided and tight. Justin has a lot of energy and spirit in his playing. He plays a bit more ahead of the beat than Adam or Tom, but it was nothing too hard to get used to. I feel like Justin's drumming has made Killswitch sound much more energetic, which is super cool."
Mike: "Adam and I originally started the band, with me on bass and him on drums. Adam's unique drum style clicked with me right away, and I knew that we could make some substantial music together. When he decided to leave the drums behind, I was skeptical, his Neanderthal drum beatings gave the band it's own sound.
Tom Gomes tried out and it was very apparent that he was a very "by the book" drummer. Tom was able to adapt to Adam's style very quickly, simply by imitating. Unfortunately, creativity and imitation do not go hand in hand and can become very stagnant. When Justin joined, a sense of balance came back to the songs. Although he has a different style than Adam or Tom, he breaths life into new tracks as well as old ones we had been playing for years. It made us all gitty to have someone so excited to be a part of the band." Mike, it seems that you are very involved with other bands from your area. Between working on art direction, how do you find the time to tour and write new material?
Mike: "Usually my brain is on overload. I love playing bass, but I am a graphic designed at heart. Because I am an artist, I am constantly thinking of artwork. It comes more naturally then writing songs to me. I enjoy braking out my laptop on the road, and thinking about something completely different for a few hours. Don't get me wrong, song writing is fun, but I need to be in the right mood."
Being a metal band has always meant doing things on your own terms, but if you could change one thing about the music industry or touring, what
would it be, and why?
Justin Foley: "I wish the industry would understand, I mean really understand what it is like to be out on the road and that time off is not just a luxury, it is a necessity.
Official Site:
http://killswitchengage.com
|
