Were you shocked when he said he doesn’t like metal records? Did he say why he doesn’t like the sound?
He doesn’t like the overall sound of a metal record. He said they are very unpersonable, hollow. He says that warm sounds, he feels, lets the listener gravitate towards, which I don’t see eye-to-eye with, no one in our band sees eye-to-eye with that. I think a warm metal record is an untight metal record, you need those stop, start, stop, starts, really cut dry spaces in order to make it as aggressive as possible.
So why did he want to work with Killswitch?
I think it may have just been the catchiness. He said a lot of things caught his hear and he found himself singing them, which is good. We’ve definitely been one of those bands that concentrate on getting things catchy.
How would you describe the new record?
It’s definitely Killswitch, no ifs, ands, or buts. I mean people are slightly scared you tried something different, but it’s really not that much different. I feel like this record, more than any other, is catchy. I feel like it will get stuck in your head and you wont be able to shake it. The specific vision was just really go for it this time. We’re pleasantly surprised because it could of gone horribly wrong and exploded in a ball of flames but I think for the fans of the band, they’re going to love it, it’s definitely up their alley and hopefully we’ll make some new ones at the same time.
It seems like reinventing yourself is a common theme on this record. You’re using a co-producer in Brendan O’Brien and it’s your second self-titled album.
Yeah, kind of reinventing ourselves even though we don’t sound that much different. Just the rejuvenation of trying something new I guess.
Well your last record went gold.
It’s like so close, like within a month. The one before that, End Of Heartache, did though.
So coming off two gold records, how much pressure is on Killswitch to make this fifth record as successful?
I’m not going to say it’s not in my head, but if you get stuck in that mode it turns into a competition and we just want to have fun.
KsE’s new self-titled album hits stores June 30. Catch them at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, on Aug. 5 and at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ, on Aug. 7. For more info, visit killswitchengage.com.
