Killswitch Engage was formed in 1999 by bassist Mike D'Antonio , from the band Overcast , and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz from Aftershock , when those two groups split up. D'Antonio and Dutkiewicz invited guitarist Joel Stroetzel , also from Aftershock, and vocalist Jesse Leach , and Killswitch Engage was formed.
The band released their first full-length album in 2000, titled Killswitch Engage , which earned them a contract with Roadrunner Records . That same year, former Overcast guitarist Pete Cortese joined the band, but left briefly in 2001 when he became a father. In 2002, the band released their second album, Alive Or Just Breathing , and decided to expand their lineup. Dutkiewicz, who had previously played drums, switched to guitar, and Tom Gomes , the former drummer of Aftershock, joined the band.
Alive Or Just Breathing tour , Jesse Leach became depressed and quit the band. He was replaced by Howard Jones , Blood Has Been Shed . In 2003, Justin Foley , from the same band, replaced Gomes and decided to leave Killswitch Engage. In 2004, the band released the album The End Of Heartache , a commercial success that earned the band a Grammy nomination for best metal performance.
The album *As Daylight Dies* , released in 2006, was a critical success. Dutkiewicz began experiencing back problems and required corrective surgery, which prevented him from playing on much of the album's tour. In 2009, the band released their self-titled second album, which would be their last with Howard Jones on vocals. In 2012, while the band was in the studio recording their new album, they announced that Howard Jones had left, without explaining the reasons for the separation. Original vocalist Jesse Leach returned to the band and recorded the vocals for the album *Disarm The Descent *, released in 2013. The album also received a Grammy nomination, but lost to Black Sabbath .
Killswitch Engage has sold over four million albums in the United States and is considered one of the most important bands in the New Wave of American Heavy Metal.
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