The first big shakeup of 2012 came from Howard Jones, who after ten years and three albums announced he was quitting Killswitch Engage, and it didn’t take long for many to speculate who could be the band’s new frontman. A few new potential candidates (namely Tommy Vext) have surfaced, while some like All That Remains singer and one time fill in for Jones Phil Labonte shot down rumors. However, depending on how you read into certain Facebook postings, there’s a chance Killswitch Engage could be bringing back a familiar face.
As The PRP discovered, former singer Jesse Leach has been making some rather ambiguous postings on Facebook following Jones’ exit from the group. Leach, who left the band in 2002, has posted such statuses as “I go where the spirit leads me” and “No matter insignificant it may seem in the moment, the smallest change can spark a revolution!” on his fan page. Now let’s be frank, those posts could refer to anything, BUT could the “smallest change” he’s referring to imply his return to KSE?
Again, these postings in no way confirm anything, and we’re merely speculating as to their potential meaning. However, Leach’s return wouldn’t be too much of a stretch. For one thing, it’s obvious that Leach is back on very good terms with his former band mates. Not only is this proven through Times Of Grace (the band he and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz formed last year), but also by the band’s encore set in NYC back in 2010 which saw Leach making a “surprise” appearance. Plus, it would surely be easier for the band to work with Leach again rather than training a new guy and it’s a safe bet that most people would love to see the singer back in KSE.
The only real thing possibly holding Leach back from rejoining the group would be his current band The Empire Shall Fall (we imagine that Times Of Grace won’t be active while Dutkiewicz is busy with KSE). However, if Leach would be willing to juggle both bands, then it could be the most ideal option for the band. Chances are, though, there will be more speculation to follow before any official announcement is made (possibly before their headlining appearance at the New England Metal & Hardcore Fest, that is unless they’ve pulled out).
UPDATE: Guess we can officially cross Leach’s name off the list. In a post titled “KSE Singer Inquiries” on their website, the band stated the following:
“We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about the KsE singer position. If you are interested, please send an MP3 or a song link, a photo and a brief description of yourself to the management email address provided in the contact section. thanks KsE”
So that basically confirms that they’re still in need of a frontman, and that Leach isn’t returning to KSE anytime soon. It’s still unclear, though, how this will effect their previously announced plans. Guess we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out more.
