JESSE LEACH Talks About KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's 'Aftermath': 'We All Have a Responsibility'

Summary

• Killswitch Engage drops Aftermath, a politically charged track with a grim video about war, destruction, and rebuilding.
• Frontman Jesse Leach calls it a call to arms, urging people to take action against environmental and societal collapse.
• The band kicks off a massive tour with Beartooth, I Prevail, and Parkway Drive, followed by a UK/Europe run with Hatebreed and more.

Killswitch Engage isn’t wasting time with metaphors or feel-good slogans in their latest single. The video for “Aftermath” just dropped, and it doesn’t sugarcoat a thing.

If you were expecting a fun, breakdown-heavy anthem about “staying strong,” keep scrolling. This is a song about staring into the wreckage and asking, “What the hell have we done?”

Directed by Good Eye, the clip cuts between bleak war footage, grim environmental snapshots, and just enough inspirational messaging to keep you from punching a wall.

But make no mistake: the tone isn’t hopeful as much as it is desperate with purpose.

Jesse Speaks Up

Vocalist Jesse Leach doesn’t tiptoe around the topic. According to him, “Aftermath” is “a song about the realization of a tragic event or a war,” but more than that, it’s about the psychic bruises we all carry from living in a state of constant loss.

“We see daily the tragedies of humanity,” Jesse explains. “The destruction of a place we call home. We have taken so much from our planet and ripped the scales in the incorrect direction.”

He calls the song a call to arms, not just to mourn the mess, but to fix it. “I’m urging my fellow humans to rise above the helplessness and despair,” he says. “Put one foot in front of the other and start to rebuild.” His definition of rebuilding? It includes recovering from “an abusive relationship, a financial hardship, a death of a loved one,” or, as he bluntly puts it, “yet another disaster unleashed upon the natural world.”

Action, Not Platitudes

It’s not all poetic hand-wringing. Killswitch partnered with environmental organizations for the release, and Jesse is blunt about why.

“To me, this works perfectly with the various organizations we partnered with for this video,” he says. “All of us can make a difference big or small.”

His message has little room for cynics: fix what you’ve broken, help clean up the collective mess, and don’t wait around for someone else to do it.

“It starts right here and right now with us.”

Summer Tour Incoming

The timing for all this urgency? Conveniently lined up with a massive touring schedule. Killswitch is joining Beartooth, I Prevail, and Parkway Drive for the Summer of Loud U.S. tour, proving that existential crisis can still sell tickets.

Then, in September, they take the chaos across the pond. The UK and European tour includes support from Hatebreed, Fit For An Autopsy, and Decapitated. Expect full-throttle pits, serious neck damage, and probably a few people yelling “THIS SONG IS ABOUT THE PLANET” mid-circle pit.

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Tour Dates

UK + Europe:

• Sep 29 – Lisbon, POR @ LAV
• Oct 01 – Madrid, SPA @ La Riviera
• Oct 02 – Barcelona, SPA @ Razzmatazz
• Oct 04 – Milan, ITA @ Fabrique
• Oct 05 – Zurich, SWI @ Halle 622
• Oct 06 – Paris, FRA @ Bataclan
• Oct 08 – Wolverhampton, UK @ Civic Hall
• Oct 09 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
• Oct 11 – Newcastle, UK @ NX
• Oct 12 – Cardiff, UK @ Depot
• Oct 13 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy
• Oct 15 – Glasgow, SCO @ O2 Academy
• Oct 17 – London, UK @ OVO Wembley Arena
• Oct 19 – Belfast, UK @ Telegraph Building
• Oct 20 – Dublin, IRE @ National Stadium

Europe Continued:

• Nov 20 – Cologne, GER @ Palladium
• Nov 21 – Ludwigsburg, GER @ MHP Arena
• Nov 22 – Berlin, GER @ Columbiahalle
• Nov 24 – Prague, CZE @ SasaZu
• Nov 25 – Leipzig, GER @ Haus Auensee
• Nov 27 – Hamburg, GER @ Sporthalle
• Nov 28 – Copenhagen, DEN @ Amager Bio
• Nov 29 – Stockholm, SWE @ Fallan
• Dec 01 – Oslo, NOR @ Sentrum Scene
• Dec 03 – Helsinki, FIN @ House of Culture

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