Killswitch frontman falls for us hook, line and sinker
Winnipeg Free Press
By: Rob Williams

If Howard Jones smells a little fishy on stage Saturday, you'll know he had a good day.

The Killswitch Engage frontman is an avid angler and will be on the water before his band headlines a four-band bill at the Convention Centre featuring In Flames, Protest the Hero and Between the Buried and Me (tickets are $39.50 at Ticketmaster).

"When we get into town I will be fishing, then I'll get to the venue, shower and hit the stage," Jones says.

"Last time up there, I was catching striped bass, some saugers and tons of bullheads. It was a real good time."

Jones has extended family in Winnipeg and has been here even when his band isn't on tour. He has fished the Red River, Netley Creek and Lake Winnipeg. He's got pictures on his phone to prove it.

"I've even gone ice fishing," he says.

Jones grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where there were a limited number of places to cast his rod, but now lives in Connecticut and enjoys saltwater fishing in the ocean.

One of the things he likes about fishing is the isolation. Jones is not a fan of crowds and avoids them whenever possible.

"Once we get onstage I'm fine; I don't feel like I'm me. I am, but I'm performing. It feels like I'm a different person, but before I'm a mess," he explains. "It's a bit of stage fright and crowds, period. There are times I get uncomfortable at the mall."

It's a good thing he can handle larger audiences as a performer, since his metalcore quintet is playing bigger and bigger venues with every album it releases.

This summer they were part of the Mayhem Festival tour with Marilyn Manson and Slayer before launching their own headlining trek.

Prior to the Mayhem tour, some music fans wondered how the travelling festival would pan out, considering Killswitch Engage was kicked off a Slayer tour once because the thrash legends didn't like how guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz acted on stage (he's known for wearing short shorts and a cape during live shows).

"Everything was fine," Jones says. "Adam can be a handful to some people and there was concern about Slayer's crowd, who have been known to be very vocal about things. The tour was great."

The band is on the road supporting its new album, the second self-titled effort in its 10-year existence.

The group-- Jones, Dutkiewicz, guitarist Joel Stroetzel, bassist Mike D'Antonio and drummer Justin Foley -- didn't like any other of the other options for album names and went back to the self-titled idea, since the first one in 2000 featured Dutkiewicz on drums and a different vocalist.

The new album is first time the band has used an outside producer -- Dutkiewicz handled production duties for the group's four previous releases.

"The last album we made, we were definitely happy with it, but it was getting a little too easy to do what we're doing. You get kind of used to it. We wanted to push the envelope and stretch out -- and what better way to do that than to use a new producer," Jones said.

The band worked with Brendan O'Brien (Mastodon, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen) in Atlanta, where Jones lived for two months without the band to work on his vocals, which range from guttural roars to soaring melodic phrases.

"The big difference is in the variety of songs, the lyrics and the vocals. It's still what we do -- heavy parts with big choruses -- but lyrically I touched on a lot of different things. We're generally a pretty positive band, but not every day is sunshine, rainbows and birds chirping, so I thought, 'Fine, I'll touch on this,' when I generally don't.

"And vocally, I try everything. I definitely sing some notes on the album I never hit before," he says. "That's really what we wanted to do: push the envelope of what Killswitch is."

Sounds like an ok guy to me. Bullheads to Stripers. Cool.

I like the part about him not liking malls. I dont like 'em either, but thats only because most of the people in there are much younger than me nowadays. Oh, and I dont dress "Goth" style either.

Thanks for sharing, now I have to Youtube them.

I would be DEFINATELY going to that show if it actually comes to life ! Beware, as I will be in the mosh pit..hooo dawgy..

i remember seeing anthrax / raven / metalica shows back in the day at tha hartford agora
and king diamond / megadeth i cant remember who slayer was with back then . i think maybe sabbath
ozzfest one year had them all slayer megadeth pantera - that show ruled!

Prong...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl-5TrGakWY