QUEBEC CITY, QC - JULY 08: Jesse David Leach of Killswitch Engage performs on Day 5 of the 52nd Festival D'été Quebec (FEQ2019) on the Bell Stage at the Plains of Abraham in The Battlefields Park on July 8, 2019 in Quebec City, Canada. (Photo by Ollie Millington/Redferns)

Killswitch Engage’s Jesse Leach names his biggest vocal influence for blending growls & cleans

Author Jad - 22.3.2022

Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach recently revealed in an interview with The Pit that one of his biggest influences vocally, if not the biggest influence, is the legendary Dan Swanö. Swanö’s extensive résumé includes NightingaleWitherscapeEdge Of SanityBloodbath, and much more.

I’d say number one [is] Dan Swanö from Edge Of Sanity and a plethora of other bands. To me, he’s the first guy that really blended the growling and the yelling and the screaming with beautiful melodic vocals, which you know, led to bands like Opeth. I mean, he was there at the beginning of that whole scene and very much influenced Killswitch Engage. I would say European metal in general – whether it be Swedish, Scandinavian – you know, that music really inspired me and everyone in Killswitch to do the style that we did. We were coming from more of a hardcore scene, but hearing those styles mixed… that was everything.

To me, Dan Swanö… you look at the early Edge Of Sanity stuff, it’s just mindblowing. I think “Crimson” was really the first – it’s an album, but it’s also just one song, one forty-five minute song that to me, just blew my mind that you could do that. It worked. It was coherent. It told a story and his vocals are just incredible on it. So Dan Swanö would be if not number one, very high on the list as far as influences.”

Jesse Leach, vocalist of Killswitch Engage

Leach also named Mike Patton (Faith No MoreDead CrossMr. Bungle, etc.), Lars-Göran Petrov (ex-Entombed, ex-Firespawn), George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher (Cannibal Corpse), and Jonas Renkse (Katatonia) as influential on his approach and style.