Gold-selling hard rock heavyweights Killswitch Engage have announced that Light the Torch will serve as the opening act on their upcoming Spring 2020 headline tour. As fans are more than well aware, Light the Torch features front-man Howard Jones, who served as KsEs singer from 2002 through 2012.
“We are excited to bring out Light the Torch, first of all, because they are a killer band,” says Jesse Leach. “Obviously, having Howard out with us allows us to make this a tour to remember. I’ve always respected Howard as a singer, but in recent years, he’s become a friend. So it means more to me now than it would have in the past. We are happy to see him back up on the good foot and singing his heart out again in top form. With both August Burns Red and Light the Torch, there will be no punches pulled. Just a killer lineup. Fans wont want to miss this tour. You will want to come early and stay late. All hails.”
Killswitch Engage, recently recognized by Forbes as “one of modern metal’s most cherished acts,” will return to the road to headline clubs and theaters across the U.S. and Canada. The trek kicks off on March 10 in Cleveland and runs through April 12 in Boston. Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s own August Burns Red will serve as main support for all of the dates. Tickets are on sale here: http://www.killswitchengage.com/
“We are truly excited to be a part of the Atonement Tour with KsE and ABR,” says Jones. “This one has it all – old friends, new music, good times. Forget the world for a night and come hang out with three bands that want to make memories with you!”
ABR singer Jake Luhrs echoes the sentiment, saying, “We can’t wait to rip through North America with Killswitch Engage and Light the Torch! This tour has been in the making for a long time and I can’t wait to hit the road and show everyone what we’ve been working on. If you’re a metal fan, youre not going to want to miss this one.”
In other Killswitch Engage news, the band just received a Grammy nomination in the “Best Metal Performance” category for their single “Unleashed,” the lead track on their 2019 album Atonement. This marks the third Grammy nomination in the band’s career.
Atonement is out now via Metal Blade Records. All Music described the album as “the best-sounding record in the band’s catalog, bridging modern studio techniques with early-2000s ones,” while Consequence of Sound praised the band for continuing to “deliver brutal compositions that hook listeners in with thrilling musicianship.” Loudwire deemed the record a “high mark in the Killswitch Engage catalog and easily the metalcore icons’ most dynamic release yet.” MetalSucks summed it up best, saying, “There’s a reason Killswitch Engage have survived when many of their peers tripped over their ear gauges and fell by the wayside. They’re just really damn good at what they do,” while Exclaim! enthused that Atonement is full of “material so killer that nobody could ever doubt them.”
Stream and purchase Atonement here: https://metalblade.com/killswitchengage/
Watch the video for “The Signal Fire” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N0ShfOOEq4
Listen to “Unleashed” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm-sI1EB8BA
Watch the video for “I Am Broken Too” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlE72MhrldA
Killswitch Engage tour dates
Dec. 7 – São Paulo, Brazil – Anhembi
Dec. 8 – Comuna 1, Argentina – El Teatrito
Dec. 10 – Santiago, Chile – Blondie
Dec. 12 – Bogotá, Colombia – Mayor Auditorium CUN
Dec. 14 – Ciudad De México, Mexico – Circo Volador
Dec. 15 – Monterrey, Mexico – Cafe Iguana
Killswitch Engage tour dates
w/ August Burns Red
Mar. 10 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
Mar. 11 – Grand Rapids, MI – 20 Monroe Live
Mar. 13 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall
Mar. 14 – Silver Spring, MD – Fillmore
Mar. 15 – Raleigh, NC – Ritz
Mar. 17 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
Mar. 18 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
Mar. 20 – Dallas, TX – Southside Ballroom
Mar. 21 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
Mar. 21 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes
Mar. 23 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee
Mar. 24 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Mar. 25 – Riverside, CA – Municipal Auditorium
Mar. 26 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield
Mar. 28 – Seattle, WA – Showbox Sodo
Mar. 29 – Boise, ID – Revolution
Mar. 31 – Salt Lake CIty, UT – Complex
Apr. 1 – Denver, CO – Fillmore
Apr. 3 – Minneapolis, MN – Fillmore
Apr. 4 – Chicago, IL – Radius
Apr. 5 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore
Apr. 6 – Toronto, ON – Rebel
Apr. 8 – Montreal, QC – MTelus
Apr. 10 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
Apr. 11 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
Apr. 12 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
Killswitch Engage tour dates
w/ Iron Maiden
May 1 – Perth, Australia – Rac Arena
May 3 – Adelaide, Australia – Entertainment Centre
May 5 – Brisbane, Australia – Entertainment Centre
May 7 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena
May 9 – Mellbourn, Australia – Rod Laver Arena
May 11 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena
May 13 – Auckland, New Zealand – Spark Arena
Killswitch Engage tour dates
June 13 – Derby, UK – Download Festival
June 21 – Dessel, BEL – Grasspop Festival
