The resurgence of Howard Jones: A glimpse into the still untitled project with his ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bandmate Adam Dutkiewicz
It’s been a suspenseful wait for fans of metalcore as updates on the collaboration between KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz and former bandmate, vocalist Howard Jones, have been scarce in recent months. However, a recent social media update from Jones on December 11th has reignited excitement, shedding light on the current progress of the much-anticipated project.
The story began to unfold back in August when Dutkiewicz and Jones disclosed that they had demoed 13 songs for their debut record. At that time, 10 of these tracks had already been recorded, providing a glimpse into the musical chemistry that once defined their platinum-certified tenure with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE.
After departing from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE back in 2012, Howard Jones faced personal challenges, grappling with manic depression and bipolar disorder. Undeterred, he embarked on a new musical journey, co-founding the band DEVIL YOU KNOW with guitarist Francesco Artusato and drummer John Sankey. Alongside bassist Ryan Wombacher, the band produced two acclaimed albums, “The Beauty Of Destruction” (2014) and “They Bleed Red” (2015), before transitioning to LIGHT THE TORCH in 2017.
Returning to the studio with Adam Dutkiewicz marks a significant moment for Jones, who made a guest appearance on KILLSWITCH ENGAGE‘s 2019 album, “Atonement,” contributing vocals to the track “The Signal Fire.” This collaboration showcased that despite the passage of time and individual journeys, the musical connection between Jones and Dutkiewicz remains potent.
The latest update from Howard Jones indicates that he is currently in the final stages of recording vocals for the unnamed project. This news offers a promising glimpse into what fans can expect from this reunion of metalcore maestros.
During a conversation with the “Louder” radio show of TotalRock back in August, Dutkiewicz unequivocally verified his involvement in a fresh collaborative endeavor alongside Jones.
“Yeah, me and Howard are doing a project together,” he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “He just hit me up. He was, like, ‘Why don’t you write some music for me?’ And I was, like, ‘Sure.’ So yeah, we’re working on a record right now.”
As for when we can expect to hear the new material, Adam said: “I’ve got so much on my plate right now. It’s really hard to schedule anything particularly, like ‘it’s gonna come out at this point,’ ‘it’s gonna come out at this point,’ but we’re just almost at a situation where we can maybe release a single. But I think the entire record’s gonna take a little bit longer than expected. Because now I have to do double duty and record [the next] KILLSWITCH [album] at the same time. So I’ll be doing that.”
When asked if there is a name for the new project, Adam said: “Not yet. It’s still very much in the works. We’ve got maybe four songs completed — absolutely completed. We’re trying to do an entire record, though.”
While excitement builds, the project’s release details and an official album title remain shrouded in mystery. Fans are eagerly awaiting the big reveal, anticipating a sonic journey that promises to combine the seasoned expertise of Dutkiewicz‘s guitar prowess with Jones‘ powerful and emotive vocals.
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