Howard Jones (born July 20, 1970) is an American

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...

vocalist best known as the former lead singer of

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast (band), Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joe ...

and

Blood Has Been Shed Blood Has Been Shed was an American metalcore band based in Granby, Connecticut. The band came together in 1997 and has featured members of Killswitch Engage, Diecast, Light the Torch, Red Tide, Terror, Walls of Jericho, Bury Your Dead and ...

. He is the current vocalist of

Light the Torch Light the Torch (formerly Devil You Know) is an American metalcore supergroup formed in Los Angeles in 2012. They are currently signed to Nuclear Blast Records and have released four albums: two under the "Devil You Know" moniker ('' The Beau ...

, formerly known as Devil You Know, and SION with YouTuber/guitarist

Jared Dines Jared Dines (born October 6, 1989) is an American YouTuber and musician who is known for metalcore-themed and adjacent videos, covers, parodies, and his own original music. Career Dines worked as a recording engineer before pursuing YouTube fu ...

Career

Jones started making music in the underground band Driven in 1996, releasing a single album. He later performed with

from 1997 to 2004. In 2002, he joined

as their new vocalist after

Jesse Leach Jesse David Leach (born July 3, 1978) is an American musician from Providence, Rhode Island, and is the lead vocalist of the metalcore band Killswitch Engage. He is also a vocalist for Times of Grace and The Weapon. Leach co-founded Killswitch En ...

left the band. During his time with Killswitch Engage, they released two gold-certified albums, ''

The End of Heartache ''The End of Heartache'' is the third studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on May 11, 2004, through Roadrunner Records. It is the first album to feature lead vocalist Howard Jones and drummer Justin Foley. ...

'' and ''

As Daylight Dies ''As Daylight Dies'' is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on November 21, 2006 through Roadrunner Records. It was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel. Background and release The a ...

''. Jones started a new band Devil You Know with guitarist Francesco Artusato (

All Shall Perish All Shall Perish was an American deathcore band from Oakland, California, formed in 2002. The band was signed to Nuclear Blast and have released four full-length albums through the label. Their final album, '' This Is Where It Ends,'' was releas ...

) and drummer John Sankey (

Devolved Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories h ...

Fear Factory Fear Factory is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial metal. ...

and

Divine Heresy Divine Heresy is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California by founder of Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares and Devolved drummer John Sankey. Although the band's origins trace back to 2002, Divine Heresy was officially for ...

). After Sankey's departure and his attempt to claim the copyright of the band's name, the rest of the band members started again with a fresh name,

, with the addition of a new drummer. In March 2021, Jones joined with heavy metal

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

and producer Hiram Hernandez to release "The Blade" as part of a new project named Sion.

Personal life

Jones is an avid

fisherman A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreati ...

and owns property on the

Red River of the North The Red River (french: rivière Rouge or ) is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota, it fl ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

, Canada. He is a frequent guest on

Jamey Jasta James Shanahan (born August 7, 1977), known professionally as Jamey Jasta, is an American vocalist, best known as the lead singer of metalcore band Hatebreed and sludge metal band Kingdom of Sorrow. Jasta also fronts metalcore band Icepick. P ...

's podcast on the GaS Digital Network. Jones left Killswitch Engage in early 2012 to allow himself to manage his

type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urinatio ...

which was worsened by a hectic touring lifestyle. In 2013, Jones stated that his diabetes put him in a

coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...

for three days. In 2015, Jones revealed that he had struggled with

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

and depression for a long time, which had been worsened by his rise to fame in Killswitch Engage. He revealed that he had come close to committing suicide in 2009, when he had aimed a .44 Magnum revolver at his head in his apartment in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, and that the police had intervened after being notified by a concerned neighbor. In 2018, he teamed up with his former band to raise awareness for

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

; the resulting song "The Signal Fire" appears on the 2019 album ''

Atonement Atonement (also atoning, to atone) is the concept of a person taking action to correct previous wrongdoing on their part, either through direct action to undo the consequences of that act, equivalent action to do good for others, or some other ...

''. Jones used to be straight edge. Today, he shares a passion for

medical cannabis Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictions ...

with friend and fellow Killswitch Engage frontman

Discography

;Blood Has Been Shed *'' I Dwell on Thoughts of You'' (September 21, 1999,

Ferret Records Ferret Music was an American independent record label turned Warner Music Group subsidiary, founded in 1996. The label is owned by NORA's vocalist, Carl Severson, and based in West Windsor, New Jersey. Ferret recently started an imprint called ...

) *'' Novella of Uriel'' (February 20, 2001, Ferret Records) *''

Spirals In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving farther away as it revolves around the point. Helices Two major definitions of "spiral" in the American Heritage Dictionary are:The End of Heartache ''The End of Heartache'' is the third studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on May 11, 2004, through Roadrunner Records. It is the first album to feature lead vocalist Howard Jones and drummer Justin Foley. ...

'' (May 11, 2004,

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. History The label was launched in 1980 in t ...

) *''

'' (November 21, 2006, Roadrunner Records) *''

'' (June 30, 2009, Roadrunner Records) ;Light the Torch (formerly Devil You Know) * '' The Beauty of Destruction'' (April 25, 2014,

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...

) * ''

They Bleed Red ''They Bleed Red'' is the second studio album by American metalcore band Light the Torch, Devil You Know. It was released on November 6, 2015, through Nuclear Blast Records. The band released the single "Stay of Execution" on September 10, 2015, ...

'' (November 6, 2015, Nuclear Blast) * '' Revival'' (March 30, 2018, Nuclear Blast) * ''You Will Be the Death of Me'' (June 25, 2021, Nuclear Blast) ;SION * ''SION'' (November 26, 2021, Independent)

Guest appearances

*Fragment – ''Answers'' ("Inertia") *First ever guest appearance * 36 Crazyfists – '' Rest Inside the Flames'' ("Elysium") *

Demon Hunter Demon Hunter is an American Christian metal band from Seattle, Washington, started in 2000 by brothers Don Clark and Ryan Clark. Although the brothers created the band together, only Ryan remains, since Don left the band to take care of his ...

– ''

Summer of Darkness ''Summer of Darkness'' is the second album by American metalcore band Demon Hunter, released through Solid State in 2004. In the first week, the album sold 4.247 copies. Vocalist Ryan Clark described the album as being heavier than its predec ...

'' ("Our Faces Fall Apart") *

Eighteen Visions Eighteen Visions is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in October 1995. The band broke up in April 2007, less than a year after their major label debut was released through Epic and Trustkill Records. After ove ...

– ''

Vanity Vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others. Prior to the 14th century it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant ''futility''. The related term vainglory is now often seen as an archaic s ...

'' ("One Hell of a Prize Fighter") *

Roadrunner United ''Roadrunner United'' was a project organized by American heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It culminated in an album released worldwide on October 11, 2005, entitled ''The All-Star Sessions''. Four ...

– ''All-Star Sessions'' ("The Dagger") * Throwdown – ''

Vendetta Vendetta may refer to: * Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight Film * ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke * ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes * ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), a ...

'' ("The World Behind") *

Ill Bill William Braunstein (born July 14, 1972), known by his stage name Ill Bill, is an American rapper and record producer from Brooklyn, New York City. Having gained fame in the underground hip hop group Non Phixion, Ill Bill is known for his diver ...

– ''

The Hour of Reprisal ''The Hour of Reprisal'' is the second studio album by American hip hop musician Ill Bill. It was released on September 16, 2008, by Uncle Howie Records. Featured guests on the album include Howard Jones of Killswitch Engage, Vinnie Paz of Je ...

'' ("Babylon") *

Every Time I Die Every Time I Die was an American metalcore band from Buffalo, New York, formed in 1998. For most of the band's career, the line-up was centred on brothers Keith (vocals) and Jordan Buckley (guitar), as well as rhythm guitarist Andy Williams wi ...

– ''

Last Night in Town ''Last Night in Town'' is the first studio album by the American metalcore band Every Time I Die. After recording a demo, the band signed with the independent label Goodfellow Records in 2000 and released ''The Burial Plot Bidding War'' EP. The ba ...

'' ("Punch-Drunk Punk Rock Romance") * Believer – ''

Gabriel In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር� ...

'' ("The Brave") *

Asking Alexandria Asking Alexandria are a British Rock music, rock band from York, North Yorkshire, consisting of guitarists Ben Bruce and Cameron Liddell, drummer James Cassells, lead vocalist Danny Worsnop, and bassist Sam Bettley. Initially formed in 2006 ...

– ''

From Death to Destiny ''From Death to Destiny'' is the third studio album by British rock band Asking Alexandria. It was released on 6 August 2013 through Sumerian Records and was produced by Joey Sturgis. The band released the first single titled "Run Free" on 13 ...

'' ("Until the End") *First guest appearance since leaving Killswitch Engage. *

Within Temptation Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded in April 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. They have been classified by critics as gothic metal and symphonic metal, although each album contains other inf ...

– '' Hydra'' ("Dangerous") *Jasta - ''The Lost Chapters'' ("Chasing Demons"
Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta To Release New Jasta Set "The Lost Chapters"
*

Violent New Breed ''Violent New Breed'' is the third and final album by Swedish rock band Shotgun Messiah, released in 1993 on Relativity Records. Breaking from their previous albums, Violent New Breed featured a more industrial rock sound. Track listing * All s ...

- ''Bad Reputation'' ("Bury Me") *

- ''

'' ("The Signal Fire") *Jasta - ''The Lost Chapters Volume 2'' ("Heaven Gets What It Wants") *

Crobot Crobot is an American hard rock band from Pottsville, Pennsylvania composed of Brandon Yeagley, Chris Bishop, Dan Ryan and Tim Peugh. Beginnings In the mid-2011, Brandon Yeagley and Chris Bishop created Crobot, joined later by brothers Paul an ...

- ''Rat Child'' ("Kiss it Goodbye") *

Eyes Set to Kill Eyes Set to Kill is an American post-hardcore band from Tempe, Arizona. The Rodriguez sisters, lead guitarist Alexia and bassist Anissa, along with vocalist Lindsey Vogt started the band in 2003. Lindsey Vogt departed the band in mid-2007 due to ...

- ''Damna'' ("Face the Rain")

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Howard 1970 births 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers 20th-century African-American male singers African-American rock singers American baritones American heavy metal singers Singers with a three-octave vocal range Living people Musicians from Columbus, Ohio Musicians from Ohio People from Columbus, Ohio Killswitch Engage members Blood Has Been Shed members 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers 21st-century African-American male singers