Not to be confused with Howard Jones (British musician).
American metalcore vocalist (born )
Musical artist
Howard Jones (born July 20, ) is an American metalcore vocalist best known as the former lead singer of Killswitch Engage and Blood Has Been Shed. He is the current vocalist of Light the Torch, formerly known as Devil You Know, and SION with YouTuber/guitarist Jared Dines.
Jones started making music in the underground band Driven in , releasing a single album. He later performed with Blood Has Been Shed from to In , he joined Killswitch Engage as their new vocalist after Jesse Leach left the band. During his time with Killswitch Engage, they released two gold-certified albums, The End of Heartache and As Daylight Dies, as well as a second self-titled album. Jones left the band after nearly ten years in , but remained a close friend. He would go on to collaborate with them again for the single "The Signal Fire" from their album Atonement. His later band Light the Torch would also tour with Killswitch Engage, and he would appear with the band onstage to perform the song, as well as other songs from his time with them, often as a duet alongside Leach.
Jones started a new band Devil You Know with guitarist Francesco Artusato (All Shall Perish) and drummer John Sankey (Devolved, Fear Factory and Divine Heresy). 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, Light the Torch, with the addition of a new drummer.
In March , Jones joined with heavy metal YouTuberJared Dines and producer Hiram Hernandez to release "The Blade" as part of a new project named Sion.[4]
On December 3rd , Jones via his Instagram confirmed that He and former Killswitch Engage bandmate Adam Dutkiewicz were almost finished mixing a Debut Album for their new Band called Burn Eternal.[5]
Jones is an avid fisherman and owns property on the Red River of the North in Manitoba, Canada. He is a frequent guest on Jamey Jasta's podcast on the GaS Digital Network. Jones left Killswitch Engage in early to allow himself to manage his type 2 diabetes, which was worsened by a hectic touring lifestyle.[6] In , Jones stated that his diabetes put him in a coma for three days.[7]
In , Jones revealed that he had struggled with anxiety 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 , when he had aimed a Magnum revolver at his head in his apartment in Connecticut, and that the police had intervened after being notified by a concerned neighbor.[8] In , he teamed up with his former band to raise awareness for mental health;[9] the resulting song "The Signal Fire" appears on the album Atonement.[10]
Although formerly straight edge,[11] Jones now shares a passion for medical cannabis with friend and fellow Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach.[9]