Former Killswitch Engage cohorts Howard Jones and Adam Dutkiewicz have reunited in new band Burn Eternal.
The US tandem announced today (Wednesday, October 21) that they have inked a deal with heavy metal label Metal Blade Records and will release their first song soon.
The news follows years of teases about the project and their as-yet-unannounced debut album, which was recorded in 2023 and 2024.
Singer Jones comments: “We couldn’t be more excited to announce Burn Eternal joining forces with Metal Blade for our debut album. The whole team has been amazing, and we can’t wait to get this music out. From an idea while having lunch in London to a completed album, this has been such a fun way to reconnect with my friend. Burn Eternal lives!”
Guitarist Dutkiewicz adds: “I am wicked excited to finally be able to share my project with Howard with all of you! It feels great to be hanging with an old friend and making more music with him. We’re just two goofballs just dicking around in the studio again. We are also excited to be putting it out with the Metal Blade family. Mostly because they truly feel like family, not a corporation. Good vibes abound!”
Dutkiewicz co-founded Killswitch Engage, one of the biggest bands in modern metalcore, in 1999, and Jones joined their lineup in 2002, replacing Jesse Leach. With Jones upfront, the band made a series of era-defining albums, including 2004’s The End Of Heartache and 2006’s As Daylight Dies. The singles My Curse, The End Of Heartache and Holy Diver (a cover of Dio’s 1983 anthem) were smash hits which enjoyed extensive MTV airplay.
Jones departed Killswitch in 2012 due to personal struggles and was replaced by his predecessor Leach. The exit was amicable, and the singer temporarily reunited with the band as a guest at select live shows in 2018, before handling co-lead vocals on 2019 single The Signal Fire.
Talk of Burn Eternal kicked off in 2023, when Jones revealed via social media that he and Dutkiewicz were in the studio together. “1st song down, 11 to go,” he wrote on Instagram. That December, the singer shared that vocal recording for he album was finished. It was confirmed in December 2024 that the album had been mixed.
Meanwhile, Killswitch continue to record and tour. They put out their latest album This Consequence last year and will start a run of shows in Australia and New Zealand at the end of the month. See dates and get tickets via their website.
