Bleeding Through’s Brandan Schieppati Says He Was Asked To Try Out For Killswitch Engage Back In 2002

While veteran metalcore act Killswitch Engage went on to find commercial success after being joined by then Blood Has Been Shed vocalist Howard Jones in 2002, the group could have just as well went in a very different direction.

According to Bleeding Through vocalist Brandan Schieppati, both he and his former Eighteen Visions bandmate James Hart were both approached to replace the band’s frontman Jesse Leach prior to Jones landing the job.

At the time, Killswitch Engage had only their 2000 self-titled album and their 2002 Roadrunner Records bow “Alive Or Just Breathing” to their credit. In a new conversation with Brandan Schieppati for the ‘Meep Meep Podcast‘ (see below), Schieppati spoke of how he and Hart were approached for the role, but instead both recommended Jones for the spot.

The following exchange regarding that took place between Schieppati and host Ryan Rainbro:

Schieppati: “I got asked to sing for Killswitch, when Jesse quit the first time.”

Rainbro: “Is that true?!

Schieppati: “That is a true story. I was in Arkansas with Bleeding Through, Norma Jean, and Every Time I Die – the first Bleeding Through tour we ever did…I just kinda knew that Bleeding Through was my shit. I knew I was gonna leave Eighteen Visions and just do Bleeding Through and I remember their A&R guy hits me up and goes hey ya know the band wants you to try out for Killswitch and at the time…Killswitch was an unknown. They weren’t really poppin’ off yet. Bleeding Through actually was probably bigger than them at that time… They actually asked James [Hart] from Eighteen Visions too. But we both recommended Howard and there you go.”

With Jones behind the mic, Killswitch Engage would go on to release 2004’s gold-selling “The End Of Heartache” and its platinum-certified follow-up “As Daylight Dies“, while also notching up several gold and platinum singles.

Also mentioned in the chat is Bleeding Through planning a potential re-recording of material from 2006’s “The Truth“, should they be able to resolve some issues with their former label.