The official music video for ‘I Am Broken Too’ the new single from Massachusetts metallers Killswitch Engage, can be seen below. The song is taken from Killswitch Engage‘s new album, “Atonement”, which will be released on August 16 via Metal Blade Records in the U.S. and Sony Music Entertainment in the rest of the world.
The band is donating a portion of the proceeds from ‘I Am Broken Too’ to Hope For The Day, a Chicago-based non-profit organization that focuses on suicide prevention by providing outreach and mental health education through the use of music and art.
“This song is very near and dear to my heart,” singer Jesse Leach explained. “I wanted the listener to feel the urgency, the heaviness of the topic as well as a possible connection. Many people suffer from mental illness in one form or another. I want nothing more than for people to feel like they are not alone in this struggle. There is always someone there to help, to listen, and to be there for you. Don’t lose hope and don’t let your brokenness consume you. Broken can be fixed, or at the very least, maintained. No one is alone in this fight.”
Leach added about the “I Am Broken Too” clip: “The video is a reflection of real-life events that loved ones have gone through. Kyle Cogan and Zack Stauffer did an amazing job of bringing it all to life. The result is a powerful video that captures the essence and desperation of the song.”
Regarding the decision to work with Hope For The Day, Leach says: “I personally chose Hope For The Day to be the organization we partner with for this song. I admire their tireless efforts to spread mental awareness and suicide prevention. The phrase and the hashtag #ItsOkNotToBeOk is a simple yet powerful statement. I think it coincides with #IamBrokenToo perfectly! Johnny Boucher and his organization are out spreading the powerful message of connectivity and solidarity in this fight for understanding mental health issues. I’m honored to have them on our team for this song and this movement to continue to raise awareness and keep the conversation going for mental health issues.”
“‘I Am Broken Too’ is a song that truly encompasses what we need to be doing in society, talking about what we have been through,” Boucher says. “We know that by talking about our experiences, we are able to relate and be encouraged to ask for help. Hope For The Day has been working with Killswitch Engage on breaking the silence around mental health since 2014, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue working with them on raising the visibility of resources in our communities.”
In other Killswitch Engage news, the band will take part in an exclusive in-store performance on August 14 at 5 p.m. PT at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, California. Fans will be able to purchase the album to get guaranteed admission and a limited-edition “Live At Amoeba” poster. The band will also perform a special intimate show at The Space in Las Vegas on August 13.
“Atonement” is the culmination of a trying and turbulent two-year period. Killswitch Engage started kicking around ideas for the album as early as 2017. The band recorded the bulk of the material separately on both coasts. However, in the middle of the process, a polyp developed scar tissue in Leach‘s throat, forcing him to undergo surgery. The intense three-month recovery ended with speech therapy, vocal therapy, and scream therapy. The band ultimately emerged with an album that is further evidence of their undeniable legacy as one of the most enduring metal bands of the last two decades and beyond.
The elaborate illustration on the “Atonement” album cover was created by none other than talented U.K.-based artist Richey Beckett (Metallica, Mastodon) with the band’s own Mike D’Antonio handling art direction and layout duties.
“Atonement” features guest appearances by the band’s former lead singer Howard Jones and Testament frontman Chuck Billy. It marks the band’s third full-length release since the return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.
Track listing:
01. Unleashed
02. The Signal Fire (feat. Howard Jones)
03. Us Against The World
04. The Crownless King (feat. Chuck Billy)
05. I Am Broken Too
06. As Sure As The Sun Will Rise
07. Know Your Enemy
08. Take Control
09. Ravenous
10. I Can’t Be The Only One
11. Bite The Hand That Feeds
Leach recently said that he “wouldn’t change a thing” about the follow-up to 2016’s “Incarnate”. “At first, I was a bit crestfallen that a few songs I truly loved didn’t make the cut,” he wrote on Instagram. “Now after time has passed (and I’ve not listened to it for a while), I listened with fresh ears today. I gotta say I am quite satisfied! The messages, the tones, the track listing order, the artwork, the overall feel of this album, it just feels fresh!
“I feel there is something for everyone on this one. It captures the wide range of styles and topics that are part of our history as a band as well as pushing things just a touch. It is a pretty amazing feeling as a very picky and perpetually unsatisfied (and fairly insecure) artist to feel accomplished.”
Leach appeared on Killswitch‘s self-titled debut and sophomore album, “Alive Or Just Breathing”, before exiting the band. Jones took over on vocals for “The End Of Heartache”, “As Daylight Dies” and the 2009 self-titled set before being dismissed from the group seven years ago.
“Incarnate” debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 35,000 equivalent album units. In terms of pure album sales, it opened with 33,000 copies.
Killswitch Engage‘s last release was the “Beyond The Flames: Home Video Part II” two-disc, Blu-ray and CD package.
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Video for ‘I Am Broken Too’
