Killswitch Engage, the Grammy-nominated metalcore force of the 2000s has just announced the departure of vocalist Howard Jones. The powerful voice behind songs such as 'Rose of Sharyn' and 'The End of Heartache' will be off to pursue different goals outside of the band.

The news sent a shockwave through Killswitch fans, with the post quickly bringing out a plethora of reactions from thousands of heartbroken fans on Facebook. On the other hand, some fans have been calling for the reunion of Killswitch Engage with original vocalist Jesse Leach. So far all that has been revealed is Killswitch will continue with a yet-to-be-found future singer.

Killswitch posted the announcement on their official Facebook page today (Jan. 4) at 2:30 PM EST:

To our family, friends and fans: We have decided to continue on without Howard Jones as the singer of Killswitch Engage. We love Howard and are thankful for the nine years that we've had him in the band. Out of respect for everyone involved, we will not be discussing the specific reasons behind this decision. Howard is a part of our family and always will be, and we wish him well. He has left big shoes to fill, so we certainly have our work cut out for us to find the next singer of Killswitch, something we plan on making priority #1 going forward. Most importantly, thanks to all of you for all the support throughout the years and for sticking by us for all this time. We really do appreciate it and we very much look forward to having a new record for all of you in the not too distant future that we can all be proud of. Sincerely, Adam, Joel, Mike & Justin.

As stated above, the band will be keeping the reasoning behind Jones' departure hidden for the foreseeable future. As of now, there has been no official comment from Howard Jones regarding his plans for the future.

What do you think about the decision to part ways with Howard Jones? Can Killswitch successfully continue their career without the trademark booming voice of Jones? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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