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“The lyrics just blew my mind. That song changed the way I write. I think Steven Wilson is really poetic”: Killswitch Engage’s Jesse Leach loves Porcupine Tree

By ( Prog ) published

Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach chooses his favourite Porcupine Tree song, and gives some love to Pink Floyd and Mikael Åkerfeldt

Jesse Leach and Porcupine Tree
(Image credit: Getty Images / Press)

In 2014, Killswitch Engage lead vocalist Jesse Leach told Prog the reasons why he loves Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, and Mikael Åkerfeldt.

“When I was growing up my dad used to play me all the Rush, Yes and Pink Floyd albums. I didn’t know anything about the prog movement back then – I was more of a punk and hardcore kind of guy.

But if something has the right feeling then I like it; it doesn’t matter what genre it belongs to. I mean, Pink Floyd’s Money is a perfect example of hearing a song and loving it without realising how genius it is.

I think I first heard Porcupine Tree around 2002, when In Absentia came out, and I must have listened to it for about a year solid. All the different time signatures and the jazz influences made me go back and really pay attention to my dad’s record collection.

The Sound Of Muzak - YouTube The Sound Of Muzak - YouTube
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Steven Wilson is a genius. Opeth’s Blackwater Park is another of my favourites. I love Steven’s production and I have total respect for him.

I’ve never met Steven… I’d probably just embarrass myself

The Sound Of Muzak is my favourite Porcupine Tree song; it’s from In Absentia. When I first heard the lyrics they just blew my mind. They’re about how the music industry crushes your ideas and your creativity, and it really struck a chord with me. That song changed the way I write.

I think Steven’s lyrics are generally really poetic and they help you to escape from what’s going on around you. I like music that I can feel; I’m definitely more into that side of things than focusing on the technicalities of it.

I’ve seen Porcupine Tree a couple of times live, but my favourite show was when Opeth did an acoustic opening set for them – that was just incredible and I had goosebumps all the way through.

I’ve never met Steven, though – I wouldn’t even know what to say to him if I did! I’d probably just embarrass myself and come across like a complete fan boy. I feel the same way about Mikael Åkerfeldt. We were actually on the same boat at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and I didn’t say a word to him the whole time!”

Natasha Scharf
Natasha Scharf
Deputy Editor, Prog

Contributing to Prog since the very first issue, writer and broadcaster Natasha Scharf was the magazine’s News Editor before she took up her current role of Deputy Editor, and has interviewed some of the best-known acts in the progressive music world from ELP, Yes and Marillion to Nightwish, Dream Theater and TesseracT. Starting young, she set up her first music fanzine in the late 80s and became a regular contributor to local newspapers and magazines over the next decade. The 00s would see her running the dark music magazine, Meltdown, as well as contributing to Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Terrorizer and Artrocker. Author of music subculture books The Art Of Gothic and Worldwide Gothic, she’s since written album sleeve notes for Cherry Red, and also co-wrote Tarja Turunen’s memoirs, Singing In My Blood. Beyond the written word, Natasha has spent several decades as a club DJ, spinning tunes at aftershow parties for Metallica, Motörhead and Nine Inch Nails. She’s currently the only member of the Prog team to have appeared on the magazine’s cover.