Killswitch Engage's Jesse Leach Names Greatest Hardcore Song Ever

What is the greatest hardcore song ever? That was one of the many fan questions posed to Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach during a fan Q&A with Metal Hammer, and musician shared his choice, shouting out a Sick of It All favorite.

"Sick of It All's 'We Stand Alone,'" proclaimed the singer, before offering his explanation.

"That song encapsulates why I love hardcore and punk," explained Leach. "It's a total protest song. When I was younger, looking for my identity, I didn't fit in with the mainstream, I didn't fit in with the cool kids, I didn't fit in with all these people. Sick of It All were one of those bands that made me proud."

The song came relatively early in the New York outfit's burgeoning career. It was featured on a 1991 EP, their second EP offering, which also shared the name We Stand Alone. The song and EP were recorded just ahead of the band's second album, Just Look Around, which came out in 1992. That full length also included "We Stand Alone." Twelve songs appeared on the We Stand Alone EP, including the opening track "What's Going On" and the Minor Threat cover "Betray," as well as a wealth of live performance songs.

Sick Of It All, "We Stand Alone"

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Though Leach is primarily known for his work in Killswitch Engage, he's also dabbled in other styles of music including doing a hardcore punk side project named The Weapon. The group issued their debut EP back in 2018, featuring the tracks "At What Cost" and "Shotgun Anarchy." He then followed by releasing the full-length album, A Repugnant Turn of Events, in 2020 through Bandcamp with the hope of raising funds for struggling music venues during the pandemic.