Jones had been lead singer for the Westfield-based metal heroes for a decade.
Howard Jones, former lead singer of Killswitch Engage.Singer Howard Jones attributed his decision to leave Westfield metal band Killswitch Engage to personal issues, including dealing with diabetes.
On Thursday, Jones' four former bandmates announced they would continue on without Jones. "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."
Jones issued a statement today on the band's Facebook page explaining the reason for his departure.
"I guess I will shed a little light without going too deep. As some of you may know, I've had a pretty interesting couple of years to say the least battling with some personal issues. One of the low points being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes that went unchecked for years. The rest of the band stuck with me through it, and to be honest they are the ones that kept me going. The whole experience definitely put a scare in me."
He added, "I couldn't get excited about the new album and all the touring that would go with it. The guys saw it before I did. In hindsight I now realize that my heart wasn't in it. I have had an amazing decade with KSE. I love Justin (Foley), MikeD (Mike D'Antonio), Joel (Stroetzel) and Adam (Dutkiewicz) for hanging in there and standing by me no matter how bad it was. I have so many good memories, and those are the ones that I will keep. Will I be involved in music again? Sure, I have been in bands for a little over half my life, can't stop now. Until then, get the new KSE album, it's going to be good."
Jones joined Killswitch Engage after the departure of original lead singer Jesse Leach in 2002. Previously, he was a member of Blood Has Been Shed.
With Jones, the band has racked up two gold records and a Grammy nomination. Since its inception in 1999, Killswitch Engage has released five studio albums and a concert DVD.
In the statement released on Thursday by their label, Roadrunner Records, the four band members said, "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."