Justin Foley is an American musician best known as the drummer of the

metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...

band

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, bassist Mike D'Antonio, and drummer Justin ...

. He is also a former member of the band

Blood Has Been Shed Blood Has Been Shed was an American metalcore band based in Granby, Connecticut. The band came together in 1997 and has featured members of Killswitch Engage, Diecast, Light the Torch, Red Tide, Terror, Walls of Jericho, Bury Your Dead, The ...

along with Killswitch Engage's former lead singer, Howard Jones.

Early life

Foley is a classically trained percussionist who attended the University of Connecticut for his bachelor's degree and the University of Hartford's Hartt School for his master's degree.

Career

Before joining Killswitch Engage, Foley participated in a

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

band called Red Tide. Red Tide began as a

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...

outfit in 1993 then evolved into a

jazz metal Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

band in the late 1990s. As the primary lyricist and one of the songwriters for Red Tide, Foley earned local celebrityhood. With Red Tide, Foley released at least five demo tapes and two CDs. Red Tide disbanded in 2002 as there was a general lack of interest in continuing (cited by interview). Foley joined

after the departure of the previous drummer, Tom Gomes, in October 2003. Foley has played drums on six albums with Killswitch Engage, to date. Foley is one of the many advertising artists for

Evans Drumheads D'Addario () is a family-owned and operated American multinational company that specializes in musical instrument accessories, headquartered in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. D'Addario is the world’s largest musical instrument access ...

, Yamaha Drums, and Zildjian Cymbals. Foley also plays drums on metalcore band

Unearth Unearth is an American metalcore band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1998. The group consists of lead guitarist Buz McGrath, vocalist Trevor Phipps, bassist Chris O'Toole, drummer Mike Justian and rhythm guitarist Peter Layman. They are cu ...

's 2011 album, '' Darkness in the Light'', filling in for departed drummer

Derek Kerswill Derek M. Kerswill (born April 5, 1973 in Wilmington, Delaware) is an American musician best known for his drumming in the bands Unearth, Seemless, Kingdom of Sorrow, and multiple fill-ins/studio projects. While no longer on the road, he conti ...

. Foley started Lybica, a four-piece instrumental post-rock/metal band, in 2020. His primary role is guitarist, but he played both guitar and drums on their self-titled album, which was released on September 16, 2022. Lybica is signed with Metalblade Records.

Personal life

Foley has been quoted as saying that if he did not play drums, he would like to try out for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

, of whom he is a fan. He is also a '' Simpsons'' fanatic. Foley is known for his love of cats, a major inspiration for the band Lybica, where Foley plays guitar.

Discography

Red Tide

*''Themes of the Cosmic Consciousness'' (1997) *''Type II'' (2001)

Blood Has Been Shed

*''Spirals'' (2003; Ferret Records)

Killswitch Engage

*'' The End of Heartache'' (2004;

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is a Dutch–American record label focused on Heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock music. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. Formerly seen as ...

) *''

As Daylight Dies ''As Daylight Dies'' is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on November 21, 2006 through Roadrunner Records. It was produced by the band's guitarists, Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel. Backgr ...

'' (2006;

) *''

'' (2009;

) *''

Disarm The Descent ''Disarm the Descent'' is the sixth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. The album was released on April 2, 2013, under Roadrunner Records. It is the band's first album with Jesse Leach on vocals since 2002's '' Alive or ...

'' (2013;

) *''

Incarnate Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It is the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or an anthropomorphic form of a god. It is used to mean a god, deity, or Divine Being in ...

'' (2016;

) *''

Atonement Atonement, atoning, or making amends is the concept of a person taking action to correct previous wrongdoing on their part, either through direct action to undo the consequences of that act, equivalent action to do good for others, or some othe ...

'' (2019;

Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records (often shortened to Metal Blade) is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982 based in the U.S. state of California. The label primarily focuses on heavy metal. History Metal Blade Records was ...

)

Lybica, drums and guitar

*Lybica (2022;

)

As a guest

– '' Darkness in the Light'' (2011;

)

References

External links

Justin Foley on Zildjian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foley, Justin American heavy metal drummers 1976 births Living people People from Simsbury, Connecticut University of Connecticut alumni University of Hartford Hartt School alumni Drummers from Connecticut Killswitch Engage members 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Blood Has Been Shed members 21st-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians