Joel Stroetzel

Joel Michael Stroetzel (born July 24, 1980) is best known as the rhythm guitarist from the Massachusetts metalcore band Killswitch Engage.

Stroetzel attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston but did not graduate. Stroetzel's guitar style is influenced by the bands Slayer, Anthrax, Zakk Wylde, as stated on the World Ablaze DVD.

While at college Stroetzel began playing in the band Aftershock. The band broke up in 1999, when Joel formed Killswitch Engage along with Adam Dutkiewicz.

During with Killswitch Engage his role in the band has stayed the same. Joel plays the guitar solo in the track Holy Diver and is seen occasionally singing during "The End of Heartache" in live.

Joel Stroetzel joined for Times of Grace as touring musician.

Joel Stroetzel (in middle) performing in Times of Grace along with Jesse Leach and Adam Dutkiewicz.

Stroetzel has used a wide variety of guitars and amps throughout his career, including the Mesa Boogie Roadster and Triple Rectifier heads, a Marshall JCM900, a modified Soldano SLO-100, and a Hughes and Kettner TriAmp MKII, which he did not like for metal because he said it "didn't hold together well." He has also used the Framus Cobra and Dragon, the Peavey 5150, the Splawn Nitro, the Diezel VH4, the Fuchs Viper, and the Fender Twin '65 Reverb and Vox AC30 for clean tones. He is currently endorsed by Laney Amplification, using their Ironheart series of amplifiers.

Joel is proudly endorsed by Caparison Guitars and uses the Caparison Dellinger, TAT, and Angelus models. Caparison produce the JSM – Joel Stroetzel Signature Model, which is similar to an Angelus, but with a narrower body and longer horns, somewhat a cross between a TAT Special and an Angelus. It has a Gotoh bridge and through body stringing, an EMG-81 and EMG-85 pickup, as well as a transparent black burst finish over flamed maple top with a three piece mahogany/maple/mahogany back, similar to the Caparison Angelus-M3B construction. He also owns a transparent blue model.

For tracking the recent Killswitch Engage album, Disarm the Descent, both he and Dutkiewicz used Laney and Fuchs amps, using the Laney Ironheart head alongside a Fuchs Mantis (also known as the Viper).

In his current live amp rig, he uses both Laney and Fuchs amps, making use of a Laney IRT120H head with a Celestion Vintage 30-loaded Laney Ironheart 4x12 cabinet for his distorted tones, and a Fuchs Clean Machine, being attenuated by a Jet City Jettenuator, for clean tones.

For his current live effects rig, he makes use of a Maxon OD808 Overdrive, Maxon AD-9 delay, Maxon CP-9 Pro+ compressor, Boss Corporation NS-2 Noise Suppressor, Boss ABY switcher, Jet City JetDirect DI box, and a Korg DTR2000 tuner. For wireless, he uses an Audio-Technica 5000 Series.

He currently uses D'Addario EXL115 (.011–.049) strings and Planet Waves Black Ice 1.10mm picks.

Aftershock

• Through the Looking Glass (2000) – Guitar

Killswitch Engage

• Killswitch Engage (2000)
• Alive or Just Breathing (2002)
• The End of Heartache (2004)
• As Daylight Dies (2006)
• Killswitch Engage (2009)
• Disarm the Descent (2013)
• Incarnate (2016)