Misery Signals was rejoined by founding vocalist Jesse Zaraska in 2014. Prior to Zaraska, the band was fronted by Karl Schubach between 2006 and 2014. Misery Signals recently released their first new album in seven years, and first with Zaraska in 16, titled Ultraviolet. Zaraska told the BREWtally Speaking Podcast he would've been open to having Schubach guest on the album, but not everyone in the band felt the same.
"Not all members of the band are comfortable with that. I can speak personally, I would welcome Mr. Schubach back with open arms. I would think it would be really a cool cap, a good bookend, you know, to have him come back in the same manner, right, that Killswitch just did.
"I think I can feel a great amount of sympathy and empathy for Karl. Because we’re both Canadian kids. We both joined this American band, we both feel that we had not the best of experiences in that band in that time. And then, that thing got taken away from both of us, you know? It’s a hard conversation, and a hard question to answer, Jonny, because I myself am not totally fine with, how everything happened with Karl. I’m not fine with how everything happened with me initially.
"I just know that playing in a band is challenging. And playing in a band that doesn’t make a whole bunch of money and stays together for a long time is extremely challenging, and to keep four or five people all focused, you know harnessing that energy and moving towards the same goal for long periods of time is next to impossible.
"And I think that as much as it hurt for me to get kicked out of the band—as I said before, you know I’m pretty much glad that that happened that I went to university and I’m glad that they continued on without me. Some of the stuff they did without me I think is fantastic great heavy metal and I’m glad that they blessed the world world with it, you know?
"When I came back, it was not to usurp the throne, it was not to take Karl‘s spot. I truly believe that there’d just be no Misery Signals, if we hadn’t done Malice X. I just think that ‘Absent Light‘ would have been the end, and the brothers might have gone on to do instrumental stuff together or something.
"I think, just so many things happened in those few years there that I think they probably would not have continued on had we not come back to do Malice X, and I’m just I’m thankful that we were able to to to put out ‘Ultraviolet‘ and thankful that we were able to, you know, harness the energy, at least this one last time.
"My hope, man, is that they do something with Karl. My hope is that they, do something with Karl. My hope is that we do a tour all together, one day, that Greg comes back that Jeffrey comes back you know that that everybody who contributed to this band has a chance to sort of say their farewells. And I know that can be cheesy and stuff like that.
"And I don’t know that everyone’s on the same page as me in that regard, but I think that I’m also in a special position to relate and empathize with Mr. Schubach more than probably the others, just because we experienced much of the same things.”
Schubach posted a lengthy statement on his departure from the band back in 2018.
