Alive Or Just Breathing (25th Anniversary Reissue)

As most people know, Roadrunner Records has been reissuing influential records from their catalogue for the celebration of its 25th Anniversary. It's only fitting that Killswitch Engage's "Alive Or Just Breathing" should be one of those influential re-released albums. Largely responsible for bringing the metal/hardcore hybrid to the mainstream, "Alive Or Just Breathing" is simply one of the best albums I've ever had to pleasure of listening to, and it's one thing to have missed out on listening to it the first time around, but now that most people are getting a second chance (and an extremely good deal at that), there's no real excuse not to hear this revolutionary cd. The re-issue contains a bonus disc with unreleased b-sides and demos from the album, as well as out-takes, and makes the purchase of this album a must for any fan of the band who somehow seemed to have skipped this album in the past.

Killswitch Engage was one of the first bands in the music world to start playing what has come to be known as "metalcore", starting with their humble debut on Ferret records. However when the time came for a second effort, following their move to Roadrunner Records, Killswitch Engage unleashed the monster known as "Alive Or Just Breathing" on us. It's safe to say that anything the band attempted on the first record (Gothenburg influenced metal riffs, heavy breakdowns, trade off screaming/singing) has been absolutely perfected on this release. With Adam moving from drums back to guitar, and original Aftershock (Mike, Joel and Adam's band before KSE) drummer Tom taking his place behind the kit, the band has a much fuller sound. Adam and Joel are free to trade off licks on tracks like "Self Revolution" and "Fixation On The Darkness", while playing deeper tones together on others like "Life To Lifeless". Mike D's bass, and Tom's drumming are also flawless, giving the band the much needed driving backbone that propels "Numbered Days" or "Temple From The Within." Jesse Leach though shines above all others on this release. Like many others I still prefer Jesse to Howard, and really miss the presence he brought to the band. His trademark vocals create beautiful moments on "My Last Serenade" or "The Element of One", where Jesse goes from high pitched shrieks, to deep growls and then instantly into beautifully dynamic choruses. His vocals were often an overlooked aspect of the band, and now that he has departed, you can see the obvious difference it has made in KSE's sound. You may not think that a vocalist who can sing and scream is anything special anymore, but when this album came out, only a hand full of bands were doing it, and it was especially absent in metal. Now it's commonplace in almost all genres. The biggest standout on the album has got to be the semi-title track "Just Barely Breathing" (which seems to be the answer to the question purposed by the album's title "Alive, or Just Breathing?"), which is a hauntingly heavy tune, one minute going from a gloomy driving rhythm, right into blazing guitar riffs and screaming, only to be taken to further heights during the gigantic chorus where Jesse questions "Are we alive, or just breathing?" Jesse's lyrics always added a positive message to the band's music, as can be seen on "To The Sons of Man" or "Rise Inside", whereas most of the band's newer material seems to focus on love or emotional aspects ("Rose Of Sharyn", "The End Of Heartache"). Jesse could write about emotional struggle ("Vide Infra", "In The Unblind") and not make it come off too emo or whiny, but instead about finding true strength in one's self and overcoming your demons. There is not one second on the album that is dull or uninspiring, and this cd easily captures rotation after rotation on my stereo. Everything this cd presented was far ahead of its time, and many aspects are now common trademarks in both the metal and hardcore world. Simply put, this was KSE's shining moment.

The bonus disc is a great addition to any fans collection, but may not necessarily warrant the purchase of the album if you already own the original. You get "In The Unblind" and "Where the Balance Is Broken", two excellent B-Sides from the AOJB recording sessions, and an interlude that would have fit perfectly on the album, entitled "Untitled and Unloved." The other tracks are demos of "Fixation On The Darkness", "Just Barely Breathing" and "Numbered Days", which ultimately got the band its deal with Roadrunner. There's also the verison of "Fixation On The Darkness" re-recorded with Howard's vocals, which is a welcomed addition, as well as some out-takes from the studio which are pretty comical, and shows the band doesn't take themselves too seriously. The bonuses are a great touch if you never owned the original (and indeed this would be the version to purchase if that were the case), but if you already have the previous, you're probably better off just downloading the extra tracks off the internet or something.

Metalcore is a pretty stagnant genre right now, and there's millions of bands doing the exact same thing, and sounding exactly the same. When Killswitch Engage's "Alive Or Just Breathing" was released, it was revolutionary, because the idea of fusing swedish metal riffs, breakdowns, and dynamic vocals had not been done by any other bands. With this release KSE single handedly gave metalcore some respect, and paved the ways for the countless numbers of imitators that have come afterwards. If you've never heard this album before now, I would encourage you to pick this up as fast as possible, because you are really missing out on some truly amazing music, and an album that was truly revolutionary in both the hardcore and metal worlds. So pick this one up and figure out whether we are "Alive or Just Breathing".....

Well, Alive or Just Breathing is just an awesome CD. Killswitch combines great instruments with great vocals. And if you're looking for some intelligent upbuilding lyrics, you've found em. It's a refreshing change for a metal band not to have evil satanic lyrics. But the delivery is just as awesome. Great screaming; great singing and melody. The bonuses rock, too. You've got a twenty-two page booklet with great new artwork, a buttload of pictures, lyrics, and alotta interviews with the band about the cd. Disc two has unreleased tracks, demo tracks, out takes from the studio, and all 3 videos from the album. All I have to say is GREAT band, GREAT CD, and GREAT bonus features. Do yourself a favor and pick it up!!!

I will start by saying am a diehard Killswitch Engage Fan, I own every album and DVD. Now to the CD, Jesse leach's vocals are mind blowing and raw, You can feel the pain and love every lyric. The guitars are inventive and change throughout the songs. If you are a KSE fan even if you only like Jesse this is the perfect CD for you. The booklet gives insider details on the making of the album, the departure of Jesse and the entrance of Howard. Great CD it includes all of the original songs and extras.

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