Alive or Just Breathing
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Alive or Just Breathing was a music album released on May 21, 2002 by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage through Roadrunner Records. The album reached No. 37 on Billboard magazine's "Heatseekers" chart.
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Musical style
The album's style is best characterised as metalcore, combining both clean and screaming vocals with the melodic dual guitar sounds made popular by bands in the Scandanavian metal scene, the most notable being In Flames. A number of the tracks, including "Fixation on the Darkness" and "Self Revolution", also feature the infectious rhythmic dynamic commonly associated with groove metal.
The record is a striking blend of both brutal and melodic sounds. The additional financial resources offered by a major label enabled the band to bring a new richness to the attacking dual-guitar riffs and bottom-heavy rhythm section which characterises its music.
The album's impact was also fuelled by a frenetic and desperate energy. Vocalist Jesse Leach explained: "I want people to feel the urgency and desperation I feel. I want people to stop and think about what's going on instead of walking through life. Hence, the title: are you alive or are you just taking in the air?" [1]
Production and marketing
Alive or Just Breathing was recorded over a period of 7 months. Guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz explained that production of the record was an "on and off" rather than continuous process. The extended recording sessions gave Dutkiewicz the opportunity to devote a greater attention to song-design than had been possible on the band's first record, Killswitch Engage. Dutkiewicz's intention was to take a less "technical" approach, with increased emphasis upon the design of each song as a whole rather than its individual parts.
The band took advantage of the increased production budget to re-record "Temple From The Within" and "Vide Infra", the opening tracks from its first record.
The album was recorded and produced in Massachusetts, USA, and mixed in Britain with metal producer Andy Sneap, who had previously worked with Machine Head and Stuck Mojo.
Songs
Leach has emphatically denied that the album's lyrics are religious, claiming that the subject-matter of the songs is "spiritual". Leach has explained that although he has religious beliefs, his lyrics were intended to deliver a positive vibe using a "broad brush approach" which avoids alienating listeners with different beliefs.
Despite such denials, the Biblical overtones of the album are difficult to escape. Indeed, Leach has admitted that the album's first song, "Numbered Days", is about the prophecy of the fall of Babylon in Jeremiah 51 (see Bible).
Leech wrote "Fixation on the Darkness" about the fact that the human soul contains both darkness and light and that a balance must be struck between the two. In the song, Leach focuses on the dark side of humanity and the hope that it can be overcome.
Leach explained that the track "My Last Serenade" was essentially about "burning bridges". He explained that there comes a time some people must be left behind and that there's only so much love you can give somebody until they drag you down with them.
Track listing
- "Numbered Days" (Killswitch Engage) - 3:35
- "Self Revolution" (Killswitch Engage) - 3:08
- "Fixation On The Darkness" (Cortese/Killswitch Engage) - 3:37
- "My Last Serenade" (Killswitch Engage) - 4:13
- "Life To Lifeless" (Killswitch Engage) - 3:17
- "Just Barely Breathing" (Killswitch Engage) - 5:41
- "To The Sons Of Man" (Killswitch Engage) - 1:57
- "Temple From The Within" (Killswitch Engage) - 4:04
- "The Element Of One" (Killswitch Engage) - 4:08
- "Vide Infra" (Killswitch Engage) - 3:27
- "Without A Name" (Killswitch Engage) - 1:44
- "Rise Inside" (Killswitch Engage) - 5:54
(Bonus Disc on 2005 Re-Release)
- "In the Unblind" - 2:48
- "When the Balance Is Broken" - 4:35
- "Untitled and Unloved" - 3:20
- "Numbered Days" (Demo Version) - 3:37
- "Transfiguration a.k.a. Fixation on the Darkness" (Demo Version) - 3:38
- "Just Barely Breathing" (Demo Version) - 5:13
- "Fixation on the Darkness" (Howard Jones Version) - 3:37
- "Studio Out Takes" - 1:17
Personnel
- Mike D'Antonio - Bass, Art Direction
- Adam Dutkiewitz - Drums, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Piano, Producer, Engineer, Double Bass
- Becka Dutkiewitz - Backing Vocals
- Mike Gitter - A&R
- Tom Gomes - Drums, Backing Vocals
- Jesse David Leach - Vocals
- Philip Lebonte - Backing Vocals
- Daniel Moss - Photography
- Andy Sneap - Mixing and Mastering
- Joel Stroetzel - Guitar
References
- [2] Lambgoat interview with Killswitch Engage, 5/25/2002.