KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - stub review added 1st January 2009
Album Review: Alive Or Just Breathing (2002)
For fans of: metalcore... and melodic sounding nuclear explosions
2nd Killswitch Engage album and the last to feature a full performance from singer Jesse Leach. The style owes plenty to thrash and punk, with a brutally heavy groove overlaid liberally. There are hints of nu-metal in the transitions between heinous noise and melodic serenity. Fortunately the hints are none too strong.
'Numbered Days', 'My Last Serenade', 'Just Barely Breathing' and the short but incendiary 'To The Sons Of Man' are the best tracks, although the album sounds just as awesome on a full listen through. Jesse Leach's singing is astonishing. His moves between devil grunts and clean vocals give the impression of a frag grenade in a teddy.
Alive Or Just Breathing manages that rare feat of being horrifically violent and wonderfully accessible at the same time. Good work sirs!
Check out... 'My Last Serenade' on YouTube. Look for the live at Download 2007 vid.
Track List:
1. Numbered Days
2. Self Revolution
3. Fixation On The Darkness
4. My Last Serenade
5. Life To Lifeless
6. Just Barely Breathing
7. To The Sons Of Man
8. Temple From The Within
9. The Element Of One
10. Vide Infra
11. Without A Name
12. Rise Inside
Label: Roadrunner Records
Artist's websites: Killswitch Engage , MySpace
