2002-10-13
Being a unision of both popular Hardcore/Metalcore bands Overcast and Aftershock, Killswitch Engage can be entitled a true American underground supergroup. What would be the output of a band bearing such problematic, yet promising tag?
I’d say Proffesional. Innovative. Polished. Creative. And, let us empasize: almost populisticly commercial.
Even if the Hardcore elements are still somehow present in the Killswitch Engage’s creation, “Alive or Just Breathing” is by no means a Hardcore piece. Its main musical characteristics are those typical of Death Metal: dynamics, energety, crunchy guitar riffing reminiscint in some aspect of both Soilwork and The Haunted, rhythm shifts, furious drumming and hysterical vocal screams. These are very well implemented, imparting the varied, complex compositions with great vital intensity. Combined with the incredible production and arrangements (America, America), this album contains numerous instants of satisfactory listening. Still, an additional element transfers the album to an utterly different terittory: most of the songs include dominant clean vocal parts. Melodically, these are not of the kind usually apparent in Death Metal, but more reminiscent of casual highly commercial pseudo-emotional American rock (not to say AOR). It seems that the band members' instrumental composition qualities exceed by far those of the vocal lines: these are rather repetitive and boring, leaving a rather lame impression of an unseccessful attempt of raking another handful of dollars from the more mainstream-oriented musical fans. Still, I must clarify that these clean vocals also have a positive effect regarding the overall product, rendering them more ambivalent than completley degrading: they supply the pieces with rather-extreme atmospherical vicissitudes, enriching the given contexts, putting a notable emphasis on the outbursting power of each Death aggressive movement, preventing the bands music of equaling to many generic, barren contemporaries of the genre. If one can overpower (or just repress for 45 minutes) his aversion of sweet mass-appealing effusion, he definitely should review this album.
Now, one more point requires clarification: what is the bands answer to the question presented in the album title?
While not refering to it in a peculiar way whithin the musical creation (unless I’m ovelooking something here), the lyrics reveal a mixed approach towards the matter: it seems that many of us are just breathing, but, as this answer is given from a sociological, completley non-philosophical perspective, not necessarilly. We choose our way of life, whether of open mindedness and creativity, or numbness. we should rebel against the decaying elements prevailing our existence, and so on. Nothing new here. Focus on the music, it is pretty good.
Tom Orgad
