Artist: Killswitch Engage
Label: Roadrunner Records
Release Date: 5/21/02
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Title: Alive or Just Breathing Artist: Killswitch Engage Label: Roadrunner Records Release Date: 5/21/02 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
Well here we go, another band that seems to have a relatively strong following in the metal and hardcore worlds, and they're from Massachusetts! (That's a shocker). Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall both have connections to the band Overcast, who recently had a reunion at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, which explains why the two bands seem to have similar styles.
"The fact is that this genre has a lot of 'good' bands, but less and less 'great' ones. And that's my biggest problem with Killswitch Engage." Considering how successful Shadows Fall was, to fail to compare the two bands would be irresponsible, even though I'm sure Killswitch Engage is irritated to all Hell by the association (as all bands are). This band has the same general formula that is rising in all metal-core these days. Some hard pounding, yet catchy, metallic riffs that are accompanied by low-end vocals that utilize a cadence with a lot of hook. These moments are broken up by clean, soulful (for metal anyway) singing that often borders on some of the mainstream metal that's out there. This formula has been largely successful, but as more and more bands who utilize it begin to come into prominence, the more they must do to set themselves apart from the pack. The fact is that this genre has a lot of "good" bands, but less and less "great" ones. And that's my biggest problem with Killswitch Engage.
I do like this album and I'm happy every time I hear it. But in all honesty, a month from now, when I don't have to listen to this particular disc and I want to listen to this style of music, I bet I'll reach for Lamb of God, or Shadows Fall, or even Diecast before I reach for this one. The biggest reason for this is that within a few listens of those albums, there were specific tracks that sprung out at me, and settled in my mind. Songs that I found myself trying to learn the lyrics to just so I could sing along. This album doesn't have any songs that hit me like that, at least not yet. Fact is that while I usually listen to an album multiple times, by the second spin it should make me want to listen to it more, I should be upset that I only have a week to give it my undivided attention before something else has to take precedent over it, but that isn't happening here.
"While I usually listen to an album multiple times, by the second spin it should make me want to listen to it more... but that isn't happening here." However, I tend to spread myself around when it comes to genres, and fans that immerse themselves into this type of music will most likely find this to be a necessary record for their collection. I definitely recommend it if you like the other bands that I mentioned before, whereas I would actually probably like it more if I hadn't heard those other bands before. One word review: Good.
Death's Review:
Let me start by saying that this album is particularly intriguing to me because it represents an important step in the evolution of our scene. This is Roadrunner Records' (now essentially a major label, mind you) attempt at signing and marketing an "extreme" underground metal band. And while Killswitch's sound does incorporate some elements of a more commercial nu-metal sound, these are subtle, and the bottom line is that this is no bullshit-- this is truly a newly signed Roadrunner act lifted straight from the metal underground. And it feels good to see that happening.
"Killswitch also tend to emphasize even more of a hardcore element than some of their peers do... And frankly, this is where they lose me." As for the music, the band sounds like a mixture between Slipknot, Shadows Fall, Machine Head and In Flames, with a little Zakk Wylde-type guitar squealing thrown in for good measure. There are some truly killer, 5-skull riffs on this album as well, and as a guilty pleasure, some of these riffs really hit me hard. That downtuned groove riffing with lots of guitar squeals and artificial harmonics always gets me on some level every time. But while sometimes the band can deliver the same visceral, pummelingly heavy yet somehow still commercial feel I get from hearing Slipknot's Iowa or Korn's new single, to call this anything close to nu-metal is simply wrong.
Instead Killswitch are better viewed as another one of the "Gothenburg, Massachusetts" movement-- in fact, one member of Killswitch (Mike D'Antonio, I believe) even played alongside Brian from Shadows Fall in Overcast. Unfortunately, Killswitch also tend to emphasize even more of a hardcore element than some of their peers do, particularly in the choruses. And frankly, this is where they lose me. The hardcore style clean singing just does not do it for me. So while I'll be listening to a song and really getting into a particular riff, I'll suddenly be pulled away from that joy when I get to the chorus. For me, I like about half of each song. And that's good for only three skulls in my book.
"I'm rooting for their success but probably won't personally be spending a lot of time with this album." So while I think you should support Killswitch if you like their sound (if for no other reason than to show major labels the value of extreme metal), I must admit they are not for me. I'm rooting for their success but probably won't personally be spending a lot of time with this album. Perhaps seeing them live (I missed their set at NEMF4) will change my mind.
Hel's Review:
Long before I heard a single note of this record, or from this band at all, people started telling me how I will love Killswitch Engage. These people did not know me, they were not friends who know what kind of music I like, they had no foundation upon which to build this assumption, but somehow they decided I would love it. For a person like me, this tactic will, more often than not, completely backfire. You see, when I was a child, no one asked my opinion about anything, instead they would just - repeatedly and constantly - tell me what they decided my opinion should be. It pissed me off then, and still pisses me off to this day.
I can be persuaded and convinced of things, but I need reasons, not platitudes. To tell me I will love something, and not be persuasive as to why, will never convince me. And when it is more than one person, on more than one occasion, eventually I will decide to hate something just because I hate those people who keep telling me what to think about it. So let's backtrack a moment, and agree that the buzz surrounding this band in the last year or so has been incredibly loud and persistent.
"Even if I did not feel as though this band was being shoved down my throat, I wouldn't be very excited about this record." I take my duties here at Metal Judgment seriously, however, and tried to make every effort to enjoy Alive or Just Breathing objectively. I think that even if I did not feel as though this band was being shoved down my throat, I wouldn't be very excited about this record. Furthermore, I am able to pinpoint two primary reasons for this.
First and foremost, I do not like the singer. I find his growl to be wimpy and unconvincing - remember, it is my belief that death-style growls should be scary, and this guy just isn't. Additionally, I find his clean vocals to be off-key and extraordinarily irritating. Discordant guitars are one thing, discordant voices I cannot abide.
"With the exception of the vocalist, the other performances on the record are excellent." My second major issue will be presented in the form of a question. Why do I need Killswitch Engage when I already have Shadows Fall? The overall similarities between the two bands' musical products are overwhelming. There are certainly good reasons for this, I understand and accept that. I know what these reasons are, primary among them being both bands have former members of Overcast and their geographic proximity. I believe the overall quality of Shadows Fall to be far superior, and therefore if I wanted to hear a record just like this, I'd opt for Of One Blood instead.
With the exception of the vocalist, the other performances on the record are excellent. While more commercially accessible than I would prefer, the musicianship is solid nonetheless, and it is clear that a lot of effort went into the songs themselves. Certainly, for anyone craving more of this hardcore-meets-melodic-death style of music and who is more tolerant of the vocalist than I, this album is a must have. Some of this album is truly great, which offsets the things about this album that I despise, and ultimately lands the band an average score.
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