Alive Or Just Breathing is the second album of Massachusetts based band Killswitch Engage. Before releasing this album on Roadrunner Records, Killswitch Enagage debuted in 2000 with their self titled album on Ferret Records. The albumtitle refers to the indifference of people who are walking through life instead of thinking about what is really going on in this world: “Are you alive or are you just taking in the air?” This cd is not about the simple things in life, but it deals with it’s spiritual aspects. Not very strange if you know that the vocalist grew up as a minister’s son before entering the world of metal and hardcore. The roots of Killswitch Engage lay in an influential metalcore band called Overcast. This band influenced many bands such as Shadows Fall and Lamb Of God. This metalcore past combined with a spiritual background defined Killswitch Engage’s sound. Alive Or Just Breathing is an outstanding mixture of metal, hardcore, passion and spirituality. The cd sets off with “Numbered Days” that features a rolling rhythm as intro that could easily appear on one of Fear Factory’s past albums.

Whilst listening to this record it becomes clear that this isn’t a typical Roadrunner band. Killswitch Engage combines metal and hardcore like bands such as Darkest Hour, Heaven Shall Burn and Shadows Fall. All the songs are breathing desperation, spirituality, melody, passion and beauty. The vocals are alternately brutal and melodic. This album has less heavy and more melodic moments than their debut, but these scarce moments are probably the loudest they ever did. The vocals are supported by loud, sometimes acoustic guitars and fast and hammering drums and bass. A pause follows when “My Last Serenade” sets in. This song reflects the music of Killswitch Engage exactly: it begins acoustically, evolves into brutality and ends as it started: acoustically. Other great songs are “The Element Of One”, “Vide Infra” and “Self Revolution”. All these songs together make a good metalcore album that is based on on a concept or even a call to arms: mental revolution.