Band Info
"Killswitch Engage is about flipping
the switch, and sending things into a grinding halt, both musically and
emotionally," states Killswitch Engage bassist Mike D'Antonio. Dead stop. A
single, focused emotional and physical release. That is the feeling at
Killswitch's core. Alive Or Just Breathing, the Massachusetts-area band's
Roadrunner debut is a white light, white-hot explosion of spirit and substance.
"It's a calling," says vocalist Jesse David Leach. "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?"
From the first note, Alive or Just Breathing is about impact. While
Killswitch Engage revel in heaviness and cobra-like riffing, there's also a
sense of frailty that underscores their metallic din. Their subtle use of melody
makes their songs all the more affecting and poignant. Tracks like the brutally
grooving "Fixation On The Darkness" and "Alive Or Just
Breathing" run the gamut of emotions, yet they never waver in intensity.
"It's loud - it's in your face and you can't ignore it," states Leech.
The history of Killswitch Engage is the clearest signpost of their present sonic
revolution. "It's a unique collection of people that could only come from
years of doing things separately, struggling with music and finally coming
together to form one band," says the frontman. While guitarists Joel
Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz (who also recorded the drum tracks on Alive or
Just Breathing) toiled in Massachusetts metallurgists Aftershock, vocalist
Leech cut his teeth with a few outfits in the Providence area. It was
D'Antonio's tenure in the much overlooked but highly influential Overcast that
most clearly indicates where the roots of Killswitch lay.
"Overcast was a band that started when hardcore and metal were just
starting to come together." Mike recalls. In 1998, with a clutch of
releases to their name - as well as influencing the entire metal core movement
of bands likes Lamb of God and Shadows Fall (who boast ex-Overcast throat, Brian
Fair) -- Overcast called it quits. After a bit of downtime, Mike came together
with Dutkiewicz and Stroezel. The chemistry was instant. The only missing
ingredient was a voice. After many frustrated months, Leech was called in for an
audition. "We played one song and there was no question about it, we had
found the guy," Mike recalls. That crucial chemistry was then first heard
on Killswitch Engage's, 2000 self-titled, Ferret Records debut and became an
instant underground classic. Gigging with the likes of Swedish riff-heroes In
Flames, appearances at high profile festivals including The Worcester Metal and
Hardcore Festival as well as Syracuse's Hellfest - documented on Trustkill
Records' "Hellfest" home video -- quickly built Killswitch Engage a
ferocious live rep.
In early 2001, Killswitch Engage began writing Alive Or Just Breathing. Based on
the strengths of a demo, Dutkiewicz - also known for his production work with
underground groups such as From Autumn To Ashes and Unearth - was asked by the
band and label to handle the album's production chores, with noted metal-man
Andy Sneap (Machine Head, Stuck Mojo) mixing. The results are staggering. Based
on the sheer impact of Adam's demos, Kerrang! Magazine cited Killswitch as one
of "The Hottest New Bands of 2002". The album itself - described by
the drummer/producer as "the hardest I've ever worked on any record" -
is a stunning alloy of beauty, brutality, melody, desperation, and urgency.
From the onrush of opener, "Numbered Days", Killswitch Engage make
their point with a furious conviction. "Babylon, you will fall/Your days
are numbered!" spits Leech, who grew up a Minister's son before discovering
the intensities of metal and hardcore as well as the quiet beauty of roots
reggae. "That song is directly aimed at the people who are creating
negativity. My message to those people is simple: whether it's judgment or
karma, those things always come back to you." "There is a spiritual
aspect to what we stand for," the singer admits. "Yet, I also know
that once you start professing any one belief, you're immediately closing people
off." The song "Self Revolution" is not only an idea, but also a
call to arms. "To me that's an idea at the core of Killswitch Engage,"
Leech states. "Mental revolution." Killswitch Engage isn't all in the
head and heart though – they are a heavy dose of visceral passion. Consider Alive
or Just Breathing's final track, "Rise Inside" with it's cry of
"The time has come to make a difference." Clearly, their revolution
isn't exactly a passive one.
"That's a call to my brothers and sisters." Jesse explains,
"There's a line at the end of that song - 'If I stand alone I will fight
for you.' I'm that convicted about this." The switch has been flipped,
there's no turning back. Now is the time to ask yourself, "Are you alive?
Or just breathing?"