Alive or Just Breathing is the second studio album by the American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on May 21, 2002, through Roadrunner Records. Alive or Just Breathing was Killswitch Engage's first album on Roadrunner and was recorded from October 2001 to February 2002. Produced by drummer and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, this was the band's first album on a major label, which prompted them to write and record the album to the best of their abilities. Alive or Just Breathing has been viewed as a landmark album in the metalcore genre and was well praised upon its release by fans and critics. Killswitch Engage quickly recruited Howard Jones to replace Leach. This is also the last album to feature Dutkiewicz on drums, as he would switch to guitar before the touring process. The drumming position was filled by Tom Gomes. After the album was released, Severson showed it to Roadrunner Records A&R man, Mike Gitter.

Writing and recording

Writing

In summer of 2001, Killswitch Engage recorded a demo produced by drummer/guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz which featured the songs "Transfiguration" (which would later become "Fixation on the Darkness"), "Just Barely Breathing", and "Numbered Days". After giving the demo to Roadrunner, the label agreed to let Dutkiewicz produce Alive or Just Breathing because they were impressed with his production skills. Jesse has also stated in an Instagram comment that the album Life. Love. Regret. by Unbroken was massively influential to the lyrics of Alive or Just Breathing.

In a 2025 interview with Metal Hammer, vocalist Jesse Leach discussed the personal turmoil that created the album’s biggest hit "My Last Serenade," revealing how the lyrics came from a "really dark place" during his struggles with mental health.

Recording

On November 3, 2001, Killswitch Engage entered Zing Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts to begin recording Alive or Just Breathing. Upon entering the studio, the album already had its title, derived from a lyric in the song "Just Barely Breathing." The band members all had jobs and some were going to school during the recording of the album, so each member came in for short periods as they had time available. Stroetzel said this was helpful, as it reduced stress, but regretted that they were not able to get more done in one session. After struggling with nervousness for a while, Dutkiewicz and Leach went to Leach's home in Rhode Island to finish recording vocals. Mike Gitter was reluctant to hear of this when Killswitch Engage turned the record into Roadrunner, but was ultimately pleased with the results. and All That Remains singer Philip Labonte. D'Antonio stated about the cover of Alive or Just Breathing, "I wanted something that looked 'old school cut-and-paste' for the cover. Something with texture that appeared like it was just laid down and photographed. I remember Roadrunner hating the cover, saying there was too much going on and nothing to focus on. I told them I did not agree, and that some day they would get it." By the time the band's third album, The End of Heartache was released, Alive or Just Breathing sold 114,000 copies in the United States. Music videos were also filmed for "Life to Lifeless" and "Fixation on the Darkness". Upon the release of the album, Killswitch Engage embarked on their first nationwide tour, supporting Soilwork and Hypocrisy and would tour for the next year in support of Alive or Just Breathing.

Missing his wife whom he had married two weeks prior to the tour, Jesse Leach left Killswitch Engage in the middle of their first national tour. With a combination of depression, missing his wife, and throat problems, Leach sent D'Antonio an email just a few days before the band was scheduled to play a show, announcing his departure. D'Antonio stated in an interview that "after three years of hanging out with the dude, and considering him a brother, to just get an email was a little bit harsh."

After the touring process for the album was over, Tom Gomes left the band and was replaced by Justin Foley.

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Alive or Just Breathing was met with rave reviews. Erik Thomas from Metalreview.com said "while this album certainly is responsible for the vast amount of saturation, it stands as a pretty trendsetting, stellar must-own example of metalcore." Boyce also stated his favorite song from the album was "My Last Serenade," and applauded "Just Barely Breathing," comparing parts of it to Metallica's Ride the Lightning. In 2009, MetalSucks compiled a list of the "21 Best Metal Albums of the 21st Century So Far" based on the opinions of various musicians, managers, publicists, label representatives and writers, where Alive or Just Breathing was placed at number four on the list. Noisecreep posted a list of the top 10 best metal albums of the past decade in 2010, where the album was listed at number six.

In the Fall and Winter of 2012, Killswitch Engage toured in celebration of the albums 10 year anniversary alongside Shadows Fall and Acaro. Also in 2012 the Alive or Just Breathing became the 94th album to be inducted into the Decibel Hall of Fame. The publication added "With songs like "Numbered Days," "Fixation on the Darkness," live favorite "My Last Serenade" and "Life to Lifeless," Killswitch Engage questioned musical boundaries of metal and hardcore and proved commercial inviability wrong. They didn’t just open doors—they blasted them off the frames."

Alive or Just Breathing is also noted as a significant influence on many bands to follow, such as Jinjer, August Burns Red and Miss May I. Bring Me the Horizon's vocalist Oliver Sykes has admitted that the album got him into metal and inspired his "taste for heavy music."

In a review for 411mania.com, Evocator Manes stated his dislike for the melodic "smooth parts" that he felt were too repetitious throughout Alive or Just Breathing, however he praised the album's production and positive lyrics.

In 2025 Revolver Magazine cited the album among one of the top 10 most influential metalcore records. Stating "The album finalized the divorce proceedings between hardcore and metalcore by reaching beyond Poison the Well’s vulnerable emo yelps and planting soaring, anthemic clean vocals into the metalcore orchard. The album’s clean-chorus/screamed-verse structure has become the genre’s most distinguishing feature ever since, and an entire generation of bands — Darkest Hour, Unearth, Shadows Fall and As I Lay Dying, to name just a few — followed in its footsteps."

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|Top 10 New Wave American Metal Albums of All Time

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|MetalSucks

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|The Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of the Decade

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|Noisecreep

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|Best Albums of the 2000s

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|Kerrang!

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|The 21 Best Metalcore Albums of All Time

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|Loudwire

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|25 Best Metalcore Albums of All Time

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|Metal Hammer

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|Top 20 Best Metalcore Albums

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|Revolver

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|Top 10 Most Influential Metalcore Albums of All Time

|2021

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|Loudwire

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|Top 10 Albums of 2002

|2022

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|Loudwire

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|The 100 Best Rock + Metal Albums of the 21st Century

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|Consequence

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|Top 75 Metal Albums of All Time

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  • The album was inducted into the Decibel Hall of Fame in 2012.
  • In December of 2012 the album was inducted into the Rock Sound Hall of Fame

Track listing

Personnel

;Killswitch Engage

  • Jesse Leach – lead vocals
  • Joel Stroetzel – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
  • Mike D'Antonio – bass
  • Adam Dutkiewicz – drums, guitars, piano, backing vocals, production, engineering

;Additional musicians

  • Becka Dutkiewicz – backing vocals
  • Philip Labonte – backing vocals
  • Tom Gomes – additional drumming
  • Howard Jones – lead vocals on "Fixation on the Darkness (re-recorded version)

;Technical staff and photography

  • Andy Sneap – mixing and mastering
  • Daniel Moss – photography
  • Mike D'Antonio – art direction and design

Charts

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (2002)

!Peak

position

|-

|UK Albums (OCC)

| align="center" |122

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|UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)

| align="center" |15

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|US Heatseekers (Billboard)

| align="center" |37

|}

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|+

! scope="col" | Chart (2025)

! scope="col" | Peak<br />position

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! scope="row" | Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)

| 15

|}

Certifications

References

Other sources

  • (Set This) World Ablaze [DVD]. Directed by: Denise Korycki. Roadrunner Records, 2005.
  • Alive or Just Breathing: Roadrunner Records 25th Anniversary Edition [Liner notes]. Oral history/Liner notes compiled by Ryan J. Downey. Roadrunner Records, 2005.