Alive Or Just Breathing (Roadrunner~2002)
I know, itīs a Roadrunner release, and as such is an easy target for skepticism for some. Trendy, nu metal crap? Not quite. There are some elements of nu metal, but thereīs so much more to this New England outfit. Thereīs plenty of hardcore screaming, but the choruses employ nice melodic singing. The guitars are varied as well, from the stop and start chugging of nu metal to the melodic style made famous in Sweden. In Flames and Fear Factory spring to mind, but the music on "Alive Or Just Breathing" is more than just a melding of those two styles. In fact, itīs better than anything either of those bands has produced lately. It isnīt super heavy and it isnīt over-the-top, sugary-sweet melodic. Itīs just damn good, to the point of being one of my surprise finds of the year. I expected to find some things to like with this release, but I had no idea Iīd love it this much, from start to finish. Some of the standout tracks include "Life To Lifeless", "Just Barely Breathing", "The Element Of One", "Vide Infra" and "Rise Inside".