Once an underground phenomenon, the Canadian quartet STRAPPING
YOUNG LAD are now on the verge of a major genre-defying breakthrough
with Alien , their highly anticipated fourth studio album.
This offering is quickly going to redefine the meaning of
extreme, and you can't possibly comprehend what form of insanity
awaits upon pressing play.
In 1995, frontman Devin Townsend (ex-Steve Vai) quickly
caught people's attention with the debut STRAPPING YOUNG
LAD album, Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing , created solely
to punish the senses of the metal underground. Although,
it was the sheer blast of utter insanity and carnage caught
on 1997's City that brought the entire metal community to
its knees and helped the band garner a cult-like status.
The album was recorded at Vai's Mothership Studios in L.A.
with acclaimed Swedish engineer Daniel Bergstrand (In Flames,
Meshuggah) and would be the group's first offering to feature
the current lineup of Byron Stroud (now also of Fear Factory)
on bass, Jed Simon (ex-Frontline Assembly) on guitars and
the mighty Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, ex-Death, ex-Testament)
on drums. In the spring of 1997, SYL embarked on the Full
Of Hate European tour alongside Crowbar, Entombed and Obituary,
which immediately led into a U.S. tour with Stuck Mojo and
Testament. In an effort to capture the unfiltered and uncompromising
nature of their performances, the band recorded two shows
in Melbourne, Australia in 1998, resulting in the once again
self-produced live No Sleep Till Bedtime album.
Unfortunately, that same year the band would take an unwelcome
hiatus as Townsend nurtured a flourishing solo career, while
concurrently honing his talents as a producer. In the midst
of a slew of solo releases, including the highly acclaimed
Infinity, Ocean Machine, Physicist and Terria projects, he
also cultivated production credits on Zimmer's Hole (featuring
SYL bandmates Simon and Stroud), December's Lament Configuration
, Lamb of God's As The Palaces Burn and Soilwork's critically
acclaimed Natural Born Chaos album. Over time, the desire
for new SYL material only grew stronger, and fortunately,
in 2002 Townsend's angst and insanity reached a breaking
point. He decided it was time to vent the only way he knew
how. This catharsis would result in 2003's SYL , which garnered
critical praise from the fans and media alike.
After spending the better part of the past two years on
the road alongside such genre titans as Nile, Meshuggah and
Superjoint Ritual, Townsend realized the group's potential,
and it quickly became his sole focus over his many side-projects.
The group's mesmerizing live show was recently captured on
their first-ever DVD, For Those Aboot To Rock (Live at the
Commodore) , released in November 2004, featuring a full
set from a sold-out hometown show in Vancouver, B.C.
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD's lineup is now more determined and
focused than ever. It took Hoglan only three days to pound
through 11 tracks at Armoury Studios (Kiss, Van Halen) in
Vancouver before the band moved on to Greenhouse Studios
(also in Vancouver) to record Simon's guitars, Stroud's bass
and all vocal tracks. This is the first SYL album written
as a cohesive unit and Townsend promises that it is the group's
most maniacal and outlandish offering to date.
Townsend further describes the recording process, “The
record isn't about anything in particular; it's just a freak
out. The idea is to have something cathartic to put on, and
the title Alien just seemed fitting. It has no meaning beyond
that. Metal is our life; we are qualified to do little else
and we can do crazy things with our instruments. We are too
ugly to play pop, so we decided to fuck shit up again. This
album seemed a good excuse to exercise full excess.
The only theme worth mentioning on the record is that it
starts bitter and ends 'resolved to be confused.' It's definitely
metal and if you have any doubts, please listen to it first
to see if it's something you would like. But know this: We
live for this shit and it has never been about spandex, eyeliner,
wigs and ironic Dokken shirts. It's about the crunch, the
kick and the power. The new themes might be closer to more
everyday topics than City, and you may or may not relate,
but it really doesn't matter as long as you get our drift
(...it's about unicorns and rainbows and stuff.) Alien is
just the next SYL record, and the acoustic song is supposed
to make you feel worse...not better. Unhealthy music for
healthy minds."
This is the soundtrack to the Armageddon, and SYL wouldn't
have it any other way.
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