Alien (album)
Encyclopedia
Alien is the fourth album by Canadian extreme metal
band Strapping Young Lad
. It was released on March 22, 2005. The album was written by Devin Townsend
and Gene Hoglan
over a 6 month time period.
The album reached number 32 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and number 35 on the Top Independent Albums chart. "Love?" became the album's single
and had a music video
which aired on Headbanger's Ball. The video (a tribute to the movie Evil Dead) depicts the band performing in a haunted cabin in the woods.
; he explained that the final track, "Info Dump" is a reflection on the panicked state of mind that ensued when he stopped taking his medication. The making of Alien was documented and made viewable online on Century Media's official site in February 2005. It was also available as a bonus DVD of the limited first edition of the album. The band recorded a cover of Tom Jones'
"What's New Pussycat?" that was scheduled to appear on Alien, but it was not recorded entirely because "it did not fit the flow" of the album. The song is not expected to be released anytime, even though blabbermouth.net
has reported so.
Due to some kind of error, the unmastered promotional release of Alien (and subsequently the early leaks of the album on the internet) contained the longer version of "Love?" and a version of "We Ride" which had most of the guitar solos missing. Also, on this promo release the track "Thalamus" was credited as being called "Landscape". Previous to the promotional release, press releases credited "Thalamus" as being called "Mega Bulldozer".
chart. Critics praised Townsend's inventiveness and the dynamism of the songs in which "melody and discord meet midway"; Adrien Begrand of PopMatters
wrote "Strapping Young Lad have raised the bar yet again", while Blabbermouth.net
's Krista G. called it one of the best albums of the year.
, The Evil Dead
, was directed by Joe Lynch. The video garnered the band wider attention, and helped "Love?" become one of their most recognizable songs. Jed Simon admitted to having produced a video for this particular song because it had "the most commercial potential". "Love?" was originally one of two confirmed songs for an EP
that was supposed to contain four new songs and four covers. Although planned for release in 2003, the EP was eventually cancelled.
Male vocal choir
Chris Valagao
, Rossy Living, Cam Krotche, Will Campagna, Shane Clark, Ross Gale, Christ Stanley, Will Cochrane, Ash Manning
, Ross Empson
, Mike Quigley
, Billy Marquardt and Jeff Cook
Female vocal choir
Laurielynn Bridger, Marnie Mains, Ani Kyd
, Tammy "Tamz" Theis, Magdalena Bulak, Shay Ward, Steph Reid, Deborah Rodrigo-Tyzio, Michelle Madden
, and Joanna Ussner
Children vocals
Dorian Glaude-Living, Damian Moore, Ethan Belcourt-Lowe and Jayden Gignac
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
band Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
. It was released on March 22, 2005. The album was written by Devin Townsend
Devin Townsend
Devin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
and Gene Hoglan
Gene Hoglan
Eugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
over a 6 month time period.
The album reached number 32 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and number 35 on the Top Independent Albums chart. "Love?" became the album's single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and had a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
which aired on Headbanger's Ball. The video (a tribute to the movie Evil Dead) depicts the band performing in a haunted cabin in the woods.
Background
Townsend and Hoglan were the primary writers of the album, since Simon and Stroud were busy with other commitments. To prepare for the recording of Alien, Townsend had stopped taking the medication prescribed to treat his bipolar disorderBipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
; he explained that the final track, "Info Dump" is a reflection on the panicked state of mind that ensued when he stopped taking his medication. The making of Alien was documented and made viewable online on Century Media's official site in February 2005. It was also available as a bonus DVD of the limited first edition of the album. The band recorded a cover of Tom Jones'
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
"What's New Pussycat?" that was scheduled to appear on Alien, but it was not recorded entirely because "it did not fit the flow" of the album. The song is not expected to be released anytime, even though blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
has reported so.
Due to some kind of error, the unmastered promotional release of Alien (and subsequently the early leaks of the album on the internet) contained the longer version of "Love?" and a version of "We Ride" which had most of the guitar solos missing. Also, on this promo release the track "Thalamus" was credited as being called "Landscape". Previous to the promotional release, press releases credited "Thalamus" as being called "Mega Bulldozer".
Release and critical reception
Alien was released on March 22, 2005, selling 3,697 copies in its first week. It reached #32 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart, and #35 on the Top Independent AlbumsIndependent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
chart. Critics praised Townsend's inventiveness and the dynamism of the songs in which "melody and discord meet midway"; Adrien Begrand of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
wrote "Strapping Young Lad have raised the bar yet again", while Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
's Krista G. called it one of the best albums of the year.
"Love?"
"Love?" was chosen as the sole single from the album. Its accompanying music video, inspired by the cult horror filmHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead is a 1981 horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, and Betsy Baker. The film is a story of five college students vacationing in an isolated cabin in a wooded area...
, was directed by Joe Lynch. The video garnered the band wider attention, and helped "Love?" become one of their most recognizable songs. Jed Simon admitted to having produced a video for this particular song because it had "the most commercial potential". "Love?" was originally one of two confirmed songs for an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
that was supposed to contain four new songs and four covers. Although planned for release in 2003, the EP was eventually cancelled.
Track listing
- All songs written by Devin TownsendDevin TownsendDevin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
and Gene HoglanGene HoglanEugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
.
- The Japanese edition of Alien includes "Zodiac" (Melvins cover), "Love? (Extended Version)", and "In the Rainy Season (Live)"
- The Australian edition of the album includes "Aftermath (Live)"
- The Korean edition of the album includes "Force Fed (Live)"
- All live bonus tracks are taken from the For Those Aboot to RockFor Those Aboot to Rock: Live at the CommodoreFor Those Aboot To Rock: Live at the Commodore is a live performance DVD by the Canadian Heavy Metal band Strapping Young Lad, released in 2004 by Century Media.-Track listing:#"Dire " – 1:05#"Consequence" – 4:26#"Relentless" – 3:11...
DVD
Personnel
Strapping Young Lad- Devin TownsendDevin TownsendDevin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
– keyboards, guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, vocals, samples - Gene HoglanGene HoglanEugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Byron StroudByron StroudByron Stroud is the bassist for metal bands Fear Factory, City of Fire and Zimmers Hole and the defunct band Strapping Young Lad.-Biography:...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Jed SimonJed SimonJed Simon is a Canadian musician. He has been a member of numerous metal bands, including Front Line Assembly, Strapping Young Lad, Zimmers Hole, and TENET.-Biography:...
– guitar
Additional personnel
Additional musicians- Dave YoungDave Young (musician)Dave Young is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist. He has been a member of several notable groups, including The Devin Townsend Band, Ten Ways from Sunday, Terror Syndrome, and The Matinée. He has also played on the albums Ki and Ghost by Devin Townsend and Alien by Strapping Young Lad...
– keyboards, vocals - Will Campagna – live keyboards
Male vocal choir
Chris Valagao
Chris Valagao
Chris "The Heathen" Valagao is a heavy metal musician of Norwegian and Portuguese descent best known as the front man for Canadian speed/thrash metal band Zimmers Hole.- Nicknames :...
, Rossy Living, Cam Krotche, Will Campagna, Shane Clark, Ross Gale, Christ Stanley, Will Cochrane, Ash Manning
Tourettes (band)
Tourettes is a heavy metal band from Sydney, Australia founded in January 2000. Their style has been described as "a mixture of hardcore, nu-metal and other elements to create an apoplectic and eclectic noise."...
, Ross Empson
Tourettes (band)
Tourettes is a heavy metal band from Sydney, Australia founded in January 2000. Their style has been described as "a mixture of hardcore, nu-metal and other elements to create an apoplectic and eclectic noise."...
, Mike Quigley
Tourettes (band)
Tourettes is a heavy metal band from Sydney, Australia founded in January 2000. Their style has been described as "a mixture of hardcore, nu-metal and other elements to create an apoplectic and eclectic noise."...
, Billy Marquardt and Jeff Cook
Female vocal choir
Laurielynn Bridger, Marnie Mains, Ani Kyd
Ani Kyd
- Career :Kyd has worked with musicians including Meegan Bradfield , Lisa Wagner , Gene Hoglan and Byron Stroud . Ani has played guitar for the legendary THOR as well as having Jello Biafra produce and perform back up vocals for her debut cd "Evil Needs Candy Too" which was released on Alternative...
, Tammy "Tamz" Theis, Magdalena Bulak, Shay Ward, Steph Reid, Deborah Rodrigo-Tyzio, Michelle Madden
Meldrum
Meldrum is a multi-national Heavy Metal band formed by ex-Phantom Blue guitarist Michelle Meldrum.-History:American guitarist Michelle Meldrum started her first band Wargod with Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan, later going on to form Phantom Blue, with whom she released two albums and an EP...
, and Joanna Ussner
Children vocals
Dorian Glaude-Living, Damian Moore, Ethan Belcourt-Lowe and Jayden Gignac
Production
- Devin Townsend – production, engineering
- Byron Stroud – associate producer
- Shaun Thingvold – engineering, mixing
- Kristina Ardron – 2nd engineer, editing
- Ryan Van PoederooyenRyan Van PoederooyenRyan Joost Van Poederooyen is a Canadian drummer. He gained "international recognition" as a member of progressive metal groups The Devin Townsend Band and The Devin Townsend Project...
– drum technician - Alex Aligizakis – editing
- Scott Cooke – editing
- Bryan Seely – editing, assistant
- Rob Stefanson – assistant
- Alan Wong Moon – assistant
- Greg Reely – mastering at Green Jacket Studios
- Travis SmithTravis Smith (artist)Travis Smith is an American graphic artist best known for designing heavy metal album art. He has been called "renowned" by Alternative Press and "unquestionably one of the most talented graphic artists in metal today" by Chronicles of Chaos...
– art consultant - Per Johansson – artwork, layout design
- Omer "Impson" R. Cordell – photography