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 My faith in metal is restored June 14, 2005
Sriram Parthasarathy (Chicago, IL United States)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
For a period of six weeks, the CD player in my car was broken, meaning I was too lazy to get it fixed for six weeks. In that time, I was stuck with listening to "rock" radio stations which are of course a general source a major disappointment for those of us who appreciate music on a much higher level (not just what's catchy and what sells). For those six weeks, I was in absolute hell, with the radio station playing System of a Down, Slipknot, Mudvayne, etc.. and referring to them as "metal". I had questioned what this world was coming to when stripped-down music with no guitar solos, socially generalized lyrics that did the thinking for you, and an overall lack of caring towards actual talent - became acceptable. I was stuck listening to my old tapes of old old old Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, and Pantera, which was fine, but for someone who always enjoys discovering fantastic new music, I was in a world of pain.
That all ended, thankfully, when I got my player fixed and bought Strapping Young Lad's Alien. I am listening to it for the umpteenth time right now and find myself not even thinking about reaching for the fast-forward or skip button. Each track on this release has its own soul, which immediately separates it from most new heavy releases today, which succumb to the pop formula that "attaining sameness/consistency in song and lyrical structure gives you an identity". Strapping Young Lad seamlessly makes transitions from a a symphonic, majestic metal anthem megaphone, to violent, speed metal and all-out grindcore without even blinking.
Devin Townsend, who first caught my ear ten years ago when I heard Steve Vai's "Sex and Religion", can sound like one of Phil Anselmo's lungs one second, and the next second make you think he's Ripper Owens. If vocal range is something you really appreciate, take a listen to the song "Two Weeks" on Alien, and tell me if Devin could have admirably filled in for David Gilmour or Roger Waters if asked. Byron Stroud, who provided some great bass work for Fear Factory's "Archetype" continues with fine, deep tones on "Alien". For those who have followed the world of metal for the past 10-15 years do not need an introduction to Gene Hoglan, who's worked on great records in the past like Death's "Symbolic", Testament's "Demonic", and was a part of thrash legends Dark Angel for the majority of their career. The man knows no limits when it comes to drumming, and can churn out double-bass and blast beats for a full 5 minutes straight if he had to. And god forbid, a metal album released in today's age with actual guitar solos?
To top it off, Mr. Townsend did the smart thing by producing the record himself, an area in which he has shown himself to be top-notch. What sets him apart is the fact that he actually emphasizes the bass sound, something that many metal bands today just don't do (perhaps to make sure that people find the songs "poppy" and catchy). Strapping Young Lad has left this one listener ridiculously impressed with their chemistry of technical skill, absolute violence and heavy brutality. Alien is going to be an album that we will be talking about for years. (Just don't let our nu-metal bands know about it :)
The best SYL album ever recorded July 5, 2005
N. Durham (Philadelphia, PA)
20 out of 23 found this review helpful
You've got to hand it to Devin Townsend, he never stops putting out solid release after solid release. Throughout his various other projects, nothing has hit me like a ton of bricks like Strapping Young Lad, and "Alien" finds Devin and co. at their very best. Opener "Imperial" may not be anything real special, but from there on "Alien" is a masterpiece. "Love?", "Shine", "Possessions", "Thalamus", and "Zen" are instant classics, with Devin's songwriting soaring to new heights, and his vocals have never sounded better. Not to mention that former Death drummer Gene Hoglan's drum assault is some of the best drumming to be heard today. This is real metal folks: no hip-hop beats or rapping, no whiny vocals, and full of original ideas and concepts. "Alien" is undoubtadly the best Strapping Young Lad album yet, and quite possibly the best metal album of 2005.
 actually 4.5 starts, but the ratings thing won't let me do half starts January 3, 2006
Ranting Sweed (Bath, Ohio)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
this is a great, great, great CD. The riffs are heavy and thick, yet very clear and defined. The drums are HUGE, and this is defidently up to the Gene Hoglan standard of drumming. The CD booklet lists all the roles of the members, and for Gene it says "Gene Hoglan-Atomic Clock"-very well said. There isn't hardly any bass on this CD though. I might have missed it, but i just don't hear any, it is all buried by the guitars. Devin's vocals are great on this CD. His patended screams and sings are defidently here, and he spices parts up with vocal layering in different pitches that kinda gives a death metal illusion, but it is playing to the strength of extreme vocals, not the weaknesses. That can be found in Imperial and S**tstorm. The riffs are very thrash metal and are very good thrash metal riffs and are very original thrash metal riffs. The riffs and singing are so good and technically hard to do, you would think if you didn't already know that Devin sings and plays guitar that there is a seperate guitarist and singer, but no-Devin does it all. And he does it well. Really well. Devin, as far as ability goes, is defidently the best singer/guitarist since James Hetfield. Devin is also one of the best guiarists since James Hetfield. Devin defidently deserves to be mentioned in the ranks of amazing singer guitarists like Billy Corgan, James Hetfield, Dave Mustaine, and Wes Borland (who will be doing the singer/guitarist thing in his new band Black Light Burns. The clips ive heard are amazing). One of the things i found kind of weird about the prior reviews are that some people REALLY DON'T LIKE Info Dump and Two Weeks. Two Weeks is a nice short acoustic song and contrary to popular belief among the underground metal community, double bass and triple picking doesnt instantly equal greatness. This is a cool song and is a nice letup from the rest of the CD's intensity. It is nice and soft and intended to be nice and soft. Info Dump is also neat. It is long, but once you get about halfway into it, cooler sounds come into play. This is something fans of electronic music wil enjoy, and again i can see why the "more metal than thou" people don't like it because it isnt blastbeats and triple picking.
to be honest, though, this CD does have the occasional thing that i don't like about that prevents me from giving this five stars. Sometimes, the sheer density of the recording gets so cacaphonous between measures that when im listening to it, it sounds like the volume knob turns itself a little quieter. If you don't know what i mean, listen to the S**tstorm clip here at amazon, you can hear it at a certian point later in the clip. This CD was also touted for it's use of male and female chiors, and to be honest, i wouldn't have noticed their presence if i didn't already know there are choirs on here. To be fair though, you can pick out the female voices that conclude a song, but it doesnt soung big and chior-y. This CD was also touted for the soloing on We Ride. The soloing seems kinda buried in the mix and is hard to hear over the rhythm guitars. The soloing is kind of cool but you can't tell where Devin's solo ends and Jed's begins. But it is kind of neat. Dev and Jed still cream me as guitarists, so i won't go into why i'm not a huge fan of the solos. This CD is great, but if you want the ultimate SYL experience, get City. I'm not one of those kinda people that clings to a band's first or second CD and says everything after it is lame just to be cool and underground, but everything about City is amazing. The order of the songs, the riffs, the drumming, the singing, the screaming, the production, and the overall feel. This CD has a feel to it that no other CD has. There is a lot more dense layering on the guitars and it really sounds like there is a million tracks of guitar on each song. The guitar distortion sounds slightly oversaturated at times on it, but everything is nice and huge and clear and cuts through, but Alien cuts back a little on the layering and has more of a focus on an amp sound that has more of a cut to it. But everything about City is amazing. Devin's vocals are in particular at their best on City and every song is so drastically different than the others. Plus, the drumming is Gene's best, the riffs are perfect, the feel is perfect, and you get to hear some bass in some of the later songs. It is just amazing and City sounds incredibly modern, which is quite a feat, considering it was made nearly 9 years ago. Alien falls only one small hair short of City, but SYL are a band you NEED to hear. There is no other band like them, sonically and artistically. This isnt for people who think anything slightly heavier than trapt is death metal though. Those kind of people i think are really lame. But this is metal that you need to hear. Alien is a fantastic buy, but get the amazing 100/5 and hard to find City CD before Alien, or any other SYL CD's for that matter
SYL's Alien will contend for THE release of 2005 July 30, 2005
M. Ness (Vancouver, Canada)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
As I think of what I should say to describe this album, I am literally at a shortage of words. It is just that amazing. Devin Townsend and company are metal masterminds and are definitely in a category of their own. Being a Canadian (and one who lives 10 minutes from Devin's hometown) it was easy for me to give these guys a chance back in the day. That's not why they deserve five (and more if possible!) though.
The album starts out with Imperial, a chaotic yet controlled (oxymoron?) opener that introduces the listener to the sound that will be prominent throughout the album. It is fast, loud, course, and amazing. Skeksis, Sh*tstorm, and Love? follow, and these three songs alone are worth the price of this incredible album. Never have I seen three songs back to back that pack the raw punch of these songs. You'll be soaking the drool off the floor after hearing these.
And that's not to say the other songs are slouches either. Every song is full of unique qualities and sounds. (including xylophones on Shine, the atmospheric Two Weeks, and of course Info Dump)
The lyrics are not meant to be taken seriously (one line includes "What do you want to do now baby? do you wanna have a f*ckin' baby?" from Possesions ) and these lyrics accentuate the whole concept of random controlled chaos that is definitely a key part of this albums success.
Gene Hogland is an absolute monster behind the kit, and his double kicks and constant rhythm changes leave drumming hopefuls with glazed eyes and sticky boxers. I've had the opportunity to meet Gene before, and not only is a mountain of a man, he's genuinely a nice guy with a laid back sense of humor and a respect for his fans. Him and Devin even signed my shoes (which are now on my trophy shelf!)
So ya... buy this CD now! Highly recommended.
holy crap July 8, 2005
Squertz (amerIca)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Overpowering, ferocious, unrelenting, massive, bludgeoning. Like some other reviewers, it's hard to find a way to accurately decribe the intensity of this album!!
I'd never heard of SYL until a few weeks ago when i saw a video for "Love?" on the headbangers ball. after reading the many many positive reviews for "Alien" i decided to get it. They've come along (for me) at just the right time. I don't remember when i last heard an album this heavy. It's an onslaught of drums, guitars, and excellent vocals...and it never lets up (save for "two weeks").
But it's not only heavy, it's intelligent. And as other reviews have said, the songs are unique in their own way, difficult to memorize, and don't generally follow the verse chorus verse chorus solo verse chorus format. Also, the keyboarding provides an excellent complement to most of the songs. My personal favorites are Skeksis, Love?, and Possessions....but any track on here could be a favorite at any given time. The album is that good all-around.
I'd have to recommend this album to well....anyone who enjoys heavy music....whether it be metal, industrial, others. This album is great in every way.
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