STRAPPING YOUNG LAD · Alien | BLACK TAPE

Black music cassette.

Background information about 'Alien'

Strapping Young Lad's "Alien" stands as one of the most punishing and brilliant extreme metal albums ever conceived, a masterpiece that showcases Devin Townsend's genius at its most unhinged and ferocious. Released in 2005, this sonic assault represents the band at their absolute peak, delivering an hour of relentless industrial death metal that feels like being caught in a mechanical hurricane. From the opening blast of "Imperial" to the crushing finale of "Info Dump", every track is meticulously crafted chaos that somehow maintains perfect cohesion despite its apparent madness.

The album's production is nothing short of phenomenal, with layers upon layers of guitars creating a wall of sound so dense it could stop bullets, while Gene Hoglan's drumming provides the perfect rhythmic foundation for Townsend's schizophrenic vocal performance. Tracks like "Shitstorm" and "Love?" demonstrate the band's ability to blend crushing heaviness with unexpected melodic moments, while "Zen" offers a brief respite before the album's devastating conclusion. This is extreme metal at its most intelligent and uncompromising, an album that rewards repeated listening with new discoveries hidden within its seemingly impenetrable sonic fortress.

For fans of: Fear Factory, Meshuggah, Gojira, and Lamb of God

Track listing

1. Imperial
2. Skeksis
3. Shitstorm
4. Love?
5. Shine
6. We Ride
7. Possessions
8. Two Weeks
9. Thalamus
10. Zen
11. Info Dump

Manufacturer: 375 Media GmbH, Schlachthofstraße 36A, 21079 Hamburg, Germany, Contact: www.backonblack.com