Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Strapping Young Lad - Alien - 2005 - Century Media

Track Listing1. Imperial 2. Skeksis 3. Shitstorm 4. Love? 5. Shine 6. We Ride 7. Possessions 8. Two Weeks 9. Thalamus 10. Zen 11. Infodump

Devin Townsend is back with the queerly-named Strapping Young Lad and a CD that scorches his last one into black bits of carbon dust and nothingness. 1997's "City" was a half-good/half boring update of thrash metal that caught my ears, but never was over-the-top enough to matter that much. "Alien" obliterates the old sound with an extreme sensibility that falls into its own insane category of death metal speed rhythms, industrial programmed coldness and vocals that spit all over the place with screams, yells and spoken expulsions of bile. It has to be one of the most caustic releases of the year. Devin said he just wanted to 'fuck shit up' and that it does, but with the genius of a mad scientist left to fester in his own acidic personal thoughts. There's hardly a center of sound in this unique release to keep it from being a swirling car-wrecked mess except for the repetitive guitar riffs that keep the music and the listener grounded, but it's great for days when your issues are to much to bear and you need to vent--with a chainsaw.

Score: 8 of 10


--Nailer 05.27.05