|
STRAPPING
YOUNG
LAD
–
Alien
Devin
Townsend
is a
man
from
another
planet
(and
I don’t
mean
his
native
Canada).
It is
no surprise
this
brilliant
effort
is entitled
“Alien”.
The
trademark
onslaught
is an
invigorating
assault
on the
senses.
From
momentous
huge
riffs
and
intense
blasting
drums
to psychotic
and
ethereal
vocals
can
make
you
feel
as if
you’re
trapped
inside
either
an Industrial
Black
Metal
riddle
box
or a
visceral,
epic
Metal
landscape
as the
monstrous
production
marches
across
your
psyche.
Amid
the
relentless
slabs
of intensity
of Imperial,
Skeksis,
Shitstorm
and
We Ride,
you’ll
find
the
(slightly)
less
aggressive
and
geared-down
addition
of the
more
melodic
tracks
of emotion
- Love?,
and
Possessions,
which
is by
no means
less
powerful.
Then
it also
pulls
way
back
with
the
acoustic
and
chilled
beach
romance
of Two
Weeks,
only
to erupt
with
Thalamus
and
Zen.
The
album
closes
with
an unlisted
12-minute
cut
of buzzing
radio
static
with
spoken
voice
interruptions,
picking
up Morse
code
rhythm,
escalating
into
deafening
distortion
climax.
This
is the
kind
of album
that
leaves
you
breathless
once
it’s
done
–
what
more
could
you
want
from
music?
6
/ A
- PB
1
2 3
4 5
6
A
- B
- C
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SYL
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