EPK – Alienatör – Regrets (2022)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“Fans will recognize a harder-hitting sound, more depth in songwriting, increased dynamics, and darker themes, along with more vulnerable and introspective lyrics. We’ve matured and grown as musicians. New drummer Simon has added a lot of depth to the sound, and bass player Sean becoming part of the writing process has added a new dimension. The band is a more cohesive unit and it shows in the material.” – Alienator
For fans of Unsane, Converge, Cursed, Botch, Jesus Lizard
Band: Alienator
Release Date: November 25, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
Exitmusicstudio.ca/alienator/ | Facebook.com/alienatorband | Instagram.com/alienatorband
Spotify| Alienator.bandcamp.com
“… Thunder Bay is a small outpost literally in the middle of nowhere. It’s not the sort of place you’d expect a top-notch noise rock/metal band playing in the sonic neighbourhood of Unsane, Botch, the Jesus Lizard, Cursed and KEN Mode’s metallic mid-period. Local racket makers Alienatör are here to represent the town and crush as many myths as possible, at least until they start hitting on the road on the heels of their latest album, Regrets which is the kind of gloriously powerful and virtually flawless album that rigorous touring schedules and proverbial world domination through music the mainstream masses don’t listen to or understand is built upon.” – Decibel Magazine
“Aggression is the name of the game in the latest offering from Thunder Bay, Ontario crew ALIENATÖR. Brad King (guitar, vox), Sean Skillen (bass, vox), and Simon Paquette (drums) pack a big wallop for a band of three. Their sound is a hash of sludge, hardcore, noise, and crust, with a message that’s urgent and dire… Regrets plays out like a nervous breakdown, but a damned exhilarating one.” – Doomed and Stoned
“this is a free-wheeling and cathartic album that’s worth attention. The more people who hear Regrets, the more fans it will earn…”- No Clean Singing
“Regrets goes for the throat from the first track. This is a different band from their debut album. For one, the line-up has been solid for years. Brad King still mans guitars and vocals, the ever-reliable Sean Skillen provides bass and backing screams, and not-so-new drummer Simon Paquette shows just why he was such a catch with propulsive, inventive skin bashing. Alienatör’s new songs may be misanthropic, but they’re also exciting, with a unique blend of the downtrodden sounds of punk, sludge, noise, and crust. There’s more room to breathe on each track, which makes the multitude of twists and turns hit a lot harder—by second listen you’ll be screaming right along with the choruses. It’s tough to pick favourites, but the band did you a favour by filming three live-from-the-basement videos that showcase the intensity.” – The Walleye (Thunder Bay, ON)
“If you want just a taste of how garish Alienatör’s sound is, just give the first track on this album a go. It’s called Revisionist History and in a little over two minutes, it showcases a thick and syrupy heaviness and coarse level of noise. It’s nasty to the ears but there’s something so fascinating about the anguish that comes from it. This is Alienatör and they are only getting started here.” – GAMES, BRRRAAAINS & A HEAD-BANGING LIFE
“Huge riffs, massive bass grooves, some excellent catchy melodies, and black/death metal vocals make this an interesting listen. The vocals will be an acquired taste but suit the soundtrack. Every song is different but they’re all raw, dynamic, and dark. These guys have hit upon their sound, and they sound great. If you’re after something heavy and different, then go for this because this is impressive.” – My Global Mind
“Channeling rage and catharsis before lulling the listener into a sense of security and then thundering down again into a feedback-drenched conclusion as “The Priest” demonstrates.” – Metal Noise
“Combining punk, hardcore, sludge metal, and noise rock elements into a stripped-down package, full of razor-sharp riffs and memorable hooks, ALIENATÖR punches up tenaciously every step of the way.” – Idioteq
“What is immediately striking in their music is the importance of the bass, which unfolds in arabesques around you, like an enormous grass snake, the true backbone of their Metal. We discover very good titles ranging from Noise Rock (“Revisionist History”), to Hardcore in fast mode (“The Less Dead”), flirting with light dissonance (“Flat Hearth Society”), sometimes reminiscent of universe of Unsane (Irreconcilable).” – Soil Chronicles
“this Power trio practices a mixture of Post Hardcore, Noise Rock, Sludge, which gives their musical universe a modern aspect, slightly gloomy and icy, sometimes heavy, Heavy, Groovy, on the border between catchy melodies and Rock almost dissonant. They manage, I find, to qualify their remarks with a certain art. What is immediately striking in their music is the importance of the bass, which unfolds in arabesques around you, like an enormous grass snake, the true backbone of their Metal.” – Soil Chronicles
“Alienatör do not beat about the bush and instead seize the zeitgeist by the sensitive parts. Driven by a savage mix of Sludge, Hardcore Punk and early Black Sabbath, the Thunder Bay-based trio shoots massive blows against the darkness that defines life on Earth these days. This is the moshpit to grind down the Flat Earth Society to.” – Mangowave-Magazine
“To Canada for a slab of stoner sludge guaranteed to have you tapping your foot…possibly banging your head but definitely enjoying your start to the day for hearing this. – Metallum Sub Terra
“What I like about this album is both the slightly underground aspect, the melodies used, the distinctive claw, everything evolving in a balanced way. Also, a power trio, always sounds good when it comes to sonic impact, which is the case here; and then, in general, this kind of universe is made for connoisseurs, lovers of post and noise, while there, some titles it is, except the screaming voice, can be enjoyed by the lambda listener.” – Olivier No Limit
“Noisy post-hardcore sludge, full of energy and rage… a genuine ass-kicker of a record.” – Decibel
“This band is burly, grimy, and the sonic manifestation of discontent. If it’s motivational music you seek, back away slowly. Alienatör ply their trade in the margins of metal, with elements of sludge, noise rock, hardcore, heavy metal, and crust punk. Listeners of Pariahs, the band’s debut full-length, will hear shades of Unsane, Red Fang, Cursed, Kvelertak, Acid Bath, and Cancer Bats, among other guitar-heavy acts by whom sophistication and polish are eschewed.” – Lambgoat
“Pariahs shows Alienatör firing all of their creative cylinders and marks a multifaceted, all-consuming sludge opera delivered with convincing force and accents.” – Idioteq
“Gritty, high-octane sludge…” – Metal Trenches
“From beginning to end Alienatör offers up a truly murky, chunky yet noise filled sound that tears at your ear drums, but in the best possible way. Each track is a madhouse of artery stopping, head banging sludge and noise rock that you cannot simply turn away from.” – Cadaver Garden
“Alienator are miserable and they’d like you to join them.” – Lambgoat
[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]
Band: Alienator
Release Date: November 25, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
Track Listing:
1. Revisionist History – 2:10
2. Loss Leader – 4:03
3. Blood Red Blood – 3:08
4. Regrets – 3:44
5. The Priest – 5:30
6. The Less Dead – 1:56
7. Flat Earth Society – 2:51
8. Irreconcilable – 2:59
9. Your Funeral – 3:20
10. Wounded Birds – 4:10
11. Dark Matters – 4:09
Album Length: 38:04
Album Recording Credits:
– All songs performed by: Alienator
– Music by Alienator
– Lyrics by Brad King
– Produced by: Sean Skillen
– Mixed by: Sean Skillen
– Mastered by: Brad Boatright
– Album Artwork by: Peter David Wragg
– Member of SOCAN
– Canadian Content (MAPL)
Album and Live Line Up:
Brad King – Vocals, Guitar
Sean Skillen – Bass, Vocals
Simon Paquette – Drums
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The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY) explained:
Dark and cathartic, exploring personal themes, as well as racism, and abuse of power in Canada and the erosion of truth we’ve seen in modern times.
Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY) explained:
Revisionist History – Right out of the gate we have the rhythm section carrying the song before a snakey guitar line weaves in over top. That’s something we weren’t able to do when we wrote the first album as a 2-piece. The odd-time signature gives it an off-kilter feel. The lyrics are about the erosion of truth in our public discourse and the dangerous narcissists who create their own reality and try to shove it down our throats.
Loss Leader – This song is about grief and loss, especially as a result of the opioid crisis. I’ve experienced a lot of deaths and tragedies personally and professionally and this song is about dealing with that. Musically, it’s got a proggier feel than anything we’ve done previously and a bit of a middle-eastern influence. It’s also the first song this line-up of the band wrote together.
Blood Red Blood – This opening riff is one I had kicking around for a while. We counted it as 9/8 or something wacky. Sean wrote the rest of the music around it. I like the breakdown in the middle a lot. The title was inspired by the Wilco song Sky Blue Sky, so there’s an influence you probably weren’t expecting. I wrote lyrics about the cycle of violence, toxic masculinity and how “hurt people hurt people.” Often, what we do to others gets paid back to us in the end; “blood in, blood out.”
Regrets – One of the more heartfelt and emotional songs we’ve done, this one deals with personal struggles and the passage of time. I like the energy and looser feel of it, musically. Sean’s really standing on his head with some of the bass fills on this one, especially in the middle section, but it’s all tasteful and fits perfectly, elevating the whole song. Simon finds interesting ways to fill the empty spaces on the drums. It gives a new dimension to our sound.
The Priest – The darkest song I’ve ever written. This is another one, where the rhythm section really drives the song and the guitar comes in, jagged and angular on top. Ralph Rowe was an Anglican Priest who molested countless kids from fly-in reserves in the 70s and 80s. He ruined so many lives and then plea-bargained for a prison sentence that was a slap on the wrist. There’s a documentary about him called “Survivor’s Rowe.” Here, he serves as an example of the type of abuses of power that we allow those who we place in positions of trust.
We put a lot of work into the dynamics of this one. Lots of tension and release and then the calm atmospheric part toward the end, before we bring the hammer down again.
The Less Dead – The “less dead,” is a term for marginalized members of society who are considered less of a priority for police investigations and are therefore are easy victims for predators. Sex workers, people of colour, people with addictions or mental health issues, members of the LGBTQ community, and the poor fit in this category.
The closest to a straight-ahead punk song on the album but Simon’s crazy tom work in the bridge really elevates it. Very fun to play live.
Flat Earth Society – Remember when we used to think that increased access to information would make humanity smarter? This song is a reaction to the age of misinformation we currently find ourselves in.
COVID conspiracies, climate denialism, and the age of social media propaganda have altered our perception of reality and divided our society. This song is about the echo chambers we create for ourselves and how we are being manipulated by those in power. We opened for Soulfly before the pandemic and Sean said watching the people bounce up and down on the dance floor while they played contributed to the feel of the breakdown.
Irreconcilable – This one is about Canada’s history of genocide against Indigenous peoples, which was brought back to the forefront of public consciousness when hundreds of graves were found on the sites of former residential schools. This song is about the relationship of denial that white settlers have with colonialism, how we refuse to “reconcile,” what’s been done, and our role in it. Great dynamics in this one, as it ramps up from a slow simmer into a crushing chorus and back down again.
Your Funeral – This one’s a bit different with the tension of the jerky snare-driven rhythm and then the straight-ahead release of the chorus. I find it interesting to juxtapose a kind of uplifting chord progression and driving beat with lyrics that are bleak and depressing. This one’s about being a wage slave, feeling like you’re a cog in the machine, wasting your life, and going through the motions.
Wounded Birds – This one is a kind of anthem for all the broken people, those who suffer from trauma, depression, substance issues and the like. I’ve had my own struggles so this one’s a bit cathartic, lyrically. Musically, it shows us branching out and experimenting more, adding a lot more depth.
Dark Matters – A pretty unique tune in our catalogue. It’s about the things that keep you awake at night; lies you’ve told, people you’ve lied cheated, or stolen from. I imagine one of our favourite politicians feeling some of these things late at night if they have any conscience left. It’s fun for me to take on the role of the negative voices in someone’s head, as I do here. Musically, it’s swirling and chaotic with some flashes of light in the darkness and gloom. An unsettling way to fade the record into black.
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STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND
1. Recording was done at bass player Sean Skillen’s Exit Music studio. Sean joined the band during the recording of the previous album, adding bass to the already existing guitar and drum tracks. This is the first recording written as a 3-piece with distinct bass and guitar parts.
2. Simon Paquette’s first album as a drummer. Has brought new energy and versatility to the band.
(L to R) Sean Skillen – Bass/Back-up Vocals, Brad King – Guitar/Vocals, Simon Paquette – Drums
Photo Credit – Peter David Wragg
Hailing from Thunder Bay, ON, Canada, Alienatör is a sludge metal band that combines punk, hardcore, and noise rock elements into a stripped-down package, full of razor-sharp riffs and memorable hooks.
Their debut album, “Pariahs,” released in 2109 moves from fast and aggressive to slow and swampy with touches of experimental weirdness. Many of the lyrics are about how we numb ourselves to the pain and disappointment of everyday life.
Fast forward to 2022, and the band is ready to unleash their follow-up, entitled “Regrets,” which introduces new drummer Simon Paquette to the fold. The album is bleak and abrasive, with moments of calm, melody, and beauty to juxtapose against the ugliness. Raw, uncompromising, and dark, it is emotionally heavy music that reflects a chaotic time in history.
“Regrets” is due out November 25, 2022.
Discography:
2022 – Regrets
2019 – Pariahs
2016 – Demo
Shared Stage with:
Soulfly, Anciients, Dead Quiet, Zaum, Toxic Holocaust
Tours and Festivals:
2017 – Tumblestone music festival Lappe ON
2018 – Tumblestone music festival Lappe ON
2019 – Tumblestone music festival Lappe ON
2022 – Tumblestone music festival Lappe ON
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