STRAPPING YOUNG LAD: 'Waving Goodbye To The World With A Pair Of Up-Turned Middle Fingers'

The newly relaunched STRAPPING YOUNG LADweb site has the complete track listing for the group's upcoming album, "Alien", due in March 2005 via Century Media Records.

Drummer Gene Hoglan recorded his drum parts at the Armoury in Vancouver before the band moved on to Greenhouse Studios to record the guitars and vocals. The remaining work is being done in SYL mainman Devin Townsend's home studio.

"Alien" track listing:

01. Imperial
02. Skeksis
03. Shitstorm
04. Love?
05. Shine
06. We Ride
07. Possessions
08. Golluminizor
09. Thalamus
10. Zen
11. Celestial Event

A cover of TOM JONES' "What's New, Pussycat?" was also laid down during the sessions and is expected to be included as a bonus track and/or B-side.

In other news, Hoglan has posted the following message on the site:

"Alright, here's the deal. 200 hundred some-odd shows throughout 2003, culminating in our wicked DVD. It's February 2004, now what do we do? Easy, TOP THAT OLD SHIT! The Dev and myself, holed up in my house, just JAMMIN'! And FEELING, and BLEEDING, both of us goin' through HEAVY shit. And you know what? When you've got the entire world against you, you turn to yer brother, yer comrade. You look him in the eye and say, 'Alright, motherfucker, whatta you got?' and then he shows ya.

"Every piece of what's goin' on in your lives comes pouring out, all the spite, vitriol, and glory. Two men, masters at what they do, lettin' it flow. Hell, more like 'flood'. Fuck yeah, The Dev and myself, laying down foundations like caffiene-maddened brickmasons, each idea unfolding easier than the last. United, bonded by 'fuck you' to all things spineless, waving goodbye to the world with a pair of up-turned middle fingers.

"The tunes come fast and furious. The freakout-o-meter gets cranked up daily. No idea is untested. THERE ARE NO FUCKIN' RULES!! There are only three other motherfuckers I need to impress, and those are my men. Speaking of men, The Dev and I put together a whack of tunes and ideas while Jed [Simon, guitar] and Byron [Stroud, bass] were off viking with FEAR FACTORY, knowing that, just because they weren't there, didn't at all mean they weren't there. Jed and By were a part of every single jam we had. And when they finally blew into town, knowing nods were the order of the day when we unleashed the new shit on 'em.

"We whipped out a quick pre-pro demo, and before they split again, Jed fires off a few riffs FROM the fires, which become the basis for 'Shitstorm'. Jesus, what a mind-fuck that tune is. I ain't gonna call it the craziest tune ever made, but you will. In the middle of all this absolute creativity, I lose my pad, therefore, our jamspot, but thanks to the dudes from PUNCHDRUNK, SAVANNAH and TEN MILES WIDE, and the gracious loaning of their space, The Dev and I don't skip a beat, or lose a step. That's when the REAL aggro shit started hemmorrhaging from the Oscilla-Twins. 'Skeksis', 'Shitstorm', and a pile of crazy ideas that we might use for the next one birthed themselves from those sessions.

"Forced couch-surfing with an empty wallet will definitely bring out the 'fuck you' in anyone. As if i have to tell you this. And then along comes August 18th. The day we started this new abomination. I can't wait to cut your fuckin' heads off. Put it in gear, motherfucker."