Alienatör recently unveiled their single, “The Priest”
Hailing from Canada, Alienatör is a sludge metal band that confronts tough issues with razor-sharp riffs and memorable hooks. They released their debut album “Pariahs” in 2019 and are now following it up this year with “Regrets,” which is darker, more focused, and more intense. They say it also boasts better songwriting and more dynamics. The themes of this upcoming release also explore some heavy topics, including alienation, grief, pain, and disgust at the state of the modern world. The single “The Priest” is no exception, which vocalist/guitarist Brad King explains:
“This is the darkest song I’ve ever written. Another is where the bass really drives the song and the guitar comes in, jagged and angular on top. Ralph Rowe was an Anglican Priest who molested countless kids in fly-in reserves in the 70s and 80s. He ruined so many lives and plea-bargained for a prison sentence that was a slap on the wrist. There’s a documentary about him called “Survivor’s Rowe,” and I’ve met a few survivors through my work. Here, he serves as an example of the type of abuse of power we allow those in positions of trust. I’m proud of the dynamics of this one, lots of tension and release and the calm atmospheric part in the middle.”
Watch the video for “The Priest” below and learn more about Alienatör via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey everybody. We’re a noise rock/post-hardcore/sludge/whatever band from Thunder Bay, Ontario, called Alienatör. My name’s Brad. I play guitar and yell in the band. Nice to meet ya.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
Our new album is called “Regrets,” it’s intense and aggressive, with a lot of bad vibes. We write about topics like racism in our hometown and in Canada in general, the erosion of truth in our social discourse, and how much we love the cops, as well as personal issues.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
I tend to write about social issues or personal issues. I’ve been a social service worker, working in harm reduction and homelessness for many years, so I’ve seen and experienced a lot. I’ve also had my own experiences with mental health and trauma, so there’s a lot there to draw on. The current state of the world and the erosion of truth we’ve seen from the media and people in positions of authority has inspired a lot of this album.
Do you have any upcoming shows or festivals you’d like to tell us about?
We’re playing an album release party in our hometown and a big Halloween show that may be over when you read this. Nothing most of your readers will be able to get out to. C’mon out to Thunder Bay, the weather’s nice.
What’s your goal for the remainder of 2022?
Well, surviving 2022 is probably everybody’s goal at this point. We want to make up for time lost during the pandemic and get out this album to as many folks as possible, play as many shows as we can, keep writing the next album, and get ready for 2023.