OTHER, THE
ALIENATED (MEDIABOOK)

A return to the roots with new energy!

With their new album „Alienated“, Europe‘s No. 1 horror punk band The Other are opening a new chapter - and a very familiar one at that. According to frontman Rod Usher, this is a deliberate “back to the roots” album that impresses with its straightforward energy, dark anthems and a good dose of goth punk. A stylistic focus on the band‘s early phase, which was made possible not least by the new line-up - including the return of founding member Andy Only.

The return to the punk roots was already hinted at on the chart success „Haunted“ (2020), but now it was time to pursue this path consistently. “We wanted to strum power chords instead of throwing lots of licks in there” is how Rod describes the creative impulse - driven by the euphoria of the new band constellation with guitarists J. Ends and Van Tom, drummer Jag Boone and bassist Andy Only.

After returning to the band‘s legendary own label “Fiend Force” (in cooperation with strong partner Massacre Records), line-up changes and a forced break due to the pandemic, the band is excited about the release: „Alienated“ was created with audible fun in songwriting and combines the strengths of the past with modern elements. A good example is the song “I give you the Creeps”, which combines punk riffs, dark moments and stadium choirs in a gripping way.

Producer Tim Schulte (Massendefekt, Rogers, among others) helped to give the songwriting a fresh touch - including surprise moments such as the vocal effect in “Ghost from the 80s”, which plays charmingly with retro sci-fi aesthetics. Arne Neurand (Guano Apes, Subway to Sally, ZSK) was responsible for the mix at Horus Studios, which means that the album tops all its predecessors in terms of sound.

The working method was also different this time: Instead of classic rehearsal room jamming, many demos were created in late-night sessions between Rod Usher and both guitarists - directly on the computer. The result is a focused, energetic selection of songs whose immediacy is noticeable at all times.

In terms of content, Alienated is thematically close to a concept album without submitting to its rules. Songs such as “Alienated”, “Die Human Die”, “In the End”, “The Witch From Outer Space” or the second single “Hier Sein” address the feeling of alienation in a variety of ways - sometimes metaphorically, sometimes with a wink.

Rod Usher‘s vocals are particularly striking: Even deeper, even more haunting - and yet effortless. “My voice was always rather deep, now I‘m putting the way I sing more in the foreground” - which also makes “Alienated” perhaps the band‘s darkest album.

With Alienated, The Other presents an album that goes forward and digs into their own history in equal measure - dark, direct and with a lot of heart and soul. The Fiends can rejoice.