JENNIFER JOHNSON: AT HELL'S KITCHEN >>>

Imagine alien abduction, intergalactic space travel, landing on a slave planet, being immersed in alien culture and learning to live and survive. Then you escape captivity and have to figure how to get off the planet and back to Earth. That’s the premise for the concept albums from Tacoma rock band Dem Zaing who will celebrate their return to Earth Saturday, Feb. 14 with a CD release party at Hell’s Kitchen. Dem Zaing’s new CD, The Way, showcases their most thought-out and deliberate work yet, with the addition of bass player James Makela.

“We went through bass players like underwear, but finally found one that’s grounded,” says longtime drummer and percussionist Dru Hurst of Makela. “We didn’t have to teach him,” chimes in frontman, singer, guitarist and creator of Dem Zaing, Cen Xeno. “James was able to achieve the tone I was looking for.”

In co-creating this new album Xeno gave Hurst the sci-fi concept, and he ran with it. Hurst came back with lyrics for two songs, “Deceiver of the Depraved” and “In Season,” which offered Xeno the unique experience of singing someone else’s lyrics.

“ ‘In Season’ is the only song that isn’t in the concept … ‘In Season’s’ about sex,” explains the band.

But not in the typically predictable fashion of most songs these days â€" and that goes for the whole album, which features interesting chord and vocal progressions. It’s dark, a bit gothy and heavy. Dem Zaing’s sound is “Gloom and Groove, Sci-Fi Rock and Roll” says Xeno. “You can do everything from toe tap to slam dance depending on the tune.”

Dem Zaing’s first full length CD , Strange Plains, will be re-released this spring. In addition to tonight's show at Hell’s Kitchen, the band will also play Feb. 21, 27 and April 4 at Malarkey’s in Tacoma.

[Hell’s Kitchen, with Downfall, At:1, Pretty Ugly, Saturday, Feb. 14, 9 p.m., $5, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]