Strapping Young Lad [Import]

strapping young lad [import]

Track Listings

1. Dire

2. Consequence

3. Relentless

4. Rape Song

5. Aftermath

6. Devour

7. Last Minute

8. Force Fed

9. Dirt Pride

10. Bring On The Young

11. Underneath The Waves

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Japanese Version featuring a Bonus Track: "Underneath the Waves (Live)".

Strapping Young Lad,Strapping Young Lad,Sony,Rock

Strapping Young Lad [Import]

Average customer rating:

Awesome metal album, SYL's second best
one of the best albums i've ever heard
Amazing
Total Mind Rape
A Pummeling Wall of Sound and Fury

Alien
Strapping Young Lad
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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City
The New Black
Strapping Young Lad - SYL
Synchestra
Ocean Machine

ASIN: B0007SL1T4
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

Imperial
Skeksis
Shitstorm
Love?
Shine
We Ride
Possessions
Two Weeks
Thalamus
Zen
Info Dump (Instrumental)

Customer Reviews:

Awesome metal album, SYL's second best.......2007-05-29

2003's Alien is SYL's second best album IMO, and for good reason. Sheer insanity, crushing speed, and unrelenting heaviness pervade every nook and cranny of this album. Several songs have doses of melody added in between all of the heaviness. The vocals and lyrics, though not as good as 1997's City IMO, are very good. Polished production and tight musicianship all around. Includes a few SYL classics such as "S***storm", "Love?", and "Skeksis". If you're a fan of extreme metal, get this album now.

one of the best albums i've ever heard.......2007-05-28

alien is absoultely amazing from start to finish. devin townsend is a great producer and songwriter.

Amazing.......2007-04-18

I bought this cd based on a review and couldnt have been happier. I do own the other SYL cds but they are not as good as this cd. The drummer for this band does an excellent job and the singer is amazing. A great buy from any metal fan

Total Mind Rape.......2007-01-18

In my opinion, its nearly impossible to review this. Its like it doesnt stay with you; it instantly disintegrates into your ears as soon as you press play. Its like a nuclear missile straight to your brain.

Get it, its good.

A Pummeling Wall of Sound and Fury.......2006-11-07

Strapping Young Lad is the brainchild of the bizarre and very talented Devin Townshend, and is often described as "extreme metal", which is appropriate, although I generally hate the catch-phrase. Townshend is an expert vocalist, guitarist and all-around producer and musician, and his style is rather unique. SYL tends to forego attempts at melodicism in favor of simply blasting huge, multi-layered waves of crushing sonic abrasion and shrieking, almost mechanical-sounding effects-laden vocals at the listener, which was a bit hard to grasp for me at first (and I am a long-time metal devotee); but revealed many interesting layers and a significant degree of originality upon subsequent spins. Another trademark of the band is the quirky sense of humor occasionally displayed on parts of this album, which seems to be an slmost sardonic parody of itself at times without ruining the effect. Highly recommended when you must batter eardrums into sumbission. Cool stuff, but I wouldn't exactly play it at a party.

Average customer rating:

unfortunately the last we'll hear from them
Not a great SYL album, but a good one nontheless
Best Album Of The Year?
This record is a bomb !!!
An Outstanding Album, One of the Band's Best

The New Black
Strapping Young Lad
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000FOPPHO
Release Date: 2006-07-11

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Decimator
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Anti Product
Monument
Wrong Side
Hope
Far Beyond Metal
[Untitled Track]
Almost Again
Polyphony
The New Black

Amazon.com

Faster than you can say "double kick drum" and to the delight of fans, Vancouver's Strapping Young Lad have followed up their 2005 CD, Alien, with The New Black. The recipe for Strapping's underground success? Take one pinch of death metal, add some Queen-style musical theatrics and industrial keyboard sounds, then mix those qualities with wickedly funny lyrics and a warm embrace of metal clichés. The result is a truly unique style, deftly captured on this, the group's fifth disc.

The project is ultimately a showcase for Devin Townsend--the singer/producer of the group--whose sound garners respect from many diverse parts of the music scene. On The New Black, guests include Bif Naked--who contributes vocal licks to the untitled track (also known as "F--ker")--and GWAR's Oderus Urungus, who enhances Townsend's diatribe against the music industry in "Far Beyond Metal." The title track is a standout, showcasing the Lamb of God influence on the band (Townsend produced LOG's As the Palaces Burn) while at the same time displaying the nearly bionic talents of drummer Gene Hoglan. One of SYL's strengths is its frontman's ability to write and perform in a number of different metal styles, and the slowed-down beauty of "Almost Again" is the perfect place for Townsend's warm, full pipes. Hands-down, the winner of the "future-devil-horn-anthem" award goes to "You Suck" with its hilarious call-and-response chorus, filled with words far too unprintable to be quoted here, but definitely worth checking out. --Denise Sheppard

Customer Reviews:

unfortunately the last we'll hear from them.......2007-06-04

from the first song to the last, Strapping Young Lad delivers a striking album. you will not be disappointed. it is cool to hear Oderus Urungus from GWAR on here. too bad Strapping Young Lad broke up. their albums will be collector's items.

Not a great SYL album, but a good one nontheless.......2007-05-29

The frenzied assault of SYL's previous efforts has been toned down a bit with 2006's The New Black. Right off the bat, you'll notice the music is more melodic and less heavy overall. The second song, however, will take you right back to 2005's Alien with its relentless speed, corrosive lyrics, and crushing guitar riffs. Too bad it's one of the shortest songs on the album. Oh well. The next few songs aren't very good, as I consider them filler. "Wrong Side", however, brings back the untamed aggresiveness and features some cool guitar soloing. The seventh song, "Far Beyond Metal", is another highlight, featuring complex guitar riffs and a guest vocal appearance from GWAR's Oderus Urungus. "Almost Again" is another good song, featuring melodic vocals and uplifting lyrics. "Polyphony" is a quiet, soothing piece, while "The New Black" serves as a good album closer. Though it may seem as if I really like this album, I honestly don't. The production and musicianship's good, but overall it's got too much filler and not enough quality songwriting. A good metal album, but not a great SYL album.

Best Album Of The Year?.......2006-12-20

Alien was a great album along with their others, but this one just blows me away. The only questionable track on this album for me is "Almost Again", I just don't like it. The rest of the songs are straight foward and brutal. Excellent grinding guitars and extreme drums as always with SYL and the lyrics are powerful. "F--ker" (aka. Untitled Track) features "Bif Naked" and her voice could not flow more perfectly with song. If only there were more albums like this around. I can't think of another album to even compare to The New Black, just check it out. Easily one of the best albums of the year.

Top 3 Fav. Tracks: "F--ker" (aka. Untitled Track), "Anti Product", and "You Suck".

This record is a bomb !!!.......2006-11-06

That's very good SYL...
No problems: "BUY IT"

I think just the European's version is better (2 bonus tracks of SYL...) Not roadrunners' products.
I've no problems with others bands but it's a bad idea for a bonus track CD...

An Outstanding Album, One of the Band's Best.......2006-09-04

It's been a year and a half since the band last release and now they return with another heavy metal madness, chalk full of guitar solos and more singing than their last release. They definitely use the F word a lot on the album, especially in songs like "U Suck" and of course one other (You can gues which one), though the songs are outstanding. Other songs on the album are "Wrong Side," "Hope," "Far Beyond Metal" and the opener "Decimator," which is a not so typical style of love like "Almost Again," which is one of the band's absolute best and the strongest song of this set. Strapping Young Lad fans will not be disappointed with this album.

Average customer rating:

City
Strapping Young Lad
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Presents: Ziltoid the Omniscient
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ASIN: B000PAAI3Y
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

Velvet Kevorkian
All Hail the New Flesh
Oh My Fucking God
Detox
Home Nucleonics
AAA
Underneath the Waves
Room 429
Spirituality
Centipede [Japanese Bonus Track]
Home Nucleonics ['96 Demo] [*]
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Average customer rating:

Heavy, epic, melodic industrial metal at its very finest
So insane, that it's genious
Loud. 4.5
Help! I'm being crushed by the wall of sound!
GRReeAYAhYAHqUuAAAchOooO

City
Strapping Young Lad
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005HNC
Release Date: 1997-02-11

Tracks:

Velvet Kevorkian
All Hail The New Flesh
Oh My Fucking God
Detox
Home Nucleonics
AAA
Underneath The Waves
Room 429
Spirituality

Customer Reviews:

Heavy, epic, melodic industrial metal at its very finest.......2007-05-28

This is without a doubt my favorite SYL album, as well as one of my top three metal albums of all time. You must truly experience it for yourself to appreciate it. Smothering heaviness, relentless speed, crushing guitar riffs, furiously blasting drums, soaring melodies, terrific vocals, and corrosive yet meaningful lyrics are what City is all about. The musicianship is also incredibly tight. A modern classic. My favorite tracks include "All Hail the New Flesh", "Detox", "Home Nucleonics", "AAA", "Underneath the Waves", and "Room 429". Buy it now if you're a fan of extreme metal, you won't regret it.

So insane, that it's genious.......2007-03-25

Or is it vice-versa?

Devin Townsend really does know how to combine chaos, melody, electronic, metal and form a band a really make a success and in the process be hailed as a metal god.

City is just a combination of industrial, death, and speed metal with relentless guitar riffs, unstoppable drumming and bass to crunchy you can feel it. Devin's vocal go from melodic power metal, insane rants to grunts.
Get this album, play loud and don't stop until this record is done.

Loud. 4.5.......2006-07-20

I'd been hearing for years how Devin Townsend is a metal genius, but I'd never gotten around to getting any of his stuff. I remember hearing some tracks on metal shows at various times and thinking that it was pretty decent, but not entirely my thing. Anyway, I finally got around to picking up a couple releases from him, and obviously I should've done it sooner. On one level, it still isn't entirely my thing, as I generally prefer to keep excess electronic and industrial influences out of my metal. Still, something different can be nice at times, and Devin and the rest of SYL definitely know what they're doing.

Some people will try and argue with you about just how heavy this album is. I find these debates fairly idiotic, but I must say that I think, at its loudest, 'City' is probably as heavy as anything I've ever heard, and it readily swings with even you're most brutal death metal bands. (I love those who are complaining about how they 'fake' how heavy this is with the production. HA! Sorry dude, that's the way it works. It always comes down to the production and the hardware. Origin ain't getting those sounds out of acoustic guitars, in case you didn't notice.) That being said, this isn't liable to blow any serious metal fan away, as we've pretty much hit the limit for just how massive you can sound with out fundamentally changing the form of the music. So, basically, there aren't any bands that are perceptibly heavier than SYL that I'm aware of, but there are about a million of them who are approximately as intense as SYL. Still, SYL do take a different approach to heaviness than plenty of extreme metal bands, which may be why so many people cry foul. This is pretty much a total wall of sound approach with the impossibly distorted guitars blending in with the numerous synths and Gene Hoglan's crushing drumming.

'City' also sets itself apart from most extreme metal by being immediately memorable. Many of the songs here are staggeringly anthemic, particularly the devastating openers, (after the little intro, anyway) 'All Hail the New Flesh' and 'Oh My F*cking God'. These two songs practically demand that you scream along with their huge choruses. The album is a bit monotonous and occasionally repetitive, I'll admit, but most of the other tracks manage to be fairly memorable in spite of the similarity. They change things up a bit late in the album with the cover of Cop Shoot Cop's 'Room 429'. This is the ballad of the album, though it's still pretty damn intense, and features a lot of fun, surprisingly smoky singing from Townsend. Perhaps the finest song on the album.

Yeah, that's it, I guess. Quite a unique album, and one of the rare extreme metal album that isn't afraid to be fun. Good stuff.

Help! I'm being crushed by the wall of sound!.......2006-07-03

Strapping Young Lad are a band who have been at the forefront of my attention for some time now. Their unorthodox approach to extreme metal, innovative song structures, industrial sound effects and near-unrestrained brutality, all of it laced with an undeniable sense of irony make for a listen which is intriguing to say the least. With my eventual purchase of "City," I felt that perhaps they don't quite live up to the hype, but even so are well worthy of attention.

The first thing that comes to mind when "City" begins to play is of something unstoppable; a huge, blugeoning, aural juggernaut crushing everything in its path. The guttaral roar of the guitars, the utter devastation of drums churning out blastbeats, and Devin Townsend's manaical shrieks, all held together with an inhuman, steely, industrial undertone, makes for a huge, suffocating, monstrously heavy dirge. However, upon closer inspection the listener begins to distinguish between these layers of sound, revealing the inventive and unorthodox sonwriting.

The guitar work "City" has to offer is, at its heart, oriented towards industrial metal; guttaral and mechanical, in the vein of Fear Factory except more skillfully written. While not as technical as I like to hear in extreme metal - the absence of solos and dual guitar harmonies is noticable - its mechanical, inhuman tones, capable of turning on a dime and bludgeoning the listener with on/off riffage and immediate time changes is worthy of merit. Traces of groove can be found, and yes! Even melody is present in the epic chorus hooks on songs such as "All Hail The New Flesh" and "Underneath The Waves."

Much more immediately obvious however, is the drum work. My first reaction to this overwhelming wall of blasting was (pun intended) "oh my f**king god." Gene Holgan, who has quite clearly improved since his early days in Dark Angel, is a MONSTER. In terms of sheer speed, he is up there with the likes of Horgh, Trym, Inferno and Flo Mounier. Hevilly reliant upon the double bass peddle, china cymbals and larger toms, his brutal aural assault is enough to knock you out of you chair. Satisfyingly tight and heavy though it is, this unrelenting barrage has the tendency to overwhelm the guitar work at the points where it's REALLY going balls-to-the-wall. While this is mostly due to flawed production rather than songwriting, the drumming plays a large part in creating the inaccessible "wall of sound" effect on tracks such as "Home Nucleonics," "Detox" and most of all, "Oh My F**king God." This being said, Gene does synchronise remarkably well with the guitar work and is also capable of producing a sardonic, malevolent beat on the slower tracks like "AAA" and "Spirituality."

And then of course, you have Devin's vocals, possibly the most schizophrenic aspect of an already varied album. He operates mostly in higher a higher pitch, ranging from the almost-clean singing on the choruses of "Detox" and "Underneath The Waves" to grindcore-esque, banshee like howls. I am left slightly confused as to why more use of Devin's aforementioned singing vocals isn't made. Why? Because he's brilliant at it, giving the music a fluid, soaring quality you almost never hear in industrial metal. But then, beggars can't be choosers.

So, in conclusion: "City" is not an easy album to listen to. Music with so many layers - sometimes indistinguishable - played all at once at such speed and ferocity makes for something of an overwhelming experience. But take the time, get into it, and you have a rewarding album waiting for you. I have difficulty thinking of it as a real classic, but "City" is a worthy addition to any headbanger's collection.

GRReeAYAhYAHqUuAAAchOooO.......2006-06-01

First and foremost, I consider Strapping Young Lad to be caffeine metal. Devin Townsend's nuclear fusion of heavy music, blaring synths, ridiculously hateful lyrics and general insanity actually invogorates the body, and makes you want to throw your TV set at a nun or something. The production blends everything together in an almost impenetrable tapestry of electronics and torrid riffing, that's almost an assault to the senses at first. But beneath the blistering chord progressions and seemingly random samples (ranging from squeeling pigs to Swedish techno), you can usually find some semblance of a melody. The screaming symphony of snyths will sometimes recede, revealing the song's skeletal framework, and will othertimes envelop the song in pure white noise. The amorphous mix is anchored by Gene Hoglan's drums, which shift from meticulously timed andoid strikes to organic showers of flailing blasts. Then there's Devin himself, delivering the most schizophrenic vocal performance ever, incontent with having to choose between actually singing and screaming obscenities like a rabid wolverine. There are only eight real songs, but they range from blistering grindcore to psychadelic blankets of electronics reminiscent of Godlfesh on heavy drugs. But also like caffeine, take too much and the immune system will kick in, and it will lose its edge. City is the most sporadically entertaining CD I own that I consider "great," so don't expect consistent replay value.

Still, this album is very cool. Buy or forever be cursed with the dreaded loser's disease.
- Thus says the Pellington

Average customer rating:

Metal for the Masses Volume V
Various
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Product Description

2CD 1DVD set of Various Metal bands. Including Lacuna Coil, Diecast, The Haunted, Into Eternity and many others.

Average customer rating:

An Outstanding Album, One of the Band's Best

The New Black
Strapping Young Lad
Manufacturer: EMI/Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000G7EOWM
Release Date: 2006-07-24

Tracks:

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Monument
Wrong Side
Hope
Far Beyond Metal
Fucker
Almost Again
Polyphony
New Black
Long Pig [*]
Zodiac [Melvins Cover Version][*]
Bonus Material [*]

Album Description

Limited Edition digpack pressing of their 2006 album features two bonus tracks: 'Long Pig' and 'Zodiac'. Canadian extremists Strapping Young Lad have delivered their most challenging release to date with The New Black. The soon-to-be genre defying epic showcases a new dimension of the SYL beast that puts an emphasis on incorporating hooks and catchier melodies into the group's renowned digital chaos. It's safe to say that you can expect the unexpected. Century Media.

Album Details

Canadian Extremists Strapping Young Lad have Returned with "The New Black", a Stunningly Well-defined and More Diverse Effort that is Soon to Be a Landmark in the Epic Pantheon of Heavy Metal. The Group, Led by Singer, Songwriter and Producer Devin Townsend, have Redefined their Sound, Creating What is Soon to Be the Definitive Release of their Already Stellar Career. The Album, Mixed by the Renowned Mike Fraser (Aerosmith, Metallica), is a Thoroughly Entertaining Roller Coaster Encompassing a Stunning Blend of Musical Technicality, Undeniable Melodies and an Abundance of Shredding Guitar Solos, all Backed Up with Humorous Yet Intelligent Lyrics. Safe to Say, Expect the Unexpected.

Customer Reviews:

An Outstanding Album, One of the Band's Best.......2006-09-04

Average customer rating:

6 years in the making...
Strapping, indeed
Devin does it again
Force Fed to Devour the Aftermath of these Relentless Rape Songs.
A very Strapping album

Strapping Young Lad - SYL
Strapping Young Lad
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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City
Alien
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ASIN: B000083MGY
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

Dire
Consequence
Relentless
Rape Song
Aftermath
Devour
Last Minute
Force Fed
Dirt Pride
Bring On The Young

Album Description

Once again led by madman Devin Townsend, the extremists in Strapping Young Lad are back after an almost six year hiatus with what will be on of the heaviest releases to see the light of day in 2003. Fueled by the events of 9/11, the band has never sounded more savage. Also featuring the talents of Gene Hoglan on drums (Dark Angel, Death) and Jed Simon & Byron Stroud (formerly of Front Line Assembly). Century Media.

Customer Reviews:

6 years in the making..........2006-09-08

Great album. I'm giving it a 4 b/c nothing has topped 'City' before or after its release. By the way, this is Gene's second album. He debuted on 'City'; Devin used a drum machine on HAARHT.

Strapping, indeed.......2006-08-15

Inspired by the 9/11 attacks on America, Canadian-based band Strapping Young Lad reformed (after nearly a six year hiatus) and released the third studio effort of their career, a self-titled album. Former Death drum machine Gene Hoglan joined the cast in 1998, but this was his first studio album with SYL. It should come as no surprise to anybody familiar with Gene's work that his drumming here is exceptional (tracks 5, 7, and 8 best illustrate his great drum work.)

"Strapping Young Lad" is quite heavy, but, while it never has any real melodic moments, this is a melodic death metal band, so this album is not overly heavy. One thing that possibly makes this band not as heavy as, say, Deicide, is that frontman Devin Townsend doesn't use monstrous vocals. On the contrary, his battle cries are usually shrill and quite high-pitched.

The album begins with "Dire," which is a very unusual track for Strapping Young Lad, because it features the sounds of a choir. Tracks five and eight, "Aftermath" and "Force Fed," are likely the two finest songs on the album. The former track is a catchy, speedy salvo with crunchy riffs, a pounding rhythm and a driving bass line. "Force Fed" has chug and churn riffs and machine gun drumming, but this song is really a highlight because Devin sings almost soulfully for some of it. Other highlights include the surging, almost buzzsaw guitar noise on "Consequence," "Relentless" (which is backed by fast, stutter-stepping riffs and a thumping bass drum), and the explosive ninth track, "Dirt Pride."

"SYL" isn't quite as mindblowing as Strapping Young Lad's 2005 album, "Alien," which is probably their best work, but this is still a great album, and also one of the best melodic death releases of the past several years.

Devin does it again.......2006-08-04

Devin Townsend has a big resume, he has 2 bands, and has produced albums of the likes of Darkest hour and lamb of God, this self titled CD from his heavier band Strapping Young Lad is a mix of heavy satisfying riffs, it has an odd mix of clean singing with a rougher sound to it, although not as good as some of his other work, this is an album for fans of heavy metal, you will not be dissapointed.

Key Songs-All Of It

Force Fed to Devour the Aftermath of these Relentless Rape Songs. .......2006-02-14

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD - SYL
-
Nearly 6 years past between `City' and their 3rd album the Self-Initialed `SYL'.... As we all know Devon is a busy man with his other bands (The Devon Townsend Band and others...) plus he is a producer (Has worked with/ Lamb of God's - As the Palaces Burn / Misery Signals - Of Malice and The Magnum Heart / Darkest Hour's - Undoing Ruin -- To name a few...)

SYL - Starts where City left off: Punishing, Vicious yet oddly Melodic. (Even more so than its predecessor) Devon and crew have a very unique sound for such an extreme metal band... and personally I love it! SYL blends creative merit with pure musical Armageddon... I think a lot of this is likely attributed to the fact they do not take themselves too seriously!!! As said in an interview Devon stated as much has he likes heavy music he is able to see the comedy in the fact that he is 40 plus years old, balding and screaming in a heavy metal band for a living... [The geniuses are always insane!!!]
Also X-Death and Dark Angel drummer Gene Hoglan is the perfect man for the band... As this 300 + pound man moves as quickly and as gracefully as a hummingbird (Watch the DVD: For Those Aboot to Rock - Just amazing to see him play)
All in All I think City, SYL and their latest Alien are all essential to anyone who loves extreme metal.

Favorite Songs: Relentless, Force Fed, and Consequence
-4.25 Stars.

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"Was this review helpful?"

A very Strapping album.......2006-01-30

Inspired by the 9/11 attacks on America, Canadian-based band Strapping Young Lad reformed (after nearly a six year hiatus) and released the third studio effort of their career, a self-titled album. Former Death drum machine Gene Hoglan joined the cast in 1998, but this was his first studio album with SYL. It should come as no surprise to anybody familiar with Gene's work that his drumming here is exceptional (tracks 5, 7, and 8 best illustrate his great drum work.)

"Strapping Young Lad" is quite heavy, but, while it never has any real melodic moments, this is a melodic death metal band, so this album is not overly heavy. One thing that possibly makes this band not as heavy as, say, Deicide, is that frontman Devin Townsend doesn't use monstrous vocals. On the contrary, his battle cries are usually shrill and quite high-pitched.

The album begins with "Dire," which is a very unusual track for Strapping Young Lad, because it features the sounds of a choir. Tracks five and eight, "Aftermath" and "Force Fed," are likely the two finest songs on the album. The former track is a catchy, speedy salvo with crunchy riffs, a pounding rhythm and a driving bass line. "Force Fed" has chug and churn riffs and machine gun drumming, but this song is really a highlight because Devin sings almost soulfully for some of it. Other highlights include the surging, almost buzzsaw guitar noise on "Consequence," "Relentless" (which is backed by fast, stutter-stepping riffs and a thumping bass drum), and the explosive ninth track, "Dirt Pride."

SYL's 2005 album, "Alien," is still probably their best, but this is one of their better albums, and also one of the best melodic death albums to be released since 2003.

Average customer rating:

A fairly crappy album boosted by its extras
Why can't this happen more often?

Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
Strapping Young Lad
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Canada | North America | International | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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The New Black
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ASIN: B000F1HGV0
Release Date: 2006-05-16

Tracks:

S.Y.L.
In the Rainy Season
Goat
Cod Metal King
Happy Camper (Carpe B.U.M.)
Critic
Filler-Sweet City Jesus
Skin Me
Drizzlehell
Satan's Ice Cream Truck [*]
Japan [*]
Monday [#][*]
Exciter [*]
S.Y.L. [Video Clip]

Customer Reviews:

A fairly crappy album boosted by its extras.......2007-05-29

1995's Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing, SYL's debut, was a crappy metal album overall, boasting only 2 or 3 good songs out of nine. The enhanced/remastered version gives it a much-needed coat of fresh paint, with more polished production values, a more in-depth booklet featuring lyrics and an introduction by Devin Townsend, and a few bonus tracks. "S.Y.L.", "In the Rainy Season", and (maybe) "Happy Camper" are the only good songs on the main album IMO. The highlight of the bonus tracks (which are all good IMO) is SYL's much-improved version of Judas Priest's "Exciter". Buy this if you're a fan of SYL, otherwise save your money and download the aforementioned songs.

Why can't this happen more often?.......2006-05-20

For over ten years now, Strapping Young Lad's debut was as stripped as can be. "Eh" production quality, only 9 songs that stretched only seconds shy of 40 minutes long, and a photo-heavy booklet that included NO lyrics whatsoever (something that annoys me more than anything else with CDs). Granted, it was a GOOD album, but these things left much to be desired.

And now, this has emerged.

This is exactly what this album needed. The production has been remastered, giving the album a lot more punch to its heaviness - and with a band like Strapping Young Lad, heaviness is a MUST. There are four bonus tracks, making the album over 56 minutes long now! And best of all, THERE ARE LYRICS NOW! And not just lyrics to all the songs, but even to the bonus tracks (a rare thing in and of itself with special editions of albums)! There's also a enhanced video clip for "S.Y.L.," which is a nice bonus. What a deal! There's also a really nice introduction from Devin Townsend in the booklet, telling the story of SYL's inception and the coming-about of this album in a manner that is as funny as it is informative.

About the bonus tracks: the first of them is the hilariously goofy and heavy "Satan's Ice Cream Truck," with a silly vocal performance, tasty crunch-riffs in the choruses, and a bizarre guitar solo that would sound better in a polka group. "Japan" is epic-feeling, with choruses composed of soaring vocals and waves of riffs, feeling more like something off of CITY or SYL. "Monday" is previously unreleased (well, officially anyway), and is a nice industrial-tinged piece, with Devin making a great singing-turning-into-screaming performance over a building storm of melodic riffs, very reminiscent of his Ocean Machine work. "Exciter" is recorded to sound like it was recorded live (or maybe it really *was* live?), a refreshing cover of the famous Judas Priest song (I never really cared for it until now).

I've found a whole new appreciation for this album. SYL have always been a great and unusual metal band, even way back in "the day." Any shortcomings you might have once thought HEAVY... had are gone: buy this, and listen to the album as it should have been!

Average customer rating:

Alien
Strapping Young Lad
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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The New Black

ASIN: B000EQGRAM
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Album Description

Special UK Limited Edition of this 2005 album featuring extra tracks and a bonus DVD that features a documentary on the making of the album. EMI. 2006

Average customer rating:

happy 10th...
Not For First-Time Strapping Young Lad Listeners
the beginning of the end of the world.....
The beginnings of greatness
Absolutely classic

Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
Strapping Young Lad
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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City
Strapping Young Lad - SYL
No Sleep Till Bedtime
Alien
Accelerated Evolution

ASIN: B000005HM8
Release Date: 1995-04-04

Tracks:

S.Y.L.
In The Rainy Season
Goat
Cod Metal King
Happy Camper (Carpe B.U.M.)
Critic
The Filler-Sweet City Jesus
Skin Me
Drizzlehell
Bonus Track

Customer Reviews:

happy 10th..........2005-04-27

Everyone else has said all that can really be said about this disk. But I would like to point out one more little tid-bit about this heavy little beast... the disk is now celebrating it's 1o anniversery of raising the metal bar and still crushing 99% of the bands out there... Their new release "Alien" is a fitting capstone and just proves that Devin is still the craziest and most pissed off man in North America. Get this album, get them all and fall in love.

Not For First-Time Strapping Young Lad Listeners.......2005-04-10

Strapping Young Lad are a band that seems to be getting more and more popular. And that's great for the band, but when this was released, hardly anyone knew of them. It really wasn't until "City" that they showed the Metal world what they were capable of. And that's Paranoid/Schizophrenic, sometimes Claustophobic, Anthemic, Thrash-Metal songs. Devin Townsend has to be one of the most intelligent, (when it comes to producing and creating/writing songs), frontmen, in metal, around today.

This Album i think is easily their 2nd best after "City". Mainly because their "SYL" release didn't really stick with me as much as "City" or this Album. Plus i haven't yet bought "Alien", which from reading the reviews sounds great. This Album, "Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing", you can tell right from the title that it has some sense of humour..but once you get past Strapping Young Lad's tongue-in-cheek sense of humour, you really notice how fast and brutal they can be. It seems like only now they seem to be getting alot more recognition for their work.

Pretty much all of these songs can be stuck in your head for days too. Songs like "SYL", "In The Rainy Season", "Goat", "Cod Metal King", "The Filler - Sweet City Jesus" and "Drizzlehell" are all very catchy songs. Well written too. "Happy Camper (Carpe B.U.M)" might sound immature, and hence yet again their not-taking-themselves-that-seriously sense of humour, but it's probably the fastest, most thrashy song on here. It also has Devin Townsend screaming so fast you just can't keep up at all. "Critic" is a song that's fast, although not as fast as the previous song, and also has some lyrics that sound extremely close to those that are on the album "City".

To me, my favourite song would have to be "The Filler - Sweet City Jesus", just for the slowed down, 'dun-dun' riff, mixed with Devin Townsend's echo-like vocals. It's a really good song. Also the longest song on this album, at 5:24mins. The songs "Skin Me" and "Drizzlehell" are also good songs. "Skin Me" being one of the heaviest, in my opinion, on this Album, and "Drizzlehell" being a really catchy, upbeat type song.

The last song "Satan's Ice-Cream Truck" is yet another example of Strapping Young Lad's sense of humour. I think in some ways it shouldn't have been included, but it's a good ending to an album by a band that really shouldn't be taken too seriously.

If you haven't already heard of Strapping Young Lad, and want to buy an Album of theirs, definitely buy their Album "City". It's truly a masterpiece, and i think if you don't like that, then you really won't enjoy this Album, or any of their others. This Album is great, but not for first time listeners, i don't think. Mainly because the sound quality isn't as good as "City" or "SYL", or probably "Alien"..And does sound a little dated.

Fans of Strapping Young Lad who haven't yet picked this up, this is a worthwhile buy.

5/5

the beginning of the end of the world............2005-03-24

when this cd was released it unleased unto the world the 5th horseman of the apocalypse...Devin Townsend!...this maniacal genious brought upon the world the chaos of SYL...this is an extremely heavy release along with some very funny humor as well..there are classics on here like "S.Y.L,In The Rainy Season,Happy Camper(B.U.M),Goat,and who can forget Satan's Ice Cream Truck!!!)...get this cd..you'll be REALLY happy you did

The beginnings of greatness.......2005-03-20

Before Ocean Machine, before City or Terria or Alien, there was this - Devin Townsend's first small twisted masterpiece. The seeds of all those other works can be heard here, although this album is much more.. I guess 'crude' would be a good word. Heavy... is the sound of a brilliant headbanger's mind being let completely loose for the first time to produce what it will with no restraints or straitjackets. (Scared? Good.) It's not just extreme metal or industrial or hardcore or thrash. The genre's cliches are gleefully undermined, twisted, embraced and lampooned all at once to make a refreshingly wacky pile of heavy-metal slop.

We go all over the map, from slow-and-heavy to hyper-and-REALLY-heavy, from pure straightforward guitar squawk to synths and techno-beat loops, from shrieking to singing to goofy growling and back to shrieking again, from the savage fury of "Critic" to the almost childish silliness of "Satan's Ice Cream Truck." No metal stone is unturned. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wince in pain, your eardrums will bleed. Sure it's less cohesive and refined than anything else under the SYL name, but I wouldn't hold that against this disc. Its head-spinning disjointedness is what makes Heavy unique among the catalog, and it's got a wild abandon that the others (for all their psychotic lethalness) inevitably lose.

This is essential for fans of metal in any or all forms. Nutty, crazy, ferocious, bizarre, silly, punishing, brutal - you may not like all of it, but this is one album that leaves a mark (or perhaps a second-degree burn scar) like no other.

Absolutely classic.......2005-01-02

Considering who the genious Devin Townsend and his music have become as of now, I would call this a classic record. It's one of the most insane, heavy, loud, and hilarious metal records I have. His production skills improved drastically, but the bad production is actually part of the character of this release. The opener "SYL" is one of my favorite openers ever, great lyrics. "In the Rainy Season" shows you Devin's manic depressive side, and the lyrics talk about him on the edge of a breakdown. The intensity he puts into the vocals make the song seem so frantic and desperate that when the slower melodic ending section comes in there's a chill down my spine. This has got to be one of the best SYL songs ever written. "Goat" is a fun song with surprising good lyrics and samples of goats. "Cod Metal King" has a lot of attitude and style and a Ministry style beat. "Happy Camper" is the loudest song, ever. I don't know how it's possible to make your voice sound like this, it's unreal... this one you have to hear for yourself. Favorite part is the middle section with Devin yelling a string of insults while the band thrashes so loud you can barely hear him. Devin's various speeches and soundclips are what gives this album it's feel. "Critic" is a straight ahead metal song, and a great one at that. "Filler (Sweet City Jesus)" is an atmospheric, moody, and totally insane heavy song. As someone else said, it's somewhat like something from Ocean Machine, but much too reckless. "Skin Me" is a rhythmic distorted track with weird lyrics. "Drizzlehell" is plain hilarious, and if you read the words, you'll notice that there's something about Elvis and country dogs... and if listen to the song again, there's a section where you can barely make out Devin saying a bunch of stuff in a redneck accent, where he says these things. Where else can you hear a distorted, electronic voice screaming "GIMME SOME OF YOUR GOOD LOVIN". The song ends with Devin as a child saying "and that's the end of my story". The secret song "Satan's Ice Cream Truck" is hilarious too... awesome slide whistle.

Pick this up. It's got a lot more humor than everything he's done since, and is just a whole lot of fun.

Music:

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