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Strapping Young Lad: Heavy as a really heavy thing

18/01/12 || Detox

Were you one of the many who failed to jump on the Strapping Young Lad bandwagon before now? It’s too late, they are gone, they’re never coming back and you missed out! I had the privilege of getting to see them live several years back and it was intense beyond words. Now… does that mean that this review is, in a way, pointless? Possibly, but this is Strapping Young Lad, so pay fucking attention! Now, a lot of people that I know (Besides the few heavy Devin devotees) are familiar with at least this and that from the band. Maybe you got the catchy, humorous “You suck” from that neat little Ozzfest sampler during the year they were put on the festival’s rotating second stage. Or maybe you saw the music video for “Love?”, which was a lovely homage to the Evil Dead films. Regardless of all that, i’m pretty sure that even with those little sprinklings of Devin Townsend infectiousness floating around inside that fragile little mind of yours that you would hardly be prepared for the hostile, industrial metal onslaught that was the group’s debut, “Heavy as a really heavy thing”.

“I am the coming of a new age/Past your shit by far” is the very first lyrical statement delivered on the album (Unless you count the track’s intro, where a little girl talks about kids getting eaten by a bear) and what a bold one to make right off the bat. Devin comes right out of the gate hunting for his pound of flesh on “S.Y.L.” and not only does he deliver one of the most ferociously venomous tracks of his career… it’s also got one of the catchiest, ‘prettiest’ metal choruses you’ll ever hear. “In the rainy season” follows suit with a combination of heavy, industrial metal crunch and catchy, memorable hooks. The clean-driven outro to the tune is also one of my favorite moments on the album. “Goat” makes you think that Devin has spent a little too much time listening to Pantera and the track comes up a little short on all ends of the spectrum. I’m not saying it’s a terrible song, it just doesn’t feel natural at all coming from Townsend. By this point in the album you’re getting a solid idea of what you’re in for, so all the cowards in the room who haven’t already fled are welcome to turn back here.

One of the most demented sounding (Yet strangely listenable) tracks to ever be recorded follows the path here in “Cod metal king”. The chorus alone is a not-for-the-faint-of-heart lesson in the beauty that can be found through noise abuse. “Happy camper” is probably my least favorite track on the album, albeit something to adore for those who prefer speed and ferocity over song structure and proper methodizing. As a whole it’s comparable to “Oh my fucking god” from the band’s next album, just… nowhere near as good. “Critic”, as well, gives off the vibe of what’s to come from future Strapping Young Lad releases, but in a good manner this time. All that was wrong about “Happy camper” is right on this track, with a strong sense of both melody and memorability from start to finish. If you haven’t gathered it by this point, I really like this band. Does that make me a bit biased? If anything it makes me more critical when something comes up short in terms of what I expect of this unit. So shut up and keep reading, as I am not done throwing my opinions around!

Heading into the final stretch, “The filler” feels just like the name says. It’s got some cool use of noise and is somewhat of a sonic assault, but it ends up being incredibly unmemorable and grows tiring very early on. “Drizzlehell” is another track smothered in industrial noise, but finds itself suffering some of the same issues as “The filler”. “Skin me” is, without a doubt, one of the most menacing tunes on the whole record. His screams, in particular, on this track are terrifying to say the least. The driving distorted bass and the steady, pounding drum beats also deliver a sense of general unease to the atmospherics of the track. Ending the album with a heavy bout of insanity seemed like a perfect idea here, as “Satan’s ice cream truck” is one of the most ludicrous, yet amazing, things ever. I can’t even really think of a way to properly describe it, you just need to hear it to believe it.

Now is the part of the review where i’ve seen a number of people write “In conclusion…” or “IMHO”. WHO THE FUCK WRITES IMHO?!? I. Will. Tear. The. Flesh. From. Your. Bones. Motherfucker! But anyways, in conclusion (I’m funny. Deal with it.), the album is a solid chunk of Devin Townsend brand industrial metal fury with some heavily memorable moments, a lot of industrial noise terrorism and some brilliant vocal work. The intense and somewhat intricate guitar playing that the group would be better known for later on isn’t quite evident yet, but the albums survives just fine without it. While it may not be their best album overall, it’s still a really strong start to the band’s saga. A solid 8 skullets out of 10.

Information
Released: 1995
Label: Century Media Records
Website: www.hevydevy.com
Band
Devin Townsend: vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming
Jed Simon: guitars
Mike Sudar: guitars
Ashley Scribner: bass
Adrian White: drums

Tracklist
01. S.Y.L.
02. In The Rainy Season
03. Goat
04. Cod Metal King
05. Happy Camper (Carpe B.U.M.)
06. Critic
07. The Filler: Sweet City Jesus
08. Skin Me
09. Drizzlehell
10. Satan’s Ice Cream Truck

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