Strapping Young Lad (album)

Strapping Young Lad
Studio album by Strapping Young Lad
Released February 11, 2003
Recorded 2002
Genre Death metal, extreme metal, heavy metal
Length 39:01
Label Century Media
Producer Devin Townsend
Strapping Young Lad chronology

No Sleep 'till Bedtime
(1998)		 Strapping Young Lad
(2003)		 Alien
(2005)
Devin Townsend chronology
Terria
(2001)		 Strapping Young Lad
(2003)		 Accelerated Evolution
(2003)

Strapping Young Lad (occasionally referred to as SYL) is the eponymous third album by Canadian heavy metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was released on February 11, 2003.

Background

In December 2001 Townsend announced that, contrary to his earlier public statements, a new Strapping Young Lad album would be released in 2002. He emphasized that he was not "forcing" his product upon fans to generate record sales, arguing that his band—and its contract with Century—was never a lucrative endeavour. Instead, Townsend's motivation was the "creative anger" sparked by the September 11, 2001 attacks and further cultivated during their 2001 tour.[1] For the first time, the album would be a product of collaborative writing; the band wrote "about half" of the material on the 2001 Foot in Mouth Tour, and the rest at home, starting January 2002.[2][3] After playing a small number of festivals in 2002, Strapping Young Lad entered the studio in September of that year, to record their third album.[4]

Music

The album's sound was somewhat of a departure from Strapping Young Lad's previous albums, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing and City. Devin Townsend's vocals contain much more singing than before, and rather than the blinding extreme metal/industrial metal styled songs of Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing and City, many of the songs were structured and produced in a manner more akin to traditional death metal. The overall tone is more serious in nature and contains less overt tongue-in-cheek humour than other SYL releases. The raw production style in particular is different from other records Devin has produced. The slightly different sound on this album can in part be attributed to the fact that second guitarist Jed Simon plays the vast majority of rhythm guitars. This was due to Townsend's concurrent production and recording of Accelerated Evolution by The Devin Townsend Band, which was released only a few weeks later.

Release and critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [5]

Strapping Young Lad was released on February 11, 2003, and became the band's first charting album, entering Billboard's Top Heatseekers at No. 97.[6] The album received moderate critical success. Nate Smith from Rockzone.com called it a "solid addition to the Townsend catalog", but "not an instant classic".[7] Xander Hoose from Chronicles of Chaos called it "a good album", but said that it is inferior to City.[8] Alec A. Head of Satan Stole My Teddybear wasn't impressed, writing, "Sadly, the songwriting putters out into a flaccid, heartless, faux-epic quagmire of riffs that have no destination, vocals that lack the ferocity and pure, unadulterated anger and emotion that Townsend exhibited on City, and an altogether forced, cold, and directionless sense of songwriting."[9] Strapping Young Lad differed from Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing and City in that it was less industrial[10] and more reminiscent of death metal;[5] the humour pervading the previous two albums became more subdued.[11]

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Dire"   1:10
2. "Consequence"   4:02
3. "Relentless"   3:03
4. "Rape Song"   3:09
5. "Aftermath"   6:46
6. "Devour"   2:53
7. "Last Minute"   3:58
8. "Force Fed"   5:23
9. "Dirt Pride"   2:40
10. "Bring On the Young"   5:53
11. "Detox" (live, only available on Australian release)  
12. "Underneath the Waves" (live, only available on Japanese release)  

Personnel

Strapping Young Lad

Additional vocals

Chris Valagao, Ani Kyd, Tammy Theis, Marnie Mains, Carla Levis, and Laurielynn Bridger.

Heavy metal choir

Glenn Thomson, Denton Booth, Charlie Goler, Juanita English, Jeremy Glen, Blackie LeBlanc, Henry Goler, Jay Mosdell, Samanta Palomino, Eden Wagonner, Christ Stanley, Scarlet Stanley, Stuart Carruthers, Sue Carruthers, Sean Carruthers, Denis, Stevie J., La Sparka, Rossy Living, Dev, Jed and Byron.

Production

References

  1. ↑ "Strapping Young Lad To Record New Album!". Blabbermouth.net. 2001-12-21. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "Strapping Young Lad Axeman Rocks Out On Three Fronts". Blabbermouth.net. 2002-01-23. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ McKay, Aaron (2003-06-12). "The World Makes Way - CoC interviews Gene Hoglan of Strapping Young Lad". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ↑ "Strapping Young Lad Enter Studio To Record Third CD". Blabbermouth.net. 2002-09-16. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hinds, Andy. "SYL Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ↑ "Strapping Young Lad Enter Billboard Heatskeekers Chart". Blabbermouth.net. 2003-02-20. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  7. ↑ Smith, Nate (2003). "CD Reviews: Strapping Young Lad - SYL". Rockzone.com. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  8. ↑ Hoose, Xander (2003-04-16). "Strapping Young Lad - SYL : Review". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  9. ↑ Alec A. Head. Strapping Young Lad review. Satan Stole My Teddybear. March 2003
  10. ↑ Hamilton, Shaun (2003-03-20). "Interview with Strapping Young Lad". Chain D.L.K. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  11. ↑ "Strapping Young Lad: Tales Of Insecurity And Fear". Blabbermouth.net. 2003-01-16. Retrieved 2008-01-31.