Customer Reviews

Strapping Young Lad - SYL

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Okay, two things. 1) I'm listening to this disc for the first time as I write this. 2) I've been a huge SYL/Devin Townsend fan since I first heard the words, "All I need is this city and it's mine and I will get by," from SYL's stunning second album, City. Buy (that) now with one click and head back here. Pure genius. Amazing. One more thing, in case you think this makes me too biased to bother continuing, understand that I really do take my music seriously, and have literally since I can remember. I won't worry about classifying this collection, but as far as the heavier end of the musical spectrum goes, SYL is among the elite. Oh and if you're looking for three chords and verse-chorus-verse-bridge, etc., you should either leave now or prepare to have your horizons expanded.

Anyway, ..., they've let Gene Hoglan run wild on this release. It's like a clinic. Devin Townsend continues to amaze me with the way that he can inject an almost ambient melodicism into the context of such bone-breakingly heavy music without the whole thing seeming forced or somehow obvious, but rather as though the songs each sprang forth as wholly realized expressions. This alone is remarkable, but further, repeated listening to his catalogue of works cements his status, in my mind, at least, as a true musician/composer. Oh, and a singer. Jesus, the pipes on this guy; the vocal and emotional range. Wow. Did you all know that he was offered the vocal gig in Judas Priest, but turned it down("Rob Halford is Judas Priest's vocalist, not me.")? How about that Steve Vai has said of Devin that he's a "really good guitarist"?

You won't likely hear any leads on this album I'm eight of ten songs in, and I haven't yet, but for those of you to whom this actually matters, trust me, he shreds. Seen him do it.

Nearing the end of my first listen and the songs are whiplash tight, and punctuated beautifully by crushing, tap-dancing fits and starts of amazing double-bass drumming which have are signature Hoglan. ... I'd say that there may not be as much variety as there was on City, but I haven't heard this stuff before and Devin's music certainly rewards multiple listens. The opening track should please all of you waiting for a majestic, City-like opening, and the final track, Bring on the Young sees Devin spreding his melodic wings a bit in the afforementioned lush, psuedo-ambient sense. Gonna give this one five stars. Started the disc over now and it's stating to sink in. Wow.

Okay, enough. Thanks for reading. Now buy it.

Like heavy metal's own Rocky Horror Show, Strapping Young Lad is a fascinating genre homage that's both parody and genuine article at the same time. There are plenty of general metal characteristics to go around - the deathly shrieks, the bile-filled lyrics, the mad-chugging guitars, the hyper double-bass drumming that's seemingly mandatory for any band aspiring to true metallic evilness - but it's delivered with an awareness of how intrinsically absurd the genre can be, and SYL's sense of their own silliness refreshingly sets them apart from the crowd. The fact that such demonic-sounding music revolves around an anti-war theme adds another amusing twist. How many metal bands out there would ominously spit out a lyric like "Dripping.." and then follow it up with "..cabbages"?

With this disc it seems SYL is no longer trying to ratchet the extreme shrieking-heaviness factor as high as possible; they'd done that with ...Really Heavy Thing and City and moved on. Now, even though this disc can still provide enough sonic pummeling to crush skulls, there's also more of a dynamic range present. "Force Fed" slides into an almost ballad-like chorus (as close as SYL gets, anyway) that's ultimately about love and not hate. "Bring on the Young" wraps things up as a slow sinister outro rather than an apocalyptic finale. Occasionally they slow down to a steady-burning groove that doesn't need to be ultra-fast and ultra-crunchy. Oh yes, and their stunning level of technical skill & tight unison chemistry isn't lost either, even through the spots ("Devour," "Rape Song") where they do go all-out to shred every eardrum nearby.

Recommended for metal fans, masochists or anyone who could use an outlet for a little healthy rage, SYL is a bizarrely enjoyable treat from a highly talented group still at the top of their game. Also good for alienating relatives, scaring away pets and convincing evil spirits that you're best left alone.

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD - SYL
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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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I didn't expect SYL to write another album after No Sleep Till Bedtime, since all heavy metal bands have a tendency to die down after creating live albums such as Megadeth or Kiss. But it seems that Strapping Young Lad have only started there journey to glory, my first impressions of this CD were abit rough a first because i did not expect them to create such a raw and powerful album. There past hits such as H.A.A.R.H.T and City seemed to have a depth of sound which made them famous in the first place, but this album has completely changed, there are no wired ambient or spooky sounds to let you know that you are listening to SYL. Now all we hear is the brutal pummuling of gene hoglans drums, the slashing of Byron's Bass, the deafing works of jed's guitars and the sharp and painful cries of Devin Townsend. All the members are like the lifline of a machine, who work its body and move with such power and control. In other words the band has created an awesome album which any fan of metal would be proud to own and listen too. I seriously think that this is only the beginning for SYL and that they will become an almighty force to reckon with, within the heavy metal industry

It has been a long, long wait for this album. As I waited not-so-patiently for the release date to approach, I felt a certain amount of dread, along with the excitement of a new SYL album. I, like many other fans, was afraid that this album would pale under the shadow of the almighty "City" album. After all, Devin himself admitted that there would be no way to top that album, so he came up with a new idea. He let SYL be a real band in the studio, instead of a monopoly. As a result, we have an album that is clearly SYL (which means it's freaking phenomenal), but is very different from "City" and "Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing."

To begin, the production is totally different from the cold, cybernetic-like production of "City." The production here is warmer, lending a more "live" feel to the album. The music has more groove than the previous 2 studio albums, but there is still PLENTY of speed in the drumming department, and even some black metal-style guitar riffs. Devin's vox are excellent, as usual, and utilizes his melodic voice more this time around (don't worry, though, LOADS of screaming). Lyrically, there is a BIG change from expressions of personal anger and mental and social anxiety to a more univeral expression of anger at the current world situation; as Devin said, "now we're all screaming together."

So, another "City" or "HAARHT" this record is not, just as those 2 albums are different from one another, so this record is different from both of them, but it is still undeniably brutal in the SYL fashion, excellent performances from Devin, Jed, Byron, and Gene. By the way, go see them live, they rock!

Strapping Young Lad's newest album is nothing short of amazing, in every sense of the word. HAARHT and "City" were both masterpieces, but this is better than both of those combined, in my opinion (maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but it's really good!)

The guitars are much, much heavier and more prevalent. The industrial influence is not nearly as prevalent, giving it a more guitar-heavy metal sound. Devin has become one of my favorite singers. His vocals on this album are, for the most part, incredibly brutal, though he does show he's not an amateur in terms of melodic singing, like in the chorus to "Force Fed" (which is an incredibly powerful song.) Gene Hoglan's insane drumming adds to albums heaviness. His speed and control of the double bass is pretty unreal.

The guitar sound on this album is just killer. I had to put this in at some point; The guitars just sound great. The riffs aren't particularly melodic, but they're incredibly heavy.

"Dire" is just an intro to the album really, and it's theme appears later in "Consequence". "Consequence", "Relentless" and "Rape Song" are incredibly brutal and angry songs, especially "Rape Song", in which the lyrics deal with giving the death penalty to rapists. Man, I'd love to see this band live, as I hear Devin himself is just unreal. I recommend doing anything you can to see them, even though I never have myself (Side note: I saw Devin with the Devin Townsend Band last week, and was blown away. Check them out too.)

The aforementioned "Force Fed" may be the biggest highlight for me. It starts off with Devin using his black-metalish scream, and then turns into a beautiful melodic choruse. The second time around, the synth comes in, making it even more powerful as he sings "And We'll find a way...Find a way to the world".

Like "City", this album is an intense metal masterpiece. Both albums get my highest recommendations, as well as "Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing", if you like those.

this is a really underrated SYL release,it's a great CD from the SYL boys and it's so brutal with songs like "consequence,relentless,force fed,dirt pride etc." it's a really heavy release and definetly deserves to be in anyone's metal collection,great release!!

Probably the most vicious and ultimately heaviest album I've ever heard, Strapping Young Lad's SYL is simply a metal masterpiece. Multitalented (and ever-hard-working) Devin Townsend unleashes a furious onslaught of metal massacre. Hear me out: this album is NOT for the faint of heart.

Basically, to listen to this album is to listen to the legions of hell decimate your world. This album is the soundtrack to war. However, this is not to say that SYL is a piece of overly patriotic pomp; a big theme on this album is a grim look straight into the face of the horrors of war. "Relentless" tells all; just the title alone represents what the United States has become in the past four years. "Consequences" illustrates that it does not matter what any country may be like, for the United States is out to destroy, period (not to mention there's a nice little poke at our leader: "Give us a reason for coming of war/ Fighting for Jesus through prices of oil"). And "Bring on the Young"...well, see if you can't figure that one out for yourself.

Other themes are explored elsewhere on this album. "Rape Song" is an unrelenting explosion of rage against the awful crime, with some vicious lyrics (with some good usage of swearing -an infrequent quality in metal nowadays). Others, such as "Devour" and "Last Minute" are more cryptic, with lyrics written to fit Devin's vocals. And of course, like most albums which Devin performs on, some of his unusual humor breaks in; "Dirt Pride" is the perfect example, with its very strange lyrics - "Dripping...Seeping/ Dripping...Leaking/ Dripping...Cabbages." O-kay.

Devin's vocals are loud, gruff cries, ranging from rough grunts and growls (not death metal, however) to terrific screams of torment and rage. The guitars (played by Jed Simon and Devin), detuned to ridiculously low-end tuning, are like the gusts of air that front a thunderhead. The drums (played by the godly Gene Hoglan, of Death and Dark Angel fame) are like the rumbling tread of tanks. Byron Stroud (co-currently with Fear Factory) plays ultra-low bass, adding even more power to the furious cacophony of pulverizing sound, leaving the listener well-scorched and -flattened. Ambient keyboards sweep through the flurry, a billion souls entering heaven within seconds of the decimation. This album is as impressive musically as it is an overall sonic masterpiece.

The production is another great thing about this album. Devin Townsend is currently one of the best producers out there, and it's great that he produces nearly everything he plays on. The sound is clear and loud, with plenty of bottom which would work wonders with subwoofers. The guitars have a thick, sweeping sound to them, yet with jagged edges that could take someone's head off. The bass is actually fairly audible most of the time. Both of these instruments are especially effective on "Relentless," during the bridge: suddenly there's only one guitar, pouring out thick riffs of double-picking, and then the other guitar, the drums and the bass return, with Byron playing a sort of funky melody in the midst of the metal fury. Some may complain about the lack of guitar solos, but I think it's quite a good choice: they would only prove to be distracting, even pretentious. And the drums...dear God. Gene Hoglan is one of the most intense, brutal, complex, and original drummers I've ever heard, and certainly one of my favorites, but here he doesn't just shine, he GLARES. His double-bass pedaling has always been nothing short of remarkable, and Devin clearly knows that, with that barrage of percussion dominating (yet not overpowering) each song.

Finally, kudos to Travis Smith for the brutal artwork throughout this album. The bloody feather on the cover is a mere tease of what is on the inside. Travis Smith has made some truly beautiful stuff before (on albums from Nevermore, Opeth, Evergrey, Arch Enemy, and many others), but here his work is downright disturbing, fitting well with the themes of the album.

This is not merely a metal record; this is an EXPERIENCE of pure, chaotic destruction. One does not listen to this album, they are PULVERIZED by it. Strapping Young Lad play some of the best metal to ever rock the world, and with SYL, it shows. Buy this album, and enjoy it...but don't get too violent.

Can someone please help me find my ears? Meshuggah who? Killswitch Engage what? Devin Townsend is a demon. Gene Hoglin is a monster. This album is absolutely killer. Now please, don't think this endorsement is for everyone. Trust me, if you don't like to have your brain pummeled, your bones rattled, or your guts completely rearranged, then by all means purchase something else. But for all of it's pure thrashing anger, unbelievable time signatures, UNHOLY and incomprehensible drumming, and not forgetting Lord Devin's AMAZING vocals, I find myself completely addicted to this album. One caveat for those that follow Devin's solo projects, this is probably NOT what you are expecting. SYL is pure unadulterated RAGE. But man is it fun! Highly recommended.

Every metalhead's favorite Canadian has struck again, this time channeling the anger of post-9/11 Americans and Al-Qaeda, with powerful anthems of hatred, death and war; all the while keeping it from being too cheesy.

Devin Townsend, the only guy that can scream "commiserate!" and still make it sound cool, has further demonstrated his mastery in not only songwriting and guitar mastery, but also with production. How he can make music so pulverizing and yet keep every single instrument and element of the music so crisp and clean is still a paradox to me.

Another thing that i really enjoyed about this album was Devin's method of "involving the crowd" in each of the songs. On the lyric sheet, all words in italic are the words that Devin requests the crowd sing/scream in concert, very original and very cool

With songs like "Consequence," "Rape Song," and the epic "Last Minute," it's hard to say this is a bad album. My favorite off of "Syl" is track 6, "Devour," because it's the one song that's a culmination of all the things great about the CD. It's heavy, fast and powerful.

A great buy if you're just looking for a good heavy CD to spin when you're bored or agitated.