The New Black

...alright, look. I've been tirelessly trying to figure out this review, this record, for weeks now - trying to extrapolate pure truth and meaning in a record that, truthfully, should irk me as a tired release and a final bookend chapter to this band. Of course, this was all in an attempt not to phone in and write a forced review - which, all things considered, is perhaps the most ironic aspect of coming to this review in the first place. As, with what Devin's words imply, 'Alien' was always the bookend for SYL. So, really, the implications of this record existing at all should, indeed, imply the notions of it being both phoned in, and, inevitably, forced all the same. Is it? If I'm being honest... no - in contrary, I believe 'The New Black' flips that concept on its head, taking it in stride - cementing some of the legacy of SYL into it very well - if not, in an imperfect fashion.

To start: I find it immensely important that we consider the songwriting and overall lyricism of this record first and foremost - as, perhaps one of the better known aspects I've come to realize as rather hackneyed over the years is their way with writing songs. Something I fear people don't really consider often is just how bad it has been, frankly! I mean, you can probably overlook some of the good in albums prior - 'City' was immensely popular, indeed, but had a lot of problems with substance in its lyricism, as a lot of words ended up being either incessantly anger-filled, and/or, just the word "fuck" altogether. While 'The New Black' does not particularly alleviate the issues of its predecessors with songs like "You Suck" and "Fucker" in the mix... I feel as though, the lyricism we find in a songs like "Decimator" and "Wrong Side" are, simply put... more articulated by design. It shows growth when your thoughts, musically, are able to build stanzas with nearly as much words that you could form a full sentence with - "sooner or later, the nights with the satyr will bring back the memory, leaving you money and time", just for an example from "Wrong Side" - albeit, still having some of the drags of lyricism from the past. I never said it was perfect - but it's better.

Alongside all this, is the discussion of mixing. Truthfully, we're on the second half of Devin's entire discography here - and, the mixing has immensely grown since - especially on the side of the coin that we find SYL to be on, oftentimes. Mixing between records is a progressive system we must accept, because it gives us the pure sound we're looking for - alas, however, SYL's mixing throughout their time has suffered one single issue that I can quantify as problematic: drums and bass. While I might understand it better as being a part of the sound - "sonic devastation" probably goes better hand in hand when your mix job gives sounds of blast beats like bullets and bass that distorts the whole song - it really ends up affecting the overall picture when we assess that, at the end of the day, this sound permeates the whole of the record. On this particular release, the drums are near-static, and the bass destroys the semblances of the songs before and after it hits. It's the type of aspect that, truthfully, makes a song like "Hope" perhaps the hardest to listen to in repeat runs.

All that said, however - the composition of this record is excellent. Dynamically, it hits just about every avenue it really needs to - elevating a song we prior heard like "Far Beyond Metal" to higher standing than we've ever seen before. Be it, in some way, benefiting from the aforementioned - and still, awfully troubling - mix, or led to some different ideas being thrown in on songs like "Antiproduct", or the like... simply put, it's interesting. The guitars slam down in interesting ways, and the atmosphere is... honestly, heavy. What else is to be expected, though? That's kind of what SYL always embodied - a sound doing its best to hit heavy, be meaningful, and comment on its surroundings... an aspect that SYL has never forgotten, up to this record. That, I find, is perhaps the best aspect of this record.

Other than that... yeah. Understandably, having reviewed this band has been tough for me - if not, showing how truly sporadic my beliefs in SYL really are. Truly! My perspective over the whole of Strapping Young Lad has been incredibly tumultuous over its time - but, in its own ways, I have a feeling that 'The New Black' does its job, further selling their legacy and giving us one last glimpse of a band we'd cherished for its time. Indeed - it has been a road full of bumps and forks in the road, but Devin was able to come out on top and produce something that, by the end of it all, closed the book on a band that, for a lack of better words, was indeed one strapping young lad!

...and so, to further honor the legacy of SYL, I leave you with these words.

"So, you're leaving... so, you're on your own... almost, again."

NOTABLE TRACKS: "You Suck", "Monument", "Far Beyond Metal", "Almost Again".

Strapping Young Lad's 5th and final record, The New Black, shows what state the band was in. They were tired, creatively drained, and definitely ready to end the project. But after the massive success of Alien, they needed to at least try, and try they did. But if at first you don't succeed, BREAK UP THE BAND WHY DON'T'CHA?! Anyways, besides obvious wishing that the band hadn't been broken up, this record is not bad in the slightest, but it leaves a lot to be desired. In other words, it is lack-luster.

Devin's vocals are definitely on par with what we have become accustomed to. However, he doesn't have much variation with his range, compared to Alien that is. He normally keeps his voice in a higher range, on this record that is. This lack of variation doesn't mean that I think his vocals are bad, as some of my favorite songs off of this record show that he still has it, like "Fucker" for instance. Two songs that shows he can still do low vocals are "Polyphony" and "The New Black," and are excellent closing songs for a record like this. The comedy in his voice is definitely present on this record, but will never compare to the wack-house of Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing. I know that I harp on that record incessantly, but it is just a perfect example of the stupid shit Devin can do.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the creative department is beginning to loose stock. Please stop buying shit. Now, what did I mean by that? Oh yeah, this record has severe lacking in the creative department. No, not in the sense that every damn riff is the same, but more in the sense that it sounds more like a, dare I say it, mid-2000's metalcore band. Now, that is in no way true for all of the songs, but a surprising amount do. Songs like "Hope" and "Almost Again" definitely have that garbage metalcore feel that I cannot shake off of my back. Ugh. Besides that, the band actually has some interesting riffs, like the main riff for "Wrong Side," and all of "Fucker." "Fucker" is especially good, having a bit of a classic sound to it. Speaking of a classic sound, "Far Beyond Metal" is possibly one of the best songs of the 2000's. Devin, Jed, Byron, and Gene really outdid themselves on this track. Now, I know that it is was a song only played live, but they recorded it so well. Devin and Jed's guitar work is so true to classic metal riffs, like early Slayer, Testament, Death, hell, even Diamond Head. It truly is an homage to metal, and the cheesy voices that come with announcing it.

Devin's wall of sound this record cements what he is going to sound like in the many, many years to come. It is almost repetitive to harp on it every single time, but I must. The midrange is back, the unrelenting ear assault is back, and that warm feeling is back. Why is this stuff back? As on Alien, that wall of sound was a lot more bass oriented, but this time Devin hits that midrange square in the chest. It doesn't feel out of place and works very well. This is most apparent on "Wrong Side" and "The New Black."

Again, lyrics are classic Devin Townsend rantings and ravings. They keep in theme of the album, and help it along. It stutters occasionally, like on "Hope." "You Suck" has got some of the funniest lyrics on the record, saying that you and I suck. I honestly believe that this song is a jab at people who think that Strapping uses fuck way to much. In "You Suck," one of the lines reads as 'I don't give a fuck you fucking fuck!'. Telling people to shut up using what annoys them. Nice job.

In retrospect, The New Black is a lack luster attempt to match up with the likes of Alien, but it works in its own respective rights. The signature Devin Townsend wall of sound really became cemented on this record, some crappy metalcore-esque riffs are littered throughout the record, and a very tired feeling that lingers heavily. It is no surprise that the band called it quits, but one can only wonder if they hadn't.

For years I digest every-freakin-thing Devin Townsend puts out into the public eye. I have an adoration for this man that almost achieves the godhood status, maybe even gay level.

Both SYL and his solo projects are high quality music, and Devin has spoiled us with it. When he releases music that isn't along with his quality standards, one scratches his head in confusion. But this isn't a bad metal album, it is just... Meh

SYL is one of those bands that you can run through a full album and still consider a respin of the same album. Okay, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing is a weird one, it was their first and it is also a curious ride. With the New Black, it happened. I changed tracks. And this isn't common in a Devin Townsend album, because he likes to build albums as a whole, and make the experience as most sequential as possible.

The opener is unimpressive. It lacks the typical buildup in the past albums. The second track named "You suck" is cringe at best. If people think that their 1st and 2nd albums had childish lyrics, this song is the culmination of that. If feels like it is just a filler track. The "Anti product" is where the typical Devin seal of approval is stamped. I love the build up in this, and the chorus is catchy as hell. Skipping "Monument" because, well, it's another filler happy song, "Wrong Side" blasts in it's typical SYL that we are used to. The song is just fast and pounding, and the clean vocals mixed with the guitar shreds makes it resemble a modern age opera on acids.

The first WOW of this album is that "Far Beyond Metal" is finally recorded. They have played this song since 1997 if I am not mistaken, and took them almost 10 years to record it. Though the song itself is awesome and a joke to the whole metal scene that is elitist as hell, it is completely off the album's context. They try to disguise it with "Fucker" as the following track, but such intend is overshadowed with the (at least to me) most brilliant song Devin as ever composed to SYL: "Almost Again"

"Almost Again" is one hell of a beast of a song. Starts melodious and melancholic, with some impressive guitar work and drums. That hi-hat barking constantly is the most satisfying thing I ever listened Gene do. He just goes full on tecnical until they reach the chorus where it blasts into a sci-fi fest that resembles one sticking his head into a working jet turbine. This song has the perfect build up, theme, and if Devin Townsend wants to make more songs that resemble a bastard child of his work with Fear Factory on steroids, I can go down with that.

And such magic is ended, and there is only the album track to listen, that is a shame that is pushed til the end of the album. It is a great closure song, but it may also be ignored by people who quit in the middle of the album (sure as hell I did a couple of times).

This isn't a bad album, actually it is a pretty solid one, and you can see some evolution here. The guitar work is far more melodic, and there are even guitar solos (there is one brilliant one on "Wrong Side"), unlike previous efforts that were mostly palm mutes and power chords, you have some fancy note progressions that are more akin to Devin's solo work. Also Gene is the same beast man behind the drums. The thing here is that it has some moments of brilliance covered by a lot of average stuff. But then again, Devin spoiled us by making very good music all the time. We all know that this album was to seal the deal they had with the editor, and that Devin was recovering from his abusive drug consumption in the past, and also shifting his music orientation to new heights. This album is just a deal seal, an amalgamation of both good tracks and filler content.

I am a big Devin Townsend fan. I own all of Strapping Young Lad's releases as well as all of Devin's solo stuff. I love his voice, his songwriting and his nutty sense of humor. City may be the classic, and many consider Alien his masterpiece (why though?), but this is the record that does it for me.

The New Black is actually, along with probably SYL, the most basic Strapping record arrangement-wise. It is mostly dominated by the guitars, drums and vocals. This is also probably their most technical release, although technicality is not what Strapping Young Lad is about. Most of all though, this record is fucking addictive, like heroin or crack. For a stretch of time I could not get enough of this album and HAD to listen to it every day. I had to get my fix.

Devin is in top form here both vocally and in his songwriting. This is probably the Strapping release with the highest amount of clean vocal work, and I find it works. "Decimator" has some great melodic riffs and some very enjoyable clean vocal passages only to cresendo at the end very nicely. "The Antiproduct" is a funky tune where a few different instruments such as horns and jazz flute come into play during the bridge once again showing that these guys don't take the metal thing too seriously, which is nice to see and hear.

"Wrong Side" is a landmark in itself. This is arguably my favorite Strapping song of all time. The great ascending riff, the intense vocal passages and the tight arrangments make this track something to remember. The chorus is also a great ascending melody where Devin's vibrato really shines over an incredibly fast sweep picking and tapping lick. The schizophrenic beauty of it never ceases to marvel me.

"Far Beyond Metal" is a live staple of the band's which was finally put on record. The tongue-in-cheeck opus to metal is fantastic and the riffs and rythm of it are great. The guest spot from Oderus Urungus is also very funny and rickin'. I recommend you check ou the lyrics for a good laugh.

"Almost Again" the album's ballad if you will, is a well-layered and orchestrated piece of music with soaring clean and harsh vocal passages which are only accentuated by Hoglan's phenomenal timing. This is what a metal album's slower song should sound like.

The album closer and title track does not disappoint either. The opening riff sounds like something off Seasons in the Abyss and the gang vocal call-and-response is very well executed. At the mid-point though, things get funky. Blast beats over a very happy and clean vocal passage inspire many to simply utter "wtf?" but it actually closes things off nicely once you get used to it.

This record is not one that immediately jumps to the listener but rather it grows on you. At least that's what happened to me. It is well worth the wait however as there is this undefinable X-factor that gives this album its charm. An unexplainable element that adds richness to the musical landscape. I think that's what great records are made of.

This album, like any Strapping Young Lad album, kicks total ass and is full of violent ear destruction of the highest caliber. The album, as has become increasingly true of SYL albums, and indeed of all of Townsend's efforts, is very diverse, from standard SYL anger ("You Suck," another in the long line of classics like Shitstorm and Oh My Fucking God) to an epic tribute to metal and metality ("Far Beyond Metal") to ethereal hard rock slightly more reminiscent of albums like Accellerated Evolution and Ocean Machine ("Almost Again"). Of course, the production and sound quality are absolutely top tier, as is to be expected with any work Devin puts his hands to. To use a cliche, The New Black has it all: rock, roll, metal, killer solos, horn sections. There are even a couple of golden guest appearances. Hard rocking Canadienne Bif Naked appears on the mid-paced love-fest "Fucker," and GWAR frontmonster Oderus Urungus quotes his own lyrics in "Far Beyond Metal."

While like every Devin Townsend venture this album is new and forward-thinking, it also feels in some ways like SYL has gone back before going forward. That is, it feels more like a continuation of the older SYL style than the logical sequel to 2005's Alien. While Alien felt like an expansion on the style of 2003's self-titled SYL album (which itself seemed to come out of nowhere after a long hiatus for the project), The New Black feels like it is jumping in right where City left off in 1997. This of course begs the question of where next will SYL be going? Will they be going further down the path of raging speed as they have here, or back to the more groovy, cerebral path of Alien? Wherever they go, I'd just like them to stop here on the way.

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD - THE NEW BLACK, 2006

This is a Devin Townsend year. We heard earlier another album ("Synchestra") of his side project, The Devin Townsend Band and in july SYL released "The New Black". It is certainly great to see that mr. Townsend keeps working feverishly on many things at a time. What comes as a surprise is the very short period of time in which "The New Black" was written, because their previous CD, "Alien" (2005), was their definite comeback into the metal scene (even though I didn't like it as much as "City", many still claim that "Alien" is their masterpiece) and we hadn't expected another release so soon (I for one didn't see it coming) But what drew many new fans to the maniacal sound of this band was the many-faced attack of their last album and this is exactly what "The New Black" delivers only partially. True to their own chamaleonic character, the band reaches for new things, while conserving some others that make it unmistakably SYL. But I think "The New Black" is musically more related to the "Self-Titled" (2003) instead of "Alien".

Not to say that "The New Black" is as bland as the S/T was (honestly speaking, the S/T was very limited, specially comparing it to "City") We can still recognize the savage breaks, the opera-like feel, the fertile & humourous imagination, the undefinable mix of Death, Thrash, Industrial, Proggressive and even Speed. However, the general feel of the album lacks the thorough synth layer, which only surfaces ocassionally. If you loved the majestic aura of "Alien", you'll probably miss it on "The New Black". In here the guitar plays a far more important role (and most of the keyboards seem to have gone to "Synchestra")

What I would say against "The New Black" (and against the S/T as well) is that they relied on a more conventional and straightforward approach, perhaps due to the general theme, the music industry itself. "Alien" was unpredictable (although erratic at times) and in "The New Black" they respect a songwriting rule over and over again (most of the songs are 3 or 4 minutes long). This guys are capable of writing an amazing bridge, full of quicksilvery riffs and synths, but some strophes and even some of the anthem-like choruses sound frankly generic and repetitive (like the annoying strophe in "Antiproduct"). What could be a magnifiscent song ("The New Black", a track with a very powerful opening and a truly inspiring climax) ends up sounding tiring.

But cheer up, it's still brutal. The amazing turns performed belong to the "instant classic" category, such as the hysterical chorus and soloing of "Wrong Side", the assault at full speed of "Far Beyond Metal", or the weird instruments on "Antiproduct". Their musicianship is quite good; prove of that are the crazy solos and the hellish drumming.

I have to confess that I don't think it's healthy for the band to keep mixing the Devin Townsend Band stuff with the SYL spirit, even though the DTB project seemed to have some kind of cathartic effect on SYL (mr. Townsend returned as the SYL around the time the DTB was founded). This "crossover" ruined for me the "Alien" experience. "Almost again" and "Polyphony", however, are the tracks I really keep returning to, because those are the tracks that sound sincere to me. The others are fun to listen to, but after a while, I I feel the urge to skip some parts, namely the parts that sound forced; I have come to think that SYL's feature, the so-called "chaos", isn't... well, chaotic anymore; ever since I heard "Love?" from "Alien" (a song that is utterly crushed by "Skeksis" or "Shitstorm") I have been thinking that something is wrong; now I have the alarming impression that "Synchestra" holds a lot more of lasting power. Maybe mr. Townsend didn't spend as much time composing "The New Black"?

Call me old fashioned, but I think I'll rather stick to "City". "The New Black" will be enjoyed by many SYL fans, but definitely this is no classic CD. They are so ingenious, though, that I haven't lost my faith in their capabilities. I'm sure the greatest SYL release is still ahead. Almost again, guys.

On first listen I was both impressed and disappointed at the same time...which may seem kind of odd. I was impressed at the musicianship, production and general awesomeness of Strapping Young Lad. However the disappointment came in when I listened to the songs and was hit by the general lack of all out aggressive insanity, ever-present on his previous albums. It just didn't seem like SYL.


HOWEVER...that was a first listen. On repeated spins, the album is actually growing on me and a few of the songs are slowly becoming some of my favourite SYL songs! There is more emphasis on keyboards and they are used quite differently on this album than they have been on others. It comes across as a combination of The Devin Townsend Band, Physicist (a couple of the riffs are almost flipside versions of ones found on some of his solo albums!) then completely mashed up into the grandeur and excess of SYL...with added aggression. There are still some insane and extreme songs and moments on this album ('Wrong Side' particularly) but the thing is that it isn't one long headfuck as with the previous albums and although it has been noted before, some of the lyrics actually describe why:

"It was all too much for the alien...we're doing it for the baby"

He's soon to become a father, so going emotionally and mentally AWOL as he did with Infinity and Alien, may not be the best idea at this present moment in time. Whereas it may not quite be Strapping Young Lad to most anymore, it still has some incredible song writing and musicianship, and this is what should really be valued about the band, even when the material isn't quite 100% they put their all into it...they could make the worst song in the world sound good. One highlight is Gene's drumming, at times it seems like the most intense he's played with SYL.

This is however much you pick at it, still a brilliant album and much better than many of the apparent '5 star jobs' that I've seen released, rated and reviewed recently.

My favourite songs off this album are: 'You Suck', 'Wrong Side', 'Far Beyond Metal', 'The New Black'

I didn't feel good about this album from the first time I heard it. I was introduced to SYL with City, an undisputed classic. I then acquired SYL, which wasn't as good as City but undoubtedly had that x-factor that SYL has and it was just crazy/epic enough for me. Alien was another milestone and even exceeds City in my opinion. That album will forever be one of my favorite metal records. The thing with all three of these records is they are all different, but when you hear them, you know that it is undoubtedly SYL.

The New Black perplexed me upon first listen because the common link that tied those three records together was almost completely absent. Wrong Side (along with the middle section of Hope) is the only song that has that SYL sound. Decimator is rather average and doesn't really go anywhere. You Suck...I can see how some would find it amusing but I just found the lyrics borderline parody of what this band is capable of. Antiproduct and Monument are both terribly average. Wrong Side is the lone standout, amazing SYL through and through. Hope starts out rather boringly, but the middle section somehow manages to salvage this song...it's quite amazing, more insane SYL genius. Far Beyond Metal serves better as a live joke song, but despite this, the studio version found here is still quite enjoyable. Fucker, once again, I see how it's intended to be humorous, but this song is just TERRIBLE, and very annoying. Almost Again is *almost* a great song, but really doesn't go anywhere; the only thing it has going for it is the verse/chorus transition that it relies on about THREE TIMES in the song. Polyphony/The New Black is actually a great and catchy closer that draws some reference to the song Judgement off of Devin Townsend Band's genius Synchestra release.

I'm not sure why this release is getting unanimously high marks when I find it lacks a lot of the things that make SYL...SYL. It just doesn't have that signature sound and a lot of it is rather boring and uninteresting. Still, there are moments here and there that make it somewhat of a worthwhile listen, but overall this release is pretty lackluster.

The New Black is very, very different than anything Strapping has ever done before. Taking an approach completely opposite to that which spawned 2005's "Alien", they opt for a relatively straightforward, cleaner sounding album that trades complex, off-the-wall arrangements and riffs for a more traditional metal sound.

Not to say that there isn't any of the craziness that listeners have come to associate with SYL, but on this album, it's definitely been tempered down. Likely, some of the fans wont like the direction this album has taken, but as far as I'm concerned, Strapping has provided me with exactly what I needed to contrast with an album like "Alien". The New Black is a perfect driving album. It doesn't demand that you sit and pay attention to pick up on a whole bunch of fine points (though there still are some), but instead allows you to just sit back and enjoy a top-notch in-your-face METAL album. I can say without hesitation that TNB is the catchiest goddamn album Strapping has ever come up with. The fact that it sounds a bit more mainstream than its predecessors doesn't change the fact that each song totally kicks ass.

Also, anyone who's familiar with Devin Townsend's solo work will see a lot of that style drifting over onto this album. Myself, I actually prefer the solo material to SYL, so for me, this is an awesome thing. There just isn't as much anger on this album as the band has been known for. TNB has more clean vocal melodies than any other SYL release. But don't mistake these changes in tone for a lack of emotional power. The band has just tweaked their style so that for all the anger and hate that still remains, there is now, more than ever, a sense of genuine, feel-good, get-out-there-and-trample-everything-in-your-way empowerment that was only ever mildly seen in other Strapping stuff.

A change? Hell yeah.
Was Strapping awesome before this album? Hell yeah.
Is The New Black awesome? Hell yeah.
'Cuase change, in this case, is all good.

I don't need to comment on the skill level of the players. They blow the shit out of the instruments with tight, skillful mastery. No problems there. No obviously stand-out tracks either. I love 'em all.

Strapping Young Lad is a band filled with musicians so talented the line-up looks like an all-star dreamband. Gene Hoglan is one of the finest drummers of all time and Devin Townsend is and has been for a long time my favourite musician. Not only does he manage to convey emotion better than anyone in metal history, he is one of the most consistent songwriters I have ever come across. Due to this it’s logical for me to have great expectations for every upcoming release. Could he release another mindblowing record after two masterpieces within a year, Alien and Synchestra, or would he simply run out of steam like many others would? Well, neither really. The New Black isn’t exactly City but it’s still a worthy successor to Alien.

SYL is a band going through constant musical evolution; no two records are really alike. There is no going back to the days of sonic Industrial onslaught that is City, or the more straightforward death metal coldness of SYL. So what is to be expected of TNB? Well, the theme of the album according to mister Townsend is “Loathing the current music scene, yet being a part of it in some strange way”. This can easily be attributed to their recent inclusion to the 2006 Ozzfest tour. Someone might read as far into it that this is SYLs selling out record. This album is accessible, by SYLs standards anyway, the wall of sound is almost gone and the album is groovy in the vein of AAA and Love? It will surely attract a lot of younger listeners less versed in metal.

The New Black isn’t accessible in the way the album SYL was; it’s not straightforward, in fact it’s a lot more quirky than City or Alien, it’s just less insane, less aggressive and more… passive. There has been some obvious leakage of Devin’s solo material into SYL and the result is more clean vocals, a bigger emphasis on atmosphere and more melodies. This isn’t exactly a bad thing as such, but it does gnaw away at the basic principle of SYL, which, in my humble opinion, is to be completely fucking batshit insane and all over the place.

Normally I wouldn’t do a track-by-track review, I find those to be dull and redundant, but somehow I feel it’s appropriate here. Here’s to me wishing I never do one again.

The album starts with Decimator, a song in the same vein as the first track of Alien, Imperial. It’s a great song too, with nice riffage all around, some sinister lyrics (“It’s in your nature to fear, fearing the cracks in the earth”). It also introduces something new that we have only ever heard rarely on a SYL record, in fact the only songs that have had one until now is We Ride and Far Beyond Metal, guitar solos. Seems like Devin has received a spark to shred, and this change is more than welcome. Next up is You Suck. A speedy little devil with some more fine soloing, a lighthearted song with some rather humorous lyrics (“Tell us how much they fucking suck! Hell yeah they fucking suck! You and your band you fucking suck! Hell yeah you fucking suck!”). Immature or not, it works.

Antiproduct, while having its moments, is not as good song all-around as one would hope for. The repetitive groove isn’t catchy enough to make it seem worthwhile playing the same riff over and over. Luckily, the noise parts are manage to somewhat redeem the song. The song also has a fairly interesting jazz part. The following song, Monument, is a good example of how the solo material has been fused into this album. It’s an organic song with a bouncy (no not mallcore-bouncy) riff that trots along in mid-tempo and a lot of clean vocals. It kind of lacks direction though, it only serves as a mellow track before the barrage of neckbreak that is Wrong Side.

Wrong Side is what everyone wants from SYL, a fast, chaotic, cold song that wouldn’t seem too out of place on City. Devin sounds truly majestic singing “Say the word and I’ll be gone!” while the band seemingly gives their everything to create an ocean of noise around Townsend’s island of sanity. Bah, now I’m just romancing over it. After that comes Hope, another groove song that somewhere around the middle morphs into schizophrenic bulk of ultra-noise, getting louder and louder and finally ending with Devin screaming “Respect!” over and over. An angry number, and a condensation of the maniacal elements that are otherwise missing from this album. Reminds me of the Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing album.

Cue the studio version of the song previously only played live and published on the live album No Sleep Till Bedtime and the For Those Aboot To Rock DVD, an homage to old school metal cheese. This song has always been one of my favourites, and it’s nice to finally hear a studio version of it, but sadly it loses something in translation. Not only do I miss the announcement the original version has, the live energy is, naturally, not there and the lyrics have lost that something something (even though the “Hey you ironic pop-rock fuck / don’t you fuck with metal / one line and you’re outta control / yeah we fucking OWN YOU!” part should bring a smile to anybody’s face). “The Maggot Master” Oderus singing the lines borrowed from GWAR sounds pretty badass though. Fucker, despite the rather cliché “Play this shit on the radio” angle and even more cliché female vocals (by someone called Bif Naked, whoever that is), isn’t too bad a song. Actually it does just what it’s supposed to, it’s catchy as hell and it’s probably the easiest SYL song to get into thus far. I can a lot of people loathing this one, seeing as even I can’t help but to think of it as a take on nu-metal. It has its place though.

Almost Again has some excellent vocals alternating between clean coherency and chaotic screaming. Some pretty damn nice drumming by Hoglan. It seems to lack direction though and really goes nowhere. Polyphony acts as an intro to the title track. Think dark Two Weeks. It’s nice to hear Devin’s voice without the layers of noise piled on top of it for a change. The New Black is a slower number with a lot of vocal harmonies, trudging along like a giant. A really good closer that summarizes the album perfectly.

Throughout this album there is less chug riffing and a bigger emphasis technicality than in the past. The samples are almost gone, yet the keyboards are still there. There’s also a lot of little peculiar elements in the songs that make them more interesting, like the S. Y. L. chant of Decimator, the jazz of Antiproduct, the near-subliminal sounds of flying bats of Polyphony and The New Black… the list goes on. SYL truly goes that extra mile to make their music unique, to add nuances to their own brand of Industrial Metal.

The main problem of The New Black is that it’s less extreme in every aspect. Where Alien squeezed every bit of creative juice from the band, TNB plays it safe and tries to create groove-based atmospheres along the songs. This doesn’t always work, and when it does the listener is left yearning for more. Devin has stated that the album Alien almost killed him and it’s a wonder he’s still actually making records. Could it be a conscious decision for him to mellow out and not pour all of his energies into making music? Some of the lyrics in Fucker may be able to shed some light on the subject: “I've said it before, now I'll say it again / It was all too much for the alien / So heavy metal, fuck it, rock / We're doing it for the baby”. As the hardcore fans and stalkers may know, Devys wife is pregnant. So is this some kind of a message to the fans? That he’s trying to keep sane for the baby? I dare to over-interpret as much. Oh but I digress.

While not an instant classic, The New Black is definitely not an album to be missed by a SYL fan. It’s also probably the easiest entry point for anyone who wants something that’s easier to digest. The sheer originality of the music alone makes up for a lot of the possible bloopers you may find. If you ‘kind of liked’ City but thought it wasn’t technical enough, you might want to check this one out.

The circumstances surrounding Strapping Young Lad's lastest opus "The New Black" could explain why the album has been polarizing Devy fans across the web. With the band's recent addition to Ozzfest, Century Media forced the band to get an album out before Ozzfest. The result is "The New Black."

"The New Black"'s intro song, Decimator sets the tone for the rest of the record. This album, although undeniably Strapping Young Lad, takes in a great deal of influence from Devin Townsend's solo works. Solos are more abundant, clean vocals are overall more prominant, and a bit of the dark atmosphere that the Lads once had is gone. All it takes is one listen to the second riff in Decimator to hear the new influences, this "happy metal" riff wouldn't be all that out of place on Generic Power Metal Album. Imperial or Velvet Kevkorian this is not, Decimator starts off fairly mellow until it explodes with chants of "S.Y.L.!" and Devin's harsh vocals. The drum attack is provided by Gene Hoglan, who perhaps offers up the strongest preformance of his career on this album.

Next up is You Suck. This track is the first to re-introduce the comedy aspect to Strapping Young Lad, a part of the band that's been a bit missing since the self-titled album. You Suck is very reminscant of some of the tracks from City. The drum work is hypnotic as Dev spits out satirisitc lyrics - "You and your band, you fucking suck! (Hell yeah, you fucking suck!) So tell us how much we fucking suck! (Hell yeah, we fucking suck!) ... Even your girlfriend fucking sucks!" The tone of this album isn't that far off from a Manowar album, it's all about "keeping metal real," but at least the Lad's aren't serious about this! Antiproduct is one of the weaker tracks off "The New Black," almost all of the song is forgettable, with only really the brass band section being memorable. However, it's not a bad song by any means.

Monument is a big slab of Terria, done Strapping Young Lad style. The soaring vocals over the huge keyboard lines just scream Terria out of every vein. However, this song isn't quite up to the quality of any of the amazing tracks off Terria. Once again, it's not a bad track, but then again, this one keeps growing on me with every listen. Maybe it needs just a few more listens. The next track is about as subtle as a steamroller though, Wrong Side kicks your ass right to the ground right from the opening! This song features Dev and Jed's most blistering lead work ever put to record. It's catchy, heavy, dark, everything a Strapping Young Lad song needs to be. An instant Strapping classic.

Hope seems to be getting a bit of a bad rap from fellow Strapping fans. However, just because it's different from the band's earlier work, doesn't mean it's a bad song. It's a bit more slow and deliberate than anything the band has done before, with simple guitar lines with a solid drum and bass backup. It originally doesn't stand up, but then the amazing chorus just gets stuck in your head and doesn't get out. And when the song starts to speed up, it's simply amazing. It's good to see that Strapping aren't afraid to experiment a bit from their trademark "wall of sound" approach to songwriting. Far Beyond Metal follows, which is a studio recording of the famous live joke track. Devin re-worked this track from a joke to an anthemic ode to Metal, complete with Oderus of Gwar fame. Some of the re-written lines are ripe with Strapping's trademark self-satire - "Fuck you ironic pop-rock fuck, don't you fuck with metal!" I personally didn't expect this to hold up to the live versions, however, the reworked version is even superiour to the live track.

So far, so good, right? Well, then, I guess we should skip Fucker. This is by far the weakest Strapping track ever put out (Skin Me, you're not at the bottom anymore!) The track is kinda interesting when you take into effect that it's the sell-out track that could never sell-out, considering that Dev drops the f-bomb during almost all his vocal lines. However, the music is just crap, and Bif Naked's guest appearance brings the track to a new echelon of shittiness that I thought Strapping could never acheive. And it all seemed so good up till here too. However, Almost Again redeems all of Fucker's sins. Yet another instant classic, this is yet another track that could be pulled from Devin's solo albums and pumped up with some of the Strapping intensity and anger. Devin's vocals soar and rage, and there is some more amazing drumming from Hoglan.

Polyphony is an intro to The New Black, and it's one of the rare 'stripped down' Devin tracks where the layers of production are stripped away, and you only have Devin, a guitar, and a few brief drum fills and keyboard lines. The main riff is nearly identical to the riff from Judgement off Devin's latest solo album, Synchestra, Dark and brooding, the song serves as a great intro to the massive title track, with face-melting rifffs and a spitting vocal delivery, this is a Strapping track to remember. Pay attention to the drumming during the last few minutes - wow!

All together this is another great album from Strapping Young Lad, with only a few downsides. This album could be reccomended to almost anyone who didn't enjoy Strapping Young Lad in the past, the "immaturity" is a lot more blatently satiristic than in previous albums (I mean, someone could argue Dev was serious in say, City, but not during You Suck,) there are a lot more solos than ever before, and the songs are a lot more progressive in nature. Some fans claim it's not angry enough, and it sounds more like Devin's solo albums than a Strapping album, but these same fans would probably be complaining if he put out Alien 2. "The New Black" is Devin accepting the Strapping insanity. This iset another step forward for the Lads, but I can only wonder what this album would be like if the label didn't rush it out ...

...but not exactly there.

Alright, so basically what a lot of S.Y.L fans are saying is "WE WANT A CITY 2!" Well, sorry folks, but Dev himself said that ain't happening. Luck for us however, this album actually does a decent job of capturing the intensity of that record. However, it does it in a new sort of way. Instead of just being crushing industrial metal/grind, we get a much more traditional vibe, almost as if this were a basic heavy metal album, complete with pretty heavy riffage and...solos all over? Yep, S.Y.L are doin' solos, almost as if this was a whole record of We Ride. As for comparing to older songs, they're also pretty similar to AAA and Love? Now is this good or bad? Well, read on...

Decimator- 8/10- Well, this certainly isn't Imperial by any means, but you can tell that there's a much higher usage of more technical riffage that sound like solos, rather than chug. Either you'll like it, or you won't, but it does a great job of still keeping the intensity that SYL is known for. They even chant "S...Y...L!" later on in the song, which is a real cool part. The vocal delivery by Dev is done really nicely on this song too!

You Suck- 9/10- This song's just plain hilarious. Basically sounds just like the title states, and the lyrics show it in the most humorous way. Nice seeing SYL doing a funny song once again. There's some real kick ass riffage going on, especially at 1:31! Almost sounds like Alien! The chorus is just plain great, and the solo at 1:14 is totally sweet...! Great shit, and awesome for if you're really pissed off at somebody.

The Antiproduct- 10/10- I freakin' love this song! The beginning is pretty damn intense and almost sounds like something that would come from City. Then the rest of the song sounds basically like AAA with more guitar work going on. Again, more awesome vocals coming from Dev. The song all around is pretty catchy in itself. Dev also sounds pretty sinister when he goes into his more whispering voice. Then later on in the song, at 2:05, we get some kick-ass keyboards, and then 2:16, we get a hilarious yet awesome jazz section that really sounds great and actually fits the song pretty well. Probably the closest to City that Dev has gotten so far to me.

Monument- 9/10- This song is also really good, with a rip-your-face-off opening riff, and that same style of riff basically tearing you apart throughout. Thought the package isn't as cool as the last song, it can certainly stand on it's own. More through the middle though, it's a lot less intense and just sounds like "chug-chug," but there's plenty of awesome to keep you interested. I'm not really impressed with the lyrics either, but it's SYL, so that's not really anything we haven't heard before.

Wrong Side- 10/10- We Ride: The Sequel. It basically sounds a lot like that song, but in plenty of ways, better! Much more intense, faster, and actually more technical! REALLY dig that chorus! Good thing that this song is so awesome, because it definitely deserves a music video! Plus the solo totally shreds and is done excellently, and I love Dev's clean passages in this one, with atmosphere that almost sounds like it would come out of The Dark Crystal (since Dev's a big fan of that movie). Fantastic song!

Hope- 6/10- Whoa, what the hell? Now in my opinion, this is probably the weakest track on the album. I know AAA was pretty slow for SYL standards, but wow, this almost goes TOO slow. It's hardly even heavy. It kinda builds up later on, but it just goes pretty slow throughout, and is actually kinda boring. The only thing I really enjoy about it is the fact that Dev's clean sections are really nice to listen to. The keyboards are kinda cool, but this is pretty much straight-up boring chug-chug. 3:00 into it is pretty cool though, and it actually ends pretty well, but the rest of the song isn't really all too great.

Far Beyond Metal- 8/10- Now I know what you're probably thinking. "HOLY CRAP! A STUDIO RECORDING OF FAR BEYOND METAL?! SCHNIKES!!" But I assure you, this certainly doesn't top the original. The intensity in the original is sort of lost in the production. Some of the lyric changes are crap, and Oderus's guest appearance is slightly underwhelming and not too surprising. The good points? The riffage is still pretty tight and catchy, and "Oh you ironic pop-rock fuck! Don't you FUCK with metal!!" Is probably the funniest thing off the album to me. The first line (and the repeats of it throughout) sound kind of awkward without the "King...Raul wang!" part. The clean parts are yet again done fantastically too. Gotta love Dev's clean voice. Plus I kinda miss the introduction, because that kinda ruins the point. 'Cause hey, this is all about the cheesy announcing and riffing in metal! Oh well, it's still pretty awesome, especially for people who haven't heard this on No Sleep 'Til Bedtime.

Fucker- 7/10- Mmm, pretty decent I'd say. The opening riff is pretty nice, and it is fairly intense. Bif Naked's guest appearance is pretty damn cool I'll admit, and the second part after all the "FUCKER"s in the chorus is pretty sweet...! Dev really kills on vocals on this album, though of course it's not like...as stellar as Alien anyway. Some of the riffs in this song are pretty killer too, so it's a fun little song. Plus the solo is AWESOME. Will probably be considered the most underrated song on the album.

Almost Again- 10/10- You know how we thought that SYL were screwing with our minds with Two Weeks? Well, this is kinda like that in that sense, because it's probably much more soft in nature, though not in the fact that it's an acoustic ballad, no, it's straight up metal. However, I assure you, it's catchy, and a DAMN good song, with probably the best vocals on the album. Plus the chorus goes freakin' PWWOOOMM, almost as if it were trying to BE the speed of sound as it implies. And are those girl vocals I hear? Pretty sure THAT'S not Bif Naked, but good stuff! 1:55 really sounds crushing too! I love when it REALLY gets intense like that! The last version of the chorus is really awesome to listen to as well, and ends as if it were off one of Dev's solo albums combined with a rock being blown up by a cannon.

Polyphony- 9/10- Whoa, a reverberation of the beginning riff on Judgement! Hmm, Dev's vocals are real interesting on this one. Kinda creepy almost, but very nicely down. As it goes through that part, it seems to get into a more beautiful sounding part, with even BETTER vocals, and then it kicks into high gear! This song was really excellently done for an intro to The New Black, which...

The New Black- 8/10- ...actually doesn't seem as impressive as the song that opens it up. Though of course it's not bad, definitely. Starts off with some faster-paced chug-a-chug, and building up with Dev screaming as usual and adding some more to the riffage and adding keyboard effects. Sounds pretty cool, but suffers from lack of intensity and just sounding like straight up chuggin'. Doesn't really serve as a booming title track, but it's pretty damn good in it's own right. 2:22's clean section sounds fantastic especially! Kinda reminds me of Physicist in a way. In fact, now that I mention, you kinda get that feeling through most of the album...! Then 3:14 comes around, and it REALLY sounds like it's building up to start kicking your ass, and surely enough this section comes in and rips you to shreds, stopping with that insatiable chugging and thrashing in your face! The keyboards on this part sound quite sinister, and then Dev breaks out with a KILLER clean section! Then it does this crazy sounding keyboard combined with riffage and fades out with only just those keyboards going at it with some noise action closing the album that sounds pretty far out and actually oddly disturbing. Good, but it kinda took a bit to build up.

So in summation, this is pretty much what most of the people who didn't like SYL wanted, more concentration on riffs and more intensity. Well, they hit those in some of the songs, and even in some parts they get it practically perfect, but it's spread out kinda crapily. Though I can't really blame Dev, 'cause he's been working his ass off making excellent album after another. This is almost like his "I need a break, but I'm going out with style!" album, though that just only slightly fills you with disappointment, as with the way this was made, you'll be begging for something better when he gets back from his hiatus for taking care of his child. Thankfully, this album is QUITE an improvement over the self-titled, and there's plenty of fun and great moments to warrant a listen.

Highlights: You Suck, The Antiproduct, Wrong Side, Almost Again, Polyphony

(unfortunately, the bonuses weren't out on the promo...obviously, so those'll have to be taken care of by someone else)

If Black Sabbath was the most influential band of the 70s, Metallica the most influential band of the 80s and Pantera the most influential band of the 90s, Strapping Young Lad is certainly the most important band of our decade. They were very unique and special in their first albums but it’s with "Alien" that they really astonished me. I think that "Alien", with the aggressive "Shitstorm" and "We Ride" was the best album of 2005. But this year they went even further!

It's in April that I learned about Strapping Young Lad releasing a new album this summer. Already, the title seemed interesting. But still I was unsure about the idea of releasing two albums in two years. Back in the old days it wasn't surprising to see artists releasing one album each year or even two one year but recently it's very rare to see two good albums made within a year. As I was waiting for this very impatiently, I had to get the promo! I'll sure buy it too. Anyway, I put it in my playlist and pushed play.

The first song, "Decimator", was a good debut. It introduced me to some modifications in their sound. A bit of influences from Devin's solo project and a more natural drum sound similar to Cryptopsy's "Once Was Not" album. Not as aggressive as "Imperial", the outstanding intro song from "Alien". It's still filled with a whole load of intensity.

Then, "You Suck". If lyrics are one of the keys in making a good song, then you certainly suck! Theses are true S.Y.L. lyrics! Devin Townsend and the chorus behind him are just amazing on this song! So much energy, it's unbelievable! If you don't like it, YOU SUCK! No seriously, a bit of frustration once in a while isn't that bad!

"Antiproduct" is a great song too. The previous songs sounded pretty new but this one reminds me of some older Strapping Young Lad, a catchy song. It even got this unusual big band and trumpets part in it... This is weird! You got to hear it!

No time to relax, "Monument" is also amazing! The power metal stylish vocals are very well used here. Mostly insignificant lyrics but... Who cares? You'll hear some catchy riffs too.

It all gets even more aggressive when "Wrong Side" starts. This song is crazy! Already the fifth song from the album and still nothing weak! I'm not a fan of S.Y.L. because of their solos but the little guitar parts on "Wrong Side" are pretty original. Outstanding drumming too, actually all the album is outstanding if you're listening to the drums closely. Gene Hoglan is really breaking everything! He is one of the key elements to S.Y.L.'s unique sound.

"Hope" is good. The album finally slows down a bit! It’s another catchy song. Like most of the songs out here, if you listen closely, the background computer effects and mixing is incredible.

Strapping Young Lad finally recorded a studio version of their epic heavy metal anthem, "Far Beyond Metal"! You got to read the read the lyrics! It's the best homage to metal music I ever heard. When I read that S.Y.L. would record a studio version of this song from their upcoming outfit, I first thought It wouldn't be as mind bashing as it was on their "No Sleep 'Till Bedtime" album. I was COMPLETLY WRONG! This is the best version of the song I ever heard. The best song of the album also! The little part that Oderus Urungus (Gwar) sang wasn't long but it was well enough to make the song sounds even better!

After seven songs, I'm completely knocked out by the overall quality of the album. It’s awesome and it will be so until the end as "Fucker" starts, a good duo with Bif Naked's female singer. Asides from "Far Beyond Metal", "Fucker" is certainly the catchiest song from "The New Black". "Fucker" also has a little commercial side but it everything is just so well put together here that I still don't have anything bad to say!

As "Almost Again" was starting, I almost thought the band would calm down for a moment. No! They just went on, more and more aggressive, another great song!

Then it's time for something a little more epic (and Strapping Young Lad is good at it!). "Polyphony" is the perfect intro to title song from the album, "The New Black". If you didn't feel like you just received a punch in the face after all those songs, you may be tough but "The New Black" will kill you for sure. The best way S.Y.L. could of end their new masterpiece.

Overall, "The New Black" is a state of the art, masterpiece of 21st century metal music. The most "avant-garde" thing you'll hear this year and certainly the album of the year! Gigantic, extremist, aggressive, intense, original, conceptual... Are only a little number of adjectives I could use to describe "The New Black". In my humble opinion, it truly deserves a perfect note!