My first review, ever.
Strapping young lad - City.
This album is now over ten years old and yet, it still captures the sheer raw force of Strapping Young Lad, under the helm of the crazy Devin Townsend. The musical style is heavy, in the way that only extreme death metal can be.
Devin Townsend presents the perfect vocals for the songs, varying from the almost melodic moments in “Room 429” to the all out death metal roars of “All hail the New flesh” and “Velvet Kevorkian”, his voice can only be described as something you would expect to hear from an angry animal or a madman. The lyrics similarly deviate from almost normal to completely inane and yet, there’s something appealing about the sheer brute force behind the songs that keeps you wanting to listen.
The songs are kept in time by the masterful drumming of Gene Hoglan, a guy who while looking somewhat like a shaved bear, is a master of his instrument. The man plays drums in the same way a seasoned touchtyper types, looking straight ahead and playing without batting an eyelid. His use of the double bass pedal and his “kick triplets” gives you an excellent backing to the guitar.
The polyrhythmic (Two rhythms at once) guitar playing of Devin Townsend and Jed Simon creates a powerful rhythm for the songs, giving a distinct sound to each one. The combination of Devin singing, Hoglan drumming and the dual guitars of Townsend and Simon gives Strapping Young Lad a powerful sound that many would find hard to ignore.
If you’ve ever wanted to get into this kind of music, I’d recommend giving SYL a try. The standout tracks “Room 429” and “Oh My Fucking God” especially (Although, if you watch the you tube version of the last, expect some unusual moments).
Overall, the album is polished and showcases the talents of the band members well, the songs all have their distinct sounds and purposes and work well together to create the finished product that is “City”.
I give it 8/10
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