Formed: 1995
From:
Vancouver, BC,
Canada
Last Known Status: Active
Background
With a musical resume that includes well-known names such as Steve Vai, Jason Newsted, James Murphy, Geezer Butler, Stuck Mojo, The Wildhearts, Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, and Paradise Lost, the frenzied work ethic and more furious musical visions of the gifted and prolific Devin Townsend needed an outlet. In 1994, Strapping Young Lad was created to punish the senses of the metal underground and to create their own niche of labyrinthine metal. Their self-produced 1995 debut album, "Heavy As a Really Heavy Thing," was nothing short of premeditated assault and battery. Two years later, with the brotherhood of the band solidified, the scene was devastated with the impressively dark, savage, and self-produced obliteration of City (recorded at Steve Vai’s Mothership Studios with acclaimed Swedish engineer Daniel Bergstrand [Meshuggah, In Flames, Darkane]), which Revolver Magazine likened - in their “69 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time” list - to “getting hit by Muhammad Ali.” One listen and you’ll see why it is the perfect background music for the Clockwork Orange scene where Malcolm McDowell’s eyes are forced open as he’s subjected to endless scenes of violence. In the spring 1997, SYL embarked on the Full Of Hate European tour which included Entombed, Obituary, and Crowbar, and then returned to North America to tour with Testament. In an effort to capture the unfiltered and uncompromising insanity of their performances, the band recorded two shows in Melbourne, Australia in 1998 resulting in the once again self-produced "No Sleep Till Bedtime," which has become the definitive SYL live document crowned with splashes of humor, which fans at the Dynamo Festival could attest to.
Lending credibility to the statement “Genius knows no rest,” Devin Townsend has also nurtured a flourishing solo career while concurrently honing his talents as a producer. In the midst of seven official solo releases, Devin has cultivated production credits on Zimmers Hole (featuring SYL bandmates Jed Simon and Byron Stroud), Gene Hoglan’s The Almighty Punchdrunk, Just Cause, December’s Lament Configuration, and Natural Born Chaos by Sweden’s Soilwork, named Album of The Year for 2002 by Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles.
With so much hate expended out at the world, it’s a wonder there’s any angst left to guide you on another expansive odyssey across a vast, unexplored landscape of exasperation, but Devin Townsend is someone who abhors mediocrity and incompetence in any form. On this self-titled fourth album, "SYL," every song is an exhalation of life (regardless of its insolence) where you will experience three or four genres of metal in the course of the same album. The Armageddon-bound aggression (spawned from the events that centered around New York City on September 11th, 2001) can clearly be heard in the various tongues it speaks in: through its black and death metal riffs (courtesy of Devin and Jed Simon), in the thrash backbone firmly anchored by ex-Dark Angel/ex-Death/ex-Testament Gene Hoglan’s thunderous drumming, in the industrial-yet-still-human rhythms mimicking the unforgiving throbs of a migraine headache in Byron Stroud’s bass work, and in the rabid energy of the harsh, harmonic, and howled vocals of Devin’s manic verse with lung capacity that Luciano Pavarotti would envy.
Produced by Devin and recorded at the famed Armoury Studios (KISS, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe) in Vancouver, British Columbia, SYL is bludgeoningly loud, lead-lined, unbridled, vein-rupturing, stroke-inducing, damn-the-consequences instrumentation. This is rage no longer turned masochistically inward but outward. This is an explosion in the face. This, without question, is war music. In the words of Devin Townsend, SYL is "an extreme assault of the most musical nature." In the layman terms of Kerrang! Magazine, the music of chaos believers Strapping Young Lad is "like sticking your head into the jet nozzle of a Stealth bomber."
Chaos is not hell, it is glorious, and it can create living blueprints of a master plan for retribution such as what you're holding in your hands right now. Never expect anything less than extremity from Strapping Young Lad.
Latest Strapping Young Lad News
Below is our complete Strapping Young Lad news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
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UVTV Features Century Media Special Podcast
This week’s episode of "UVTV’s Heavy Metal Podcast" continues our series of record label specials.This week’s featured label is CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS. Some of the bands highlighted on the show include DIVINE HERESY, HIMSA, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, and BEHEMOTH with live performances by STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, IN THIS MOMENT, NAPALM DEATH and GOD FORBID, just to name a few, in this video-packed episode.
You can download the podcast as an MP4 or get it from i-tunes.
Working Class Rock Star To Premier In Toronto
Unstable Ground will be premiering the long-awaited documentary Working Class Rock Star in Toronto, Ontario at the Bloor Cinema on June 9.
Working Class Rock Star follows the lives of three bands at different points in their musical careers; Tub Ring (Chicago, IL), Bloodshoteye (Leamington, ON), and 3 Mile Scream (Montreal, QC). The documentary features interviews with Lamb of God, Strapping Young Lad, GWAR, Unearth, The Haunted, Arch Enemy, and more.
Following the film, Inertia Entertainment will co-host a concert featuring Polkadot Cadaver (ex-members of Dog Fashion Disco), Bloodshoteye, and No Assembly Required at the Annex Wreck Room, 794 Bathurst St., Toronto. Doors at 9PM.
Zimmers Hole Post New Album European Release Dates
ZIMMERS HOLE - featuring STRAPPING YOUNG LAD members Byron Stroud (bass), Jed Simon (guitars) and Gene Hoglan (drums) - are gearing up for the release of their new album When You Were Shouting At The Devil...We Were In League With Satan. The following European release dates have now been confirmed:
March
14 - Germany, Austria, Switzerland, BeNeLux, Italy
17 - UK, France, Norway, rest of Europe
18 - Spain, Portugal
19 - Sweden, Finland, Hungary
The album will be issued via Century Media Records in North America on March 11th. More...
More Big Name Drummers Announce NAMM Signings
Pearl Drums is hosting an autograph session at this year's Winter NAMM Show (National Association of Music Merchants), which runs from January 17 to January 20 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. The signing will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 19 at the Pearl booth. It will feature some of the best-known artists in rock and metal, including the following:
Adrian Erlandsson (CRADLE OF FILTH, NEMHAIN)
Barry Kerch (SHINEDOWN)
Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS)
Craig Nunenmacher (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY)
Eric Singer (KISS, ALICE COOPER)
Gene Hoglan (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DEATH, DARK ANGEL)
Jimmy DeGrasso (MEGADETH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, Y&T)
Johnny Kelly (TYPE O NEGATIVE)
Matt McDonough (MUDVAYNE)
Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME)
Morgan Rose (SEVENDUST)
Vinnie Paul (HELLYEAH, PANTERA)
Important: The NAMM Show is **NOT** open to the public. The only attendees are NAMM member companies and their invited guests.
Gene Hoglan To Play With Forbidden
Legendary drummer Gene Hoglan (DARK ANGEL, DEATH, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, TESTAMENT) has issued the following update:
"I'm currently in Stockholm, Sweden, after just returning from a highly successful and awesome string of dates in Italy with my bitches, MELDRUM.
"I'd like to say a big thank you and hello to all our friends and fans who came to the shows; you guys are great! I must admit, your women are beautiful, but I had to travel all the way to Italy to eat the worst pizza ever. Not once, but twice! But another thank you must go out to our promoter/hosts, Gianrico and the lovely Fiorenza. And, I do need to thank my MELDRUM bitches for taking such good care of me over there. I was like a spoiled kid most of the time, so my heart and thanks go out to them for lookin' out for me.
"And let me tell ya, a week on the road turns them bitches HORNY! Their palpable lust for Mandingo was replaced with one for Rocco Siffredi, and one could only imagine the pillow fights and hot-oil rubdowns that occured in their hotel rooms on a nightly basis. That's what girlies do every night, right? Hee hee. I don't know, but these bitches were smart, they got me my own room every night, probably 'cuz the only thing I do louder than play drums is SLEEP. Could well be that was why...
"So now, we have another couple of shows in Sweden, then I have to go back early to play one DETHKLOK show at an undisclosed location in the States.
"Speaking of DETHKLOK, what a blast that quick tour was. Getting to play with the MASTERFUL musicians that were Misters Kenneally, Beller, and Small; wow, talk about heaven. I was definitely the SCRUB musician on that stage every night, believe me. And, say what you want about the show, I love it, and the live show was waaaaay cool! I had to crack up during the set quite a few times in the beginning, 'til I got used to some of the dialogue.
"Anyway, I think the live show is really sharp, and I strongly suggest all metalheads check us out if we come near your town in 2008.
"As for 2008, it too will be pretty chaotic, and one of the things I'm most looking forward to is being a part of the 'reunion of the year,' in my opinion, which involves the return of the mighty FORBIDDEN. As I understand, Mr. Bostaph [Paul Bostaph; TESTAMENT, ex-SLAYER, FORBIDDEN, EXODUS] has prior commitments, so my FORBIDDEN brethren reached out to me and I was very honored to say yes. I'm sure more details will come from their camp soon, but I just wanted to make a quick mention of it right here. I'll keep everyone posted with some updates soon.
"As for a DVD update, I thank everyone's impatience in this matter, and yes, I KNOW I promised it's release months ago, but as I'm a bit of a control freak (only in this matter, I assure you), and this schedule of mine over the past few months has been pretty brutal, I've just needed all this time to get it done right. It won't be perfect, but it will be something I can be proud of, and hopefully something you'll be proud to have in your collection.
"Also, a GIANT THANK YOU to all who have purchased a GENESHIRT, whether manly or girlie. WOW! We've just re-ordered, due to selling out of most of the first pressing. Very cool, and quite unbelievable, guys, so again, thank you!
"Now, as everyone in the metal world knows, the holidays for all of us now are forever bittersweet. With rememberences for the loss of Chuck and Dime, and now with the untimely passing of our new brother Vitek, the holiday cheer might not seem so, I don't know...cheery. But, I'm sure a crestfallen feeling would be the last thing any of these gentlemen would want from us, so with a glass in one hand and horns raised in the other, we remember our fallen brothers with a...smile. And maybe a cranking-up of the volume.
"Thanks for listening, everybody. A happy holidays to all of ya..."
Gene Hoglan To Drum On 'Apocalypse Plow'
The Atomic Clock himself posted yet another update on his myspace blog:
Howdy everybody!
As some of you may already be aware, my good buddy, Mr. Plow, has enlisted myself and a host of others (Norwood Fisher, Rocky George, Oderus Urungus, et al.) to play on his upcoming disc, "APOCALYPSE PLOW". For those of you who aren't aware, Mr. Plow is a solo acoustic artiste who specializes in a down home pornographic punk-c&w-comedy hybrid that is bound to melt all your little hearts.
He is also currently involved in a "Gong Show"-type contest up in Vancouver, and happens to be trailing in score just behind a woman who is a burlesque stripper. How do you compete with a woman who takes her clothes off? Especially if you're Plow?
Well, that's where we all come in. If I could graciously ask any interested parties to please go to YouTube and check out this URL, and please leave a comment on the YouTube page, good, bad or indifferent.
Any comments left go towards a sort of 'extra credit' portion of the grading, which actually factor in quite importantly to the overall score.
Mr Plow stands to win $20,000 if he wins this thing, and if he does win, he's going to invest every penny into an actual tour with myself, Norwood and Rocky. And as we all know, touring is one expensive proposition, even at it's cheapest and grimiest. And although 'cheap' and 'grimy' are two highly appealing words to all of us, he's still gotta win to even have a prayer of touring this latest disc with his 'All-Star Cast of High-Dollar Buffoons'.
Thanks for your time and effort, people!
-Gene
Gene Hoglan Issues Update
Drummer Gene Hoglan formerly of DARK ANGEL, DEATH, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and TESTAMENT has issued the following update:
"Well, hello everyone, GUESS WHAT? MY SHIRTS ARE FINALLY ON SALE! YAY!
"And Jeez, that was like pulling teeth! What was supposed to be a quick, simple little endeavor took over 8 months from concept to completion. Ho-LEE! All for some stupid SHIRTS!
"But, as you can see the designs, they're bad as fuck, and this initial run of T-shirts and work shirts will range all the way from size medium to 4XL (the 5XLs will be on the next order, ya BALLOONS!), and the girlie-T 'boybeaters' will run from medium to large. Plus, we've got the system down pretty good around here, so your order will get shipped out same day, next day at the latest. And, for those females who would be interested, I'm going to be running a 'Hoglan Hottie of the Month' section over on my website, and how that's gonna work is this; when you buy a shirt and it is delivered to you, take (or have taken) a few shots of yourself modeling it in as sexy a way as you see fit, send 'em in, and you will then be well on your way to that 'T-shirt modeling career' you've always wanted. It's gonna be awesome!
"To order one (or TEN!), just go back to my page, and punch up any of the 3 design pics, and it'll take you directly to my shop!
"Now, I gotta admit, we're still working out the bugs on the 'Shop' end (sorry Europe, for not being able to order shirts! I think we have that bug ironed out now), and that's the main reason I've been waiting to pull the trigger on this whole thing. But, since I just got impatient, and against my advisors here at GHI, I decided to damn the torpedoes and make my little announcement anyway.
"To go along with all of this, my website, HoglanIndustries.com is now also up and running, so stop by and check it out! That is DEFINITELY a work-in-progress, so, cut me some slack on that one. I also have a brand new GeneHoglanMusic page up on Myspace. You can find it here: myspace.com/genehoglanmusic. It'll soon be featuring tons of music from me you don't ordinarily hear too much. Except, right now it's got a buncha stuff you might have heard already, but I'll get one of my lab-coats here at GHI to fix that.
"Now, on to my DVD, 'The Atomic Clock'. I realize that I've been keeping relatively quiet about it of late, but I do want to say that we've completed the filming and editing of it, and it has come out great! I'm really excited! Now, for the last couple weeks while I was in Australia, New Zealand and Alaska with UNEARTH, the minions here at GHI have been finalizing the cover art for it, and it will be going on sale the first couple weeks in September, just past my birthday! What better present can ya give to Gene than by giving yourself the prescence of Gene in your DVD player? I'm all for it! Again, closer to it's release date, I'll be writing a much more detailed account.
"Well, that's about it for that subject for now. Oh, and by the way, for the Aussie fans who will be attended the UNEARTH shows, thanks for buying shirts!
"Speaking of which, I had a real good time jammin' with the boys down there. Ken, a big ball of loud, Slo, my bro and best roomie ever, Mr Phipps, the man commands respect when he walks into a room, and Buz, quite possibly the most hilarious dude to ever be on tour. It was a blast, and I wish them all the best in the future. Yehyehyeh!
"On a quick aside, the tour got off to quite an auspicious start upon touch-down in New Zealand. I'm cruising through customs, when they throw up an X-ray machine upon exiting. Who DOES that? Anyway, they X-ray my stuff, see my contraband, and freak. Alarms, sirens, dogs, screaming guards, high-powered rifles all pointed at my head, the whole shebang. All for the BURRITO I was 'smuggling' from LAX. I'd bought it, taken a bite, and shoved it down to the bottom of my bag, and promptly forgot about it. Oh yeah, I'm kiddin' about the dogs and guards and the whole freak-out part, but it woulda made a way better story if it did happen. Anyway, they take me into the corner and start hittin' me with, 'This is food, you filled out the card that says you're not bringing in food, yet this is food.' And the customs goof has apparently never seen a burrito before, 'cause he's lookin' at it like it's a Martian relic or something. Then he writes it up as a 'meat sandwich,' and I'm like, 'Hey! That's not a 'meat sandwich', it's a burrito!' And he's like, 'A baa…what? How do you spell that?' And I tell him, 'Hey, it ain't my job to teach you how to spell 'burrito', Customs Goof.' Anyway, I do not get off lightly. They charge me TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS right then and there. Jeez! I told 'em, 'I can get rid o' this evidence right here and now, Customs Goof,' but they wanted my dough, not my satisfied belly. Bogus…so, that was the Most Expensive. Burrito. Ever. Damn, I shoulda keistered it…
"Burrito-smuggling. Sounds pervy."
Devin Townsend Claims To Be Uninspired By Metal
Mike Exley from Planet-Loud.com recently conducted an interview with Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND). Here are some extracts from the conversation:
Devin Townsend: "Am I saying goodbye to Metal? I love Metal man!! I really do, but right now I'm so uninspired by the whole thing, by everything I hear out there that I pretty much am checking out. I'm gonna produce some stuff, ZIMMERS HOLE and such like but the whole side of the industry catering with the image; I'm really not into that."
Planet-Loud.com: You're well known of course, for producing music with an introverted influence rather than stuff influenced from without. There's been a very powerful and emotional stimulus to this record of course, the birth of your first child, but can you put down the live side of a band say like STRAPPING or OCEAN MACHINE that easily?
Devin Townsend: "Yes, I think so. I love people, don't get me wrong. Individually I love that interaction between people and I'm not an ogre or something; but huge crowds of people, huge groups of people who seemingly have endless access to you. As I get older, I'm not really into that. When you're young and say, you're in the road and someone says to you, 'Out the way, fuck you!' or whatever, you can handle that, right? But now I'm like, 'OK, fuck me, you're right. If you can get that angry over that! You know? I can't explain it, but I find the energy of a lot of people really taxing. I never made a conscious decision to be on this rollercoaster - touring and being in front of a lot of people day and night. So, when last year, I took a step back and actually thought about it a bit deeper than I had in my youth, I realized I really didn't need it that much. I know that I'm often perceived as this odd guy, 'who's a bit out there' and I've probably, once in a while, reinforced that image, but I'm really not that person and in a way, I want even less so to be seen like that'. I may have made a mistake of saying some pretty weird things in interviews after a joint and stuff but I really like quiet - there's people out there who are way, way more 'unhinged' than I am. I'm very creative; making music, making puppets, that's my thing but 'mainstream success' and the demands that brings; no, not really for me. Sorry!"
Planet-Loud.com: Could you really, seriously do anything quietly though? Your personality on stage certainly has always been subversive and loud at the same time?
Devin Townsend: "Well, you can still be subversive, man! Right now we're planning on going right out into the mountains, I'll probably put stuff out on the Internet and hopefully people can just look me up and get into what I'm doing!! I'll still produce stuff. I've got some great ideas - but as for producing music itself; writing, song writing - that's got to be a pure process. Music is so important to me that that's got to be the only way I can do it. In the purest possible way. As soon as you have to sell yourself, tour it or put it on Ozzfest or Download, then it's just not got the vitality I need it to have."
Planet-Loud.com: Will you miss the 'live presentation' side of the art form though? Any 'artist' seems to in some way to demand someone else sees it, don't they?
Devin Townsend: "And with the Internet you can!! That's the whole point. You can keep it pure. Through MySpace or YouTube you can present the art as you feel it should be and you don't have to worry as to whether ten thousand, a thousand or just ten buy it. I think you have to remember that music should be done for the fun of it, not for the expectation of it, and that's really what I'm talking about now. That's what you lose when you prostitute yourself to this whole industry sometimes and you really don't have to. If I tell you that I haven't really been into the whole touring scenario for years and I went along for the sake of the entity (and my friends), you might not believe that. You've seen STRAPPING many times and we have had some awesome moments but it's the having to do it that's the problem. You can't just make a record and say, 'that's a great record but I want to move on now.' Take this Ziltoid thing. There was no record one minute and four months later, there was a record. You could argue, what am I doing here doing this promo tour with the puppet show and the whole thing - that's really 'cause of Peter (at Inside Out) because he's been very conscientious, but I don't know even if this is a mistake? I've really got nothing to say apart from here's the metaphor, the puppet! And he's the showman, not me, man! I just hope people can accept that!"
Dethklok Album Due In September
According to MTV.com, the greatest metal-parody album since "This Is Spinal Tap" is coming our way. No, CROTCHDUSTER hasn't signed to Roadrunner Records — DETHKLOK are getting ready to infect the world with their debut. The stars of the animated Cartoon Network "Adult Swim" program "Metalocalypse" will release two editions of "Dethalbum" on September 25. The regular format will feature 16 tracks, including "Murmaider", "Briefcase Full of Guts", "Birthday Dethday", "Bloodrocuted" and "Deththeme". The double-disc deluxe edition will feature a second CD of six additional tracks, such as "Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle", "Blood Ocean" and "Pickles' Intro - Kill You". The package will also feature the video for "Bloodrocuted" and the first episode from the show's second season, which debuts the last week of September. A DVD of the entire first season will be released October 2.
"Dethalbum" features a guest appearance by legendary drummer Gene Hoglan (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DEATH, DARK ANGEL, TESTAMENT). He previously stated about the CD, "What a killer metal record! I can't wait for everyone else to hear it, and since it has now been slated for a September 25th release, that is now gonna be sooner than later, especially with leakage. And yes, it appears that we are going on tour with it as well! The logistics are being worked on as we speak, but it looks like it's gonna be a real killer, multi-media show. I'm looking real forward to that, I've even suspended the booking of a ton of clinics to clear my schedule to be available."
UVTV Posts Ozzfest 2007 Kickoff Special
Underground Video Television (UVTV) has posted the Ozzfest 2007 Kickoff Special TV show at their website. The episode features live videos filmed throughout the Northeast of Ozzfest bands past and present including In Flames, Lacuna Coil, Mastodon, The Showdown, In This Moment, Throwdown, Hatebreed, Unearth, Strapping Young Lad, Bleeding Through, Devildriver, Shadows Fall, Trivium and Walls Of Jericho. The show can also be seen on i-Tunes by subscribing to the UVTV Podcast.
Ozzfest begins it’s tour July 12 in Seattle WA continuing through July & August.
Terror Syndrome Set To Release Debut Album
Canadian Prog/Metal act Terror Syndrome have finished recording of their first album Stupidity for All which was professionally recorded at The Amoury Studios (AC/DC, Drowning Pool/Kiss) and Greenhouse Studios (Nickleback/Queenstryche) in 2006/2007 by Shaun Thingvold (worked with Lamb of God , Fear Factory, and Strapping Young Lad) The exact song order for the album has not been decided yet but these will be the songs on the album :
1 - Stupidity for All
2 - Revolving Horror
3 - Thrill Pill
4 - Riot of Red
*Featuring Christofer Malmstrom (Darkane, Non-Human Level) - Lead Guitar
5 - When God Was Sober
6 - Motionless
7 - Rusty Trombone
*Featuring Alex Skolnick (Testament, Alex Skolnick Trio) - Lead Guitar
*Featuring Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas) - Bass Guitar
8 - One Crime Closer to Hell
9 - Disposable Empire
*Featuring Byron Stroud (Fear Factory, SYL) - Bass Guitar
10 - For Your Amusement
11 - My Next Victim
12 - Spinning Backwards
*Featuring Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad, Devin Townsend Band) - Lead Guitar
*Featuring Michael Manring (Attention Deficit, Session Bass God) - Bass guitar
Terror Syndrome started out as a vision for Ryan "RVP" Van Poederooyen (drummer for the Devin Townsend Band) , and quickly became an addiction to compose a new sound and create the ultimate metal band and has several names in the genre guest on their recordings and live performances.
The band is currently negotiating details around release and distribution to settle with a label and will keep us updated as things unfold. Songs from this release are up on the Terror Syndrome website.
Gene Hoglan Checks In
Drummer Gene Hoglan (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, ex-DARK ANGEL, ex-DEATH, ex-TESTAMENT) has posted this message on his MySpace page:
"What's happening, folks? Well, last Sunday, we visited our friends at The Armoury Studios here in Vancouver, to lay down the drum tracks for Jed's mighty TENET album. Now, I don't know why, but I was really nervous about tracking this one, mainly because I wanted to make sure I gave Jedly's baby the love it deserved, which was well-precluded by the 'up-to-my-eyeballs-ness' of my schedule up here in Van. Y'see, when my manager (and chief poobah here at Gene Hoglan Industries) Byron Stroud called me a month-and-a-half ago about this project, his last words were, "It probably won't even have a release 'til early next year, so we'll have plenty of time to get it done", so I thought, 'Okee dokee, piece o' cake!' Well, schedule-goblins being what they are, upon my return from the UNEARTH stint, I was informed that I was to be tracking in about two weeks. The bricks then appeared in my pants.
Gene: 'B-but Byron, I don't know if I'll have enough time to prepare for this, what with the DVD editing, the MECHANISM mixing/jamming, the MR. PLOW tracking, plus, don't forget about the carousing...'
Byron: 'Shut up and do it, ya fat fuck, or I'll SMASH ya.'
Ahh, the soothing nature of By's subtle persuasion.
So, I broke out the Kraft Extra Creamy peanut butter (Jed's fave), the cheese slices, the Stoli Razz (again, Jed's fave), fired up a buncha Jed's famous 'Thrash Metal Sandwiches' and hunkered down for a good ol' preppin' party.
And, it was just like ridin' a bike. All the songs came back to me, no problem. And I ended up tracking everything in the typical day-and-a-half. Figgers. Don't know why I was worried. I was just happy to hook my brother up. I love Jed, I'd do anything for him.
So, with that done, and hopefully Jed'll be psyched when he hears it (cuz remember, he was in Philly gettin' to know his little one during this entire process, tracking included), I've just been informed that, finally, my 'Gene Shirts' are ready! The girlie-T's were ready last week, but it took a little extra time to get the main T-shirt design right. So, the minions here at Gene Hoglan Industries (God, that cracks me up every time I say it), are finalizing 'the Store', and by Tuesday, we're gonna pull the trigger on the whole shebang. I'm also gonna figure out how to get the designs loaded up around here (little help?), so at least people can get a gander at the beauty that will be, 'My Face Across Your Manboobs'. And, oh, yes, the big brothers are gonna be taken care of as well, as the shirts will be available up to XXXXL.
Oh, by the way, Jedly, I've got an untouched bottle of Stoli Razz here for ya. And an extremely-touched jar o' Kraft Extra Creamy...
See ya all early next week!
Gene"
Ex-Mushroomhead, SYL Members Make New Project
Pitch Black Forecast, a group which features former Mushroomhead frontman Jason 'J Mann' Popson and Gene Hoglan of Strapping Young Lad and Dark Angel fame, have posted their two new tracks "Ornament" and "Halt" online here.
Goatwhore Premiere New Video
Goatwhore’s new video for “Forever Consumed Oblivion” will premiere on MTV2’s HeadBanger’s Ball this Saturday, June 16th. The clip was shot during God Forbid's "Chains of Humanity" tour, on which Goatwhore was direct support.
Director David Brodsky (God Forbid, Strapping Young Lad, Gwar) led the production for the eight-camera shoot in addition to handling the directing and editing duties.
Gene Hoglan Sends In Large Update
The Atomic Clock himself updated with a lengthy blog post on his myspace page:
"Howdy folks. Well, where to start? There's just too much stuff going on at the moment to remember, let alone catalogue in any sort of abridged manner, so I'll just dive in chronologically I suppose...
"I'm here in Vancouver, mainly to complete the editing of my forthcoming dvd, "The Atomic Clock". Wow, original title, eh? If I had just concentrated on double-bass on it, I might have called it "Evil is A Foot", but since I do way more than just metal drumming on it, I figured "The Atomic Clock" just fits. And, I am still shooting for a July release, available at first on my websites.
"Let me tell ya, it's coming out great! I'm really psyched! It's gonna clock in at about 2 hours, and hopefully they're gonna be an entertaining 2 hours for all. Upon it's completion, I'll have a more detailed blurb about it. Say, haven't ya heard that one before?
"I'm also up here completing the mix for the MECHANISM album, who will be featured heavily on said "The Atomic Clock" dvd. That is coming out righteous, as well. I'm super-pumped for this one. I'll say this a million times, but this is probably my craziest drum album to date. As of yet, we have no finished product to share with anyone, and I'm pretty glad about that fact. Hopefully it'll drop like a bomb. Or at least a well-placed M-80. More...
Devin Townsend Talks About Why He Ended SYL
In a recently conducted an interview with Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD), the man explains why he knocked Strapping Young Lad on the head.
On integrity:
MTUK: What I said to you earlier about integrity and everything, that is the main reason why you're bowing out?
Devin: "Oh yeah, yeah."
MTUK: I can't blame you, you've had a child and everything and you've been in the media attention so much.
Devin: "By no means am I doing it for any altruistic reason. I'm not doing it to say 'I'm keeping my integrity,' I think I have more of a fear of success. I want to have a good time, I want to hang out with my friends and laugh about shit, I want to make music where I can just say 'Hey, check this out, this is crazy, have a listen…and anyway, what did you do today?' But as far as doing another album…"
MTUK: Being told to do another album and having a contract…you've had enough of it.
Devin: "Yeah and the thing with the STRAPPING thing is that, it might sound cheesy but whatever I say I'm going to do I'm going to do. I told them I'd do five records — I did five records. At the end of it they offered us this big deal, we'll re-sign you, we've got all these big bands that'll take you out on the road now. I just said 'I'm done, I told you, I'm done.' There's a good chance that if it hadn't gone to the level that it has then we might be doing it still."
MTUK: What are you going to say, three or four years down the line, you've had all the black metal bands like EMPEROR and IMMORTAL who've split up and then all of a sudden they get offers and they reform and headline huge festivals. What's going to be your opinion when you're asked to do that?
Devin: "Well I really hope that I'll be able to say no. It's like…"
MTUK: It's a difficult thing to give an answer to.
Devin: "It's only difficult because if my kids are starving… you know? But there's a good chance with the production and doing music elsewhere that that isn't going to be the case. I honestly feel that if you can make a living…success is completely…you're always going to chase it right? If you have success it's never going to be as big as what could happen next. You're constantly chasing this imaginary thing and at the end of it, I go back to the METALLICA example again…you look at 'Some Kind Of Monster' and those guys are fucked. Ah dudes, they look terrified, they don't look like happy people. You've got Kirk Hammett, 'I'm a cowboy now! I live out in the fields and I don't want anybody to talk to me about METALLICA.'"
On future projects:
MTUK: When you say ambient music, what is your idea of what you really want to go into?
Devin: "Well I really like, there's this band from Newcastle from years ago called ZOVIET FRANCE. I love them. It's just like moods. I like sounds right? I've got a little studio and it's a real modest studio, just a ProTools LE system etc but because of that if I have an idea to make a puppet record, three months later it's done.
MTUK: It's kind of like you've got GODFLESH, you've got STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and you've got JESU — the other level. So you maybe want to tone down things?
Devin: "Maybe not even that. There maybe some stuff I do in the future that is as brutal and heavy as STRAPPING, it's just not going to be STRAPPING. I think that's the main crux of it, I want the ability to do whatever I want without a whole fleet of lawyers and record companies analyzing it and telling me what to do. It's like the success of doing it that way doesn't mean enough to me as an artist or a person for me to fight about it. I'm not going to fight anymore I'm just going to do it the way I want to do it. Why am I going to do it that way and be so obstinate? Because I don't care enough about it to spend that much time on it. Ziltoid, from the first month to the last note mastered was four months. Without having any music to having a completed record was four months. It was a concept and a puppet and a record and a myspace and the sense of achievement for me was like 'great — done.' It's like when you've got a project at school, you do it and you hand it in. You don't sit around going, 'Remember that project I did? That was awesome — in fact I've got project three and four coming up…' I prefer to be like Ziltoid — that was great. I got to make a puppet and come to England and hang out and do some really ridiculous stuff and now…what am I going to do next? I've got a whole load of ideas about what I'm going to do next and they're completely different to anything I've done. And then they'll be done and I'll do something else right? I think it will be just put it up on my website and then whoever is interested in what I do can just access it and listen to it. But I definitely don't want to force it on anyone. I really like doing things myself too. It might not be super-slick or super-cool but at least I did it. I like doing layouts, I like doing art, I like doing puppets…"
New Band Features Gene Hogland and J. Mann
Fromer Strapping Young Lad/Death drummer Gene Hoglan is time taking part as a permanent member in the band Pitch Black Forcast which also features former Mushroomhead singer ‘J-Mann‘ who is going under the name, "J.Popson", Robert Reinard on guitar, and Craig Martini on bass. To check out some demo material and learn more check out the Pitch Black Forcast myspace, http://www.myspace.com/pitchblackforecast. Pitch Black Forcast are currently shopping their demo looking for a record label.
Unearth Part Ways With Drummer
Unearth issue the following update:
"Last night marked the end of the line for Mike Justian with Unearth. There are many reasons why we decided it was time to move on without him, but we are not in the business of airing dirty laundry. We will say that we grew apart as individuals and as musicians and the split will be best for both the band and Mike."
"In true Unearth fashion, we will continue on without skipping a beat. We are pleased and honored to say that Gene Hoglan of Strapping Young Lad is filling in for the rest of our tour with Dimmu Borgir, Devil Driver and Kataklysm. He will take the stage for the first time with us tonight in Vancouver, BC. Gene is an unreal musician and has learned a set in extremely short notice. We can not thank him enough for lending his skills to our band for this tour." More...
Headline News
SYL And The Devin Townsend Band Finished
During a Ziltoid the Omniscient press conference, Devin Townsend has announced that his projects Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band have been put to an end, and that he will not be touring again at any point in the future. Devin will, however, continue to make and release solo music.
After the audience took the statement from Ziltoid that Devin would be moving away, never to be seen again as a joke, Townsend came forth to confirm that he is indeed moving to a remote Northern Canadian town. He said that he will continue to make music, and lots of it, some of which will be ambient, some heavy, and so on. His new house will have a studio, though he will keep his Vancouver studio which he uses to produce other bands. However, Devin will not tour to support any music he releases in the future, nor will he be appearing in public at all.
Devin stated that while his 8-month old son was a contributing factor towards this decision, he had been considering doing this for some time now, and that he is tired of being in the limelight and touring and interviews and such. He is also tired of Strapping Young Lad, with the last tour being extremely difficult for him in terms of enthusiasm. He no longer has the same frustrations SYL was created to vent, and no longer feels the need to scream at people.
Strapping Young Lad's City To Be Re-Released
Century Media will be reissuing Strapping Young Lad's 1997 effort "City" in a 'deluxe edition' form on June 05th. No word yet on what bonus content it will contain. In other news, the bands 2006 live performance at the UK's annual "Download Festival" can be seen online here.