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.
Displaying records 41 - 60 of 145 1 2 3 4 5 ... 7 8 Last
Devin Townsend Posts Video and Songs
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD mastermind Devin Townsend has posted his first video transmission in connection with his upcoming solo album, entitled "Ziltoid the Omniscient," which can be viewed on YouTube.
Due on May 22 via Inside Out Music America, "Ziltoid the Omniscient" was recorded completely by Devin, who took care of the singing, guitar, bass, synthesizers and sampling duties, in addition to mixing and producing the album on his own. Devin has stated on the HevyDevy forums that he used "the drumkit from Hell" on this release — the same kit that was previously utilized by MESHUGGAH on "Catch Thirty-Three" and which was developed by MESHUGGAH's Tomas Haake. Check out the cover artwork at this location (art created by Travis Smith). Audio samples of the songs "ZTO", "By Your Command" and "Hyperdrive" can be heard at the project's MySpace page. More...
Gene Hoglan Updates On 'Instructional' DVD
The Atomic Clock/drummer extraordinare, Gene Hoglan, has issued the following update concerning his instructional DVD:
Hiya folks,
Well, as I said a couple of days ago, I finally finished filming that damned thing. We started on Tuesday, and I ended up needing a bit of Wednesday, cuz we couldn't get to everything as planned in one day. And of course, since I basically had no script and I just winged everything, now that shooting's over I remember a million things that I forgot to touch upon. Figures, isn't that always the way? Ah well, hopefully I can get to alot of them in 'post'.
I must admit, I'm not a real watcher of instructional DVD's/tapes. I've seen my share, in fact my favorite is PULSE, by Akira Jimbo, but even back in the day, I never watched them religiously. They all sorta seemed the same. Killer drumming, boring guy. Deen Castronovo injected a bit of life into his, which was very cool, and that's what I tried to do with mine. I don't envision mine to be one of those 'talking head/explaining wing-wang-flam-a-doodles', cuz I'm not very good at that. What I do envision for this to become is more of an 'instructo-doc'. Alot of me playing, as a matter-of-fact, I play about 8-9 songs on here, including a bunch from my brand new band, MECHANISM. I even get off the 'beaten metal track' a bit and play a couple of tunes from some of the non-metal projects I've done, plus a couple of 'solos'. That was trippy. Any of you out there ever seen me do a solo? Unless you lived in LA and were at that Dark Angel show at Fender's in Long Beach circa 1989, or at that 'power-outage' show in Regina, Saskatchewan in 2003, chances are you haven't seen me do a solo. I think there's a reason for that. I always figured, "Isn't the whole SET pretty much like a drum solo?" Hee hee. So, I took a shot, and fired a couple of 'solos' on there. Which is basically just me playing a couple of wacked-out beats that I've been working on. Anyway, I'm hoping after editing that it turns out to be more of a cool little documentary, more akin to that "Making of 'ALIEN'", than a stodgy old 'instructional vid'. One thing I've been fortunate to say over the years is that I've always heard, "Hey Gene, I'm not even a drummer, yet you're the only drummer I pay attention to", so I've tried to make something that everyone can enjoy, not just drummers (and chubby-chasin' women, of course!).
I decided to concentrate on showcasing my new band, MECHANISM, mainly cuz this is my DVD, funded by me and no companies, and I'll do what I want. MECHANISM DEFINITELY shows off tons of what I can do on the tubs. I've been explaining this band as an example of what is probably the craziest drumming I've done in my career, so why not introduce ourselves to people in a rather unorthodox way? My playing on it I suppose is reminiscent of my 'SYMBOLIC' era, with a ton more crazy time-signatures and heap-loads of blast beats. I like it alot, and I'm proud to showcase us in such a fashion. I figure, we'll be editing it for a month or two, and I'm kinda shooting for a June release. I'll be selling it directly to you thru my website, whatever version of 'GeneHoglan.com' that ISN'T owned by some guy in China, and I'm sure I'll be putting up links all over my Myspace account when that gets ready. Hell, I'll even sell it offa Myspace as well, if I can.
Now, as for the 'Gene-shirts', thank you all for your impatience with this matter. To paraphrase the mighty Homer, "I don't wanna say it's slack, but that was the slackiest pile o' slack that ever slacked". I know. I said they'd be ready 2 months ago, and they weren't. Totally my fault. That's why I'm glad I've just hired some people to work here at Gene Hoglan Industries who will actually get stuff done, unlike Gene Hoglan, Slacker Extraordinaire. And I get to just play drums. Oh, and Playstation.
Those I've hired are now tackling 'Task #3' for 2007, which is booking my World Clinic Tour. We're getting started on that as we speak, and I intend to start with about 35-40 dates in the US, then the same in Europe, then move on down to South America, Australia, then over to Japan and South Korea. But that's all later in the year, plenty of time for that. See? Spoken like a true slacker.
I guess that's aboot it for now. I'll keep you all posted in the coming weeks as things progress.
Take it easy,
Gene
Jed Simon Updates on Side Project 'Tenet'
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD guitarist Jed Simon has issued the following announced regarding his TENET project:
"It's announcement time! There are some new faces in the TENET camp. It's my pleasure to introduce them.
"I welcome to the fold Adrian Erlandsson on drums.
"Adrian, as many of you may know, had spent the last seven years with CRADLE OF FILTH. Previous to that he was on the first THE HAUNTED album, 'The Haunted'... Fuck, I love that album, and of course, he played in the mighty, legendary, AT THE GATES.
"Adrian brings an enthusiasm to the table that is infectious. I respect his talent greatly, and after hearing what he has done with some of the demo tracks, I'm beyond excited. Perhaps we'll put some of the demo stuff up with him playing soon, although I may just save it for the album, hehe.
"Of course, you are now wondering why Gene [Hoglan; STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, ex-DARK ANGEL, DEATH] is not playing. I felt that after 10+ years in THE LAD it was time for a fresh start. And to be honest, I really needed to just 'step away' for a bit, and do something completely on my own. None of this reflects on my and Gene's relationship as friends... we will always be thick as thieves. Silly, pranking, metal-loving thieves. He IS my brother for life, as are the other SYL cats. That's about the best way I can explain it without getting too long-winded. OK? OK! More...
Headline News
Strapping Young Lad Is On Extended Hiatus
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD drummer Gene Hoglan (ex-DARK ANGEL, DEATH) has issued the following update:
"I know it's been a million years since I wrote one of these, but, I just didn't have a goddamned thing to say. But, now I do.
"This past year has been a strange one, but no stranger than the last nine. All the typical band b.s., all the weird road stuff, all the feelings of impending doom, have seemed to kinda just wash away over the last bit of time.
"STRAPPING is on this extended hiatus, and by 'extended' I mean we'll get back together if the time is right. It could be a few months or a year, or it could be never. I sure as fuck don't know. It ain't up to me. So don't ask.
"I'd like to publicly wish my bro Devin [Townsend, STRAPPING mainman] and his lovely wife Tracy congratulations on the birth of their firstborn. He's an adorable-lookin' little boy, and I tell ya, the pic Dev sent me of him holding his niblet for the first time is pretty priceless. Dev is looking at his son like he's a BOMB. The look on Dev's face! Man, oh man...
Read the full article at Blabbermouth.
Column
This Week In Metal - August 31st, 2006 *Late*
Im aware of the fact that its a little late, and pushed closely together with TWIM for 9-8-06 but nonetheless I would hate to see you guys miss out on a week of news. So without further ado the records chart courtesy of CMJ :
| Rank | L/W | Band | Album | Weeks | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Hatebreed | Supremecy | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | Slayer | Christ Illusion | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | SYL | The New Black | 4 | 1 |
| 4 | 4 | All That Remains | The Fall of Ideals | 4 | 2 |
| 5 | 6 | The Human Abstract | Nocturne | 3 | 5 |
| 6 | - | Bury Your Dead | Beauty & The Breakdown | 2 | 6 |
| 7 | * | Gwar | Beyond Hell | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | 5 | Unearth | III: The Eyes Of Fire | 3 | 5 |
| 9 | 4 | Voivod | Katorz | 3 | 6 |
| 10 | 7 | Shadows Fall | Fallout From The War | 4 | 1 |
Hatebreed becomes our third #1 ever, beyond Shadows Fall and SYL. It is amazing for them as a band to completly jump Slayer. All That Remains maybe just hitting stride in their young career, the success of this album and the sales and touring they are doing are pushing them over the top of their genre. Bury Your Dead returns to the chart with strong sales following a bouncey chart release. And the boys from Shadows Fall look like their run of 4 weeks in the chart might end as they slip to the #10 slot.
Onto the singles, courtesy of MusicMatch:
| Rank | L/W | Band | Song | Weeks | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Stone Sour | 30-30/150 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | Unearth | The Glorious Nightmare | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | 8 | SYL | You Suck | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | The Human Abstract | Crossing the Rubicon | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | 4 | Mastodon | The Wolf Is Loose | 2 | 4 |
| 6 | 9 | Shadows Fall | Will To Rebuild | 4 | 1 |
| 7 | - | BTBAM | Malpractice | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | 6 | Lamb of God | Redneck | 4 | 2 |
| 9 | 7 | All That Remains | This Calling | 2 | 7 |
| 10 | 10 | Slayer | Cult | 3 | 1 |
Not much change to the charts other then that of Stone Sour resurging to the #1 slot after never reaching it within the first four weeks. Between The Buried and Me makes a debut with Malpractice and the bottom of the chart holds strong with Slayer staying in the #10 slot. All four #1's in the charts 4 weeks remain, including the only 2 songs to be on all 4 weeks.
Column
This Week In Metal - August 24th, 2006
A third week, and to my surprise Slayer isn't number 1. Strapping Young Lad keeps the #1 spot for the second straight week. Meanwhile Slayer is at their heels and I would bet good money they takeover the top spot next week. Hatebreed's new album Supremecy could be the only thing that comes inbetween all of that but I highly doubt it. All That Remains holds strong as one of 4 bands that have stayed in the top 10 since TWIM was brought back. The second biggest highlight of the chart is the fact that All Shall Perish has broken thru and taken a spot inside the top 10. I've been a fan of these boys for a while and its amazing to see their name share spots with the likes of Shadows Fall and Unearth. And now for the chart courtesy of CMJ :
| Rank | L/W | Band | Album | Weeks | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Strapping Young Lad | The New Black | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | * | Slayer | Christ Illusion | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | * | Hatebreed | Supremecy | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | 2 | All That Remains | The Fall of Ideals | 3 | 2 |
| 5 | 7 | Unearth | III: The Eyes of Fire | 2 | 5 |
| 6 | 10 | Human Abstract | Nocturne | 2 | 6 |
| 7 | 3 | Shadows Fall | Fallout From the War | 3 | 1 |
| 8 | 6 | VoiVod | Katorz | 2 | 6 |
| 9 | 4 | Between the Buried and Me | The Anatomy Of | 3 | 4 |
| 10 | * | All Shall Perish | The Price Of Exsistance | 1 | 10 |
And now for the tunes, with a drastic change in this weeks chart. Unearth jumps from seven to first, while Slayer's Cult drops from first to tenth. Only six songs stayed on the chart, while we had four really strong debuts from great bands. Hatebreed, Mastodon and the new ATR single. Not to mention the ever-growing popularity of Human Abstract debuts. The singles chart is always shaky as the seeming flavor of the week is always ahead here, and now for the music, courtesy of MusicMatch:
| Rank | L/W | Band | Song | Weeks | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Unearth | The Glorious Nightmare | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | * | The Human Abstract | Crossing The Rubicon | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | * | Hatebreed | Defeatist | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | * | Mastodon | The Wolf Is Loose | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | 4 | Stone Sour | 30-30/150 | 3 | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | Lamb of God | Redneck | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | * | All That Remains | This Calling | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | 10 | Strapping Young Lad | You Suck | 2 | 8 |
| 9 | 3 | Shadows Fall | Will To Rebuild | 3 | 1 |
| 10 | 1 | Slayer | Cult | 2 | 1 |
Strapping Young Lad Checks In From The Road
Strapping Young Lad guitarist Jed Simon recently gave an update on his current happenings as well as that of SYL, here's what he had to say:
"Ozzfest is all over, and wow, what a ride. Again, I'm amazed at the tolerance the fans have shown for being able to withstand the heat and show their fave bands some love. We salute you all, and thanks so much for being there for us all. There are many people to thank, but that's a long list so I'll just say thanks to all and you know who you are. Everyone on the second stage was a pleasure to work with. EVERYONE. There were some very cool people on the main stage too and again, you know who you are and we love ya!
For the last week or two, we had James Macdonough (ex-Iced Earth, Megadeth) playing bass for us filling in for Byron Stroud. He is a real class act, and was a pleasure to have on the tour. Thank you James! It's kinda strange to be in mid-song and look over and see someone other than Byron totally rocking out, but it's awesome that he came out to give us a hand.
We have all made our respective journeys home, and it's nice to be able to relax for a bit. Now we await the arrival of baby Dev. I'm sure he and his wife Tracy will have much on their hands in the coming months, and we wish them the very best. With SYL on hiatus until next year I'm finally going to be getting to work on my 'solo' thing. Solo is not a cool word, but I guess that's what it is. So watch for that next year sometime on Century Media. For those of you who don't know, it's called Tenet, and will be some good old-fashioned metal without those goddamn-fucking keyboards. There is also some rumor that Byron and I will do a new Zimmers Hole album. If we can work it out that would be cool. The other dudes will be busy with their respective side stuff too, Byron with Fear Factory, Gene with Hurt and Punchdrunk and Devin with his new baby. So, we'll all be busy in some way. We came, we ?Stormed With Menace' and now we're home. So good people, you all rock, and we'll see you, in one form or another, soon."
Column
This Week In Metal - August 17th, 2006
A new top album ? Its true, this week Strapping Young Lad takes over the top spot from Shadows Fall. Both of these bands are very deserving, but we crown our second #1 in as many weeks. Last weeks top 7 managed to stay on the chart, but jump around a little bit. While we have 3 brand new albums debuting this week, with one going as high as #6 in Voivod's Katorz. This is quite possibly the best album these guys have released and they are finally getting the notority they deserve. Not far behind them in the new releases is Unearths' III: The Eyes Of Fire, which is amazing considering it hasnt been released in alot of areas yet but the pre-orders are astounding. I see a #1 in the future for these guys, but who can knock off the consistancy SYL is showing. All That Remains also leapfrogged The Shads into the #2 slot and the big jumper was Between The Buried And Me gaining three slots, which is hard to do considering the company they are in. Meanwhile, Cellador dropped from 8th to 11th. Acacia Strain from 9th to 14th and BYD to 12th. New albums already making a storm up the charts are Slayers "Christ Illusion" with pre-ordering alone landing it inside the top 20. Hatebreed's Supremecy is also showing strong and will reach the top 10 next week. Also in responding to the comments I am considering making this, and the singles list a top 15. If you think its a good idea please respond so, or if thats too much tell me to keep it at 10. \m/.
| Rank | L/W | Band | Album | Weeks | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | SYL | The New Black | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | All That Remains | The Fall of Ideas | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | Shadows Fall | Fallout From The War | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | 7 | BTBAM | The Anatomy Of | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | 4 | Dragonforce | Imhuman Rampage | 2 | 4 |
| 6 | - | Voivod | Katorz | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | - | Unearth | III: The Eyes of Fire | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | 6 | Stone Sour | Come What(ever) May | 2 | 6 |
| 9 | 5 | Cattle Decapitation | Karma.Bloody.Karma | 2 | 5 |
| 10 | - | Human Abstract | Nocturne | 1 | 10 |
Now for the singles, with a very familiar band to anyone who visits this site, taking over as #1. Lamb of God also stays strong moving up 1 to #2. Shadows Fall and Stone Sour round out the top 4 with a big jumper for the week Celtic Frost's Ground moving up to number 5. Threat Signal holds strong and then we get to three really strong debuts by 3 really strong bands. SYL's new ozzfest anthem boasts the #9 spot as a highlight of the new songs. Roudning out the top 10 is BLS with Concrete Jungle.
| Rank | L/W | Band | Song | Weeks | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Slayer | Cult | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | Lamb of God | Redneck | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | Shadows Fall | Will To Rebuild | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | 2 | Stone Sour | 30-30/150 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | 8 | Celtic Frost | Ground | 2 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | Threat Signal | Rational Eyes | 2 | 6 |
| 7 | * | Unearth | The Glorious Nightmare | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | * | Terror | Strike You Down | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | * | Strapping Young Lad | You Suck | 1 | 9 |
| 10 | 9 | Black Label Society | Concrete Jungle | 2 | 9 |
New Devin Townsend Interview Online
TalkingMetal.com has posted episode 88 of their "Talking Metal" podcast. In this second episode of their Ozzfest series, hosts Mark Strigl and John Ostronomy are joined by Devin Townsend of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD. Interview topics include STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, Ozzfest, and Steve Vai. A photo as well as the 20-minute podcast can be downloaded at this location.
SYL's "You Suck" Becomes Anthem Of Ozzfest
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD have embraced the fact that they are the bastard children of this year’s Ozzfest and in turn redefined the lyrics to “You Suck” to further represent their feelings on the massive summer festival. Jed Simon (guitars) further elaborates, “Playing ‘You Suck’ every day on the Ozzfest has become a bit of a legend. We keep hearing people talking about it, and Devin’s slightly changed lyrics are always hilarious. It’s cool to look around while we are playing it, and see the crews and other band members cracking up! Bob Meadows, vocalist from A Life Once Lost, has been joining us everyday on stage to help with the backup vocal duties and it is definitely a sight to behold.”
Column
This Week In Metal - August 10th, 2006
Welcome to the return of This Week In Metal, a column I used to do before I was forced to take a hiatus from metalunderground.com. In this weekly column, we will update the top 10 selling albums in the metal industry (courtesy of CMJ) and the top 10 radio singles (pulled from Music Match). They use a number of sources for the list, including all satellite radio. While you may find a few bands that are too soft for the list, I assure you there will be more then enough surprises. Feel free to comment on the list and who you think is over/under-rated, what bands you expected to see and which ones you didn't. Again this column will run weekly, so be sure to check for it every Thursday in the columns area of MetalUnderground.com.
Now for the music, we will start each week with the albums. It's a good mix of what bands are bursting the underground, and some bands that have been killing for quite a while now.
| Rank | Band | Album | Weeks | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadows Fall | Fallout From The War | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | SYL | The New Black | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | All That Remains | The Fall Of Ideas | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Dragonforce | Inhuman Range | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Cattle Decapitation | Karma.Bloody.Karma | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | Stone Sour | Come What(ever) May | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | BTBAM | The Anatomy Of | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | Cellador | Enter Deception | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | The Acacia Strain | Dead Walk | 1 | 9 |
| 10 | Bury Your Dead | Beauty And The Breakdown | 1 | 10 |
Now for the tunes. These singles are a real who's who amongst metal right now. I find the list to be powerful and only really have one flaw. Keep in mind some songs have been out longer then others and have picked up a good fanbase on the radio, other songs have just come out and are sure to see their time at the top.
| Rank | Band | Song | Weeks | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadows Fall | Will To Rebuild | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Stone Sour | 3030/150 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Lamb of God | Redneck | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | BTBAM | Malpractice | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | All That Remains | This Calling | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | Slayer | Cult | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | Threat Signal | Rational Eyes | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | Celtic Frost | Ground. | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | Black Label Society | Concrete Jungle | 1 | 9 |
| 10 | Hatebreed | Defeatist | 1 | 10 |
SYL Enters Billboard Top 200, Streams Video Online
The highly acclaimed new STRAPPING YOUNG LAD album, The New Black, had a phenomenal first week at retail debuting at #200 on the Billboard charts. The album is already being hailed as the group’s most ambitious and dynamic offering yet. The group have been annihilating the masses on Ozzfest, and due to the sheer abrasiveness and intensity of their live performances, they quickly became one of the most talked about, must-see-acts of the fest.
In conjunction with Ozzfest, a new video for the track “Wrong Side” was recently shot by renowned director David Brodsky (God Forbid, The Red Chord). Check it out at the link below.
mms://mp3.centurymedia.com/stream/SYL/Thenewblack/strappingyounglad_wrongside.wmv
On August 1st, the group will be welcoming James MacDonough (ex-Megadeth, Iced Earth) to their line-up to handle the bass duties for the remaining Ozzfest and offdates. MacDonough will be replacing Byron Stroud only for these remaining shows since Stroud will be hitting the road with Fear Factory.
Megadeth Bassist To Tour With Strapping Young Lad
Devin Townsend's (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND) label, Hevy Devy Records, has issued the following update:
"STRAPPING YOUNG LAD's 'The New Black' was released July 11th or 17th, depending on where you live. So you should all have it by now, and if you don't… 'You Suck' …. has been available to hear for a while on the HDR, Century Media websites and SYL's MySpace site. The video for 'Wrong Side' can also be seen on those sites as well as an awesome clip of 'The New Black' from the Download Festival in England. 'The New Black' U.S. standard edition comes with an enhanced CD and Century Media sampler disc. There is also a digipack version that comes with one new bonus track, 'The Long Pig', and the MELVINS' cover 'Zodiac'.
"There has been a lot of discussion in the past while as to the future of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and Devin's views on the band and his career. There was a particular interview Devin did which was translated and reprinted on the Internet that raised alarm. In it, Devin was admittedly negative and candid with his thoughts on everything from the industry to metal music in general."
Commented Devin: "I was really tired, I warned people that it probably wasn't a good idea… there were too many interviews and I just wasn't in the head space for it." Despite this, he was scheduled for 33 hours of interviews over 3 days.
Continued Devin: "That interview makes it sound a lot more dire than it actually is. I was just exhausted. I just don't want to HAVE to do STRAPPING ALL THE TIME. I want the energy to be pure but it's a small aspect of my personality and it can't be pure if it's forced. I could go on doing heavy music forever, but only if allowed to do it when it comes naturally."
"So SYL will continue only when Devin feels it, not when demanded.
"After Ozzfest, Devin is taking six months off where he will focus on things other than music. His first child is due in October and he wants to spend time with his family and assess what he would like to do in the future. Beginning in March, there will be three more tours in support of 'The New Black', likely in Europe, Australia/Japan and again in the U.S./Canada. He then wants to experiment with varying musical styles and do something away from THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND and STRAPPING YOUNG LAD for his next project. He would also like to get further into production, ultimately setting up a facility in Vancouver where he can house and produce bands on one site. He would like to feel free to do music without feeling forced to live in the 'scene' that he doesn't relate to well.
"There are a few things we must also bear in mind. The first being that we all know that Devin thinks in extremes and in the immediate, otherwise the THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND/STRAPPING YOUNG LAD dichotomy would not be possible. He speaks his mind freely but how he may be feeling at one moment may be entirely different from the next. Also, like his lyrics, a lot of what he says is layered in sarcasm so you cannot always accept it as 'truth.' For now, just give him some time off and he may come back with an entirely new outlook.
"The Ozzfest tour continues with great success. It has been a very surreal experience for the band. While it can be difficult going out and screaming 'You Suck' at 10 in the morning, the response from the crowd as well as the signing sessions and greetings with people afterwards have made it really rewarding.
"As with the Sounds Of The Underground last year, Byron (Stroud) unfortunately ended up double-booked with FEAR FACTORY so after August 1st there will be a substitute bass player for all of the remaining STRAPPING dates. At this time it is confirmed to be James MacDonough, formerly with MEGADETH."
Strapping Young Lad Guitarist Checks In
Canadian extremists STRAPPING YOUNG LAD are currently on the road in North America as part of the second-stage lineup at this year's Ozzfest. The band's guitarist, Jed Simon, has checked in with the following update:
"Well, here we are, July 11th my friends!! 'The New Black' [the new STRAPPING YOUNG LAD album] is all yours as of today!! Get out there and show your love for the LAD. Fuck yes!!!!!!
"Ah, sweet summertime... For us so far this year it's been nuts... Here we are rocking the Ozzfest tour... The shows are great, the fan support is amazing... All that shit... It's just kinda weird adjusting to morning metal, haha!
"Wondering what it's like? Heres the drill...
1. Arrive at Ozzfest site, generally around 7AM
2. Very tired crew get the fuck up and get the gear out of the trailer and set up for stage call.
3. Very confused and somewhat cranky band gets up around 9.
4. Band wanders around...not really sure why they are up.
5. Crew tells band to get the fuck on stage...band laughs, crew swears, band pouts, crew laughs, band plays...
6. Band hits stage and is suprised that there are always lots of people already in attendance...20 minutes of molten, chaotic metal ensues, and everyone is happy.
7. Band leaves stage, crew packs gear and trailer...and then it's usually around 11AM...
8. Nobody knows what to do next...it's only 11AM!!
"So, there you have the morning drill...
"The afternoon drill is a little different... It's a little hard to stay busy out here, but everyone has their own way of passing the timemovie watching, PSP playing, guitar playing, reading, eating, and without fail...drinking. Not that we drink to excess every day, but there are a few beverages that go around generally after a show, or during the course of the afternoon. Devin enjoys a little red wine, Byron likes whatever he feels like, Jed always loves his Stoli and tonic, and Gene doesn't drink, so he is a good lad and drinks plenty of water! The guys all have a lot of friends on the road too, so when people come to visit, it's cool to catch up with some road buds.
"There are a lot of great bands on the tour...we are particularly fond of LACUNA COIL, FULL BLOWN CHAOS, THE RED CHORD, BLEEDING THROUGH, and A LIFE ONCE LOST. They have been an absolute pleasure to watch!
"We have met some great new merchandise people along the way so far, and they have hooked us up with some smokin merch...Draven shoes, Black Flys sunglasses, Logitech, The Jagermeister family (dangerous, haha!)... great stuff from great people.
"In San Francisco and L.A., a lot of our endorsers came out to see us and their other bands too...Mesa/Boogie, ESP, EMG, Sabian...we look forward to meeting more as we head east...GHS/Rocktron, BBE Sound, InTune GP, Guitarforce...we thank them all for their continued support.
"Gene's family was out in force in San Diego. It's always a pleasure to have metal's First Family out to visit...they make us all feel like a part of their family, and they are just good people. We love 'em.
"Devin and Jed been doing some recent interviews together, and it turns out that they quite enjoy each other's company when doing what sometimes can be rather tedious... they're cracking jokes and making the interview process just a little more fun...which usually means a fun interview for the reader as well. Good times!
"Yesterday we were in El Paso, Texas, as part of a day off/travel day doing some shopping, some of the guys went to a movie, eating...whatever, while our driver got some much-needed sleep. It was 119 degrees out there yesterday, or in Canada, 49 degrees Celsius. That's HOT!!! Holy crap! Batman never been in heat like that, although with humidity in the Southeast, and similar regions, it's more brutal. Sometimes humidity is a killer. Blech."
Strapping Young Lad Live Video Available Online
Download a video of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD performing the title track from their forthcoming album, The New Black, at this year's Download Festival at this location.
As previously reported, the following announcement has been issued via the official SYL website:
"Come on down to Scrape Records Monday night and be the first to brag to your friends that you own Strapping Young Lad's band new album, The New Black, available one night only for $9.99CDN. All of the SYL back catalog will be specially priced. We will have signed SYL CD inserts up for grabs and a limited amount of posters to giveaway. Please listen to The Shop on 99.3fm CFOX (Vancouver, Canada) from 11pm -12am to get a preview of the new record and hear a live phone interview with SYL members, just before we open. You may phone 604.877.1676 for more info or log on to www.scraperecords.com . See you MIDNIGHT Monday Night!!"
July 10th, 2006. Midnight Sale (12am - 1am)
Scrape Records
17 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC Canada
V5Y 1P1
Gene Hoglan Comments On The Death of SYL
Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan has commented oin his MySpace page on the remarks by frontman Devin Townsend about the death of the band:
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I read the Finnish interview. True, Dev is burnt out, and of course he can change his mind quicker than bolt of lightning, but, just 2 days ago, he and I were talking about the next SYL record, what we're gonna do on it, and how absolutely mind-blowing it will be. We ARE taking some time off for Devin to have some much needed family time, but, we ARE hitting the road again in March 2007, headlining tours of both America and Europe, as well as Australia and the Far East. And I am shooting the straight shit with you, as I always do. We are too good to just dissolve, and those are Dev's words. I will never apologize for one of my bandmates speaking his mind, and if that was what was on Devin's mind at that exact time and date, then that's what was on his mind. Give the man some space. Don't worry kiddies, Strapping Young Lad is not disappearing anytime soon. We are a fuckin' fungus. No cream or lotion is gonna do us in that easily. Unless, of course, it's Vagisil.
See ya on the road,
Gene"
Headline News
Latest Album May Be Strapping Young Lad's Last
Niko Kaartinen of Finland's Imperiumi webzine recently conducted an interview with STRAPPING YOUNG LAD mastermind Devin Townsend. A few excerpts from the chat follow (translated from Finnish by Mike Portnoy forum member "tommidt"):
Imperiumi: "The New Black" is STRAPPING YOUNG LAD's fifth and final record for Century Media. Is this the last record of SYL's career?
Devin: "I hope so. I believe so. I signed a five-album deal with Century Media and this is now the fifth. There you have five records; they are very happy with that and I've done my job. Next! (laughs)"
Imperiumi: What did the Century Media people think when you told them that you were going to take rest of the year off be with your family? Wouldn't this be the best time to promote SYL [seeing as you have a new record coming out]?
Devin: "Well, this might get me in trouble, but I couldn't care less. Should I be on tour while I have a newborn baby at home? My wife is pregnant, so should I be far from home drinking booze and pretending that I care about heavy metal? In how many different ways I can say that I don't care? In how many ways I can say that I'm through with this thing? I said I'd make five records, [and] I did them. We are now doing a European tour, playing some big shows. Fine. We'll do Ozzfest; those are big shows too. We don't need anything else, in my opinion. . . You can keep 'The New Black', I don't care anymore. Keep the rights to the band, do what you want. I don't care anymore, and I think it is just stupid. The manager, the band and record company look at me now just like I am the enemy, because I feel this way. But what can you do? You can't just keep going like this anymore. I have done this for a several years now."
Imperiumi: But still, it is about your life. You want to be able to control it.
Devin: "Exactly, if you are not able to control it, you are wasted. You'll end up being a junkie or an alcoholic who ends up cheating your wife. Or you'll end up a fake rock star, thinking you actually are one."
Imperiumi: Is the the gap between SYL and your solo material becoming closer?
Devin: "It feels like I'm less and less angry all the time. Even THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND will put out softer stuff in the future, so the SYL material feels even harder now compared to my solo material. My next recordings will probably be something like this (points out the beautiful nature of Finland's Provinssirock festival), something [representing] beautiful scenery. Beautiful things. I don't have to be hard/tough (heavy) anymore. I'm 34 years old, I'm already old."
Imperiumi: How do you want SYL to be remembered?
Devin: "As a big middle finger! How else?"
Imperiumi: Does Gene (Hoglan, SYL drummer) know yet that this is the last record?
Devin: "Umm... I don't know. I don't think anyone knows that. I just HOPE this is the last one, because I don't have anything to say with this band anymore. Who knows what the future will bring? Now I just hope that I can do other things."
Goatwhore to Tour w/ Emperor and Others
Goatwhore have announced the following tour dates with Strapping Young Lad, Suffocation, Emperor, and Asesino:
July 16 - West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club w/ Emperor
July 17 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues w/ Emperor
July 24 - London, ON @ The Embassy w/ Strapping Young Lad
July 25 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's w/ Strapping Young Lad
July 28 - Bedford, NH @ Mark's Showplace w/ Suffocation
July 29 - Sommerville, MA @ Goodtimes Emporium w/ Suffocation
July 30 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx w/ Suffocation
July 31 - New York, NY @ B.B. King Blues Club w/ Asesino
August 2 - Portland, ME @ The Station w/ Strapping Young Lad
August 3 - Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus w/ Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad Announce Ozzfest 'Off' Dates
Canadian extremists STRAPPING YOUNG LAD have just announced a slew of major Ozzfest "off" dates with such heralded acts as HATEBREED and UNEARTH, among others. The group have returned with "The New Black", a stunningly well-defined and more diverse effort that is soon to be a landmark in the epic pantheon of heavy metal. The much-anticipated new album is set for a July 11 release via Century Media Records.
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD Ozzfest "off" dates:
Jun. 30 - Midtown Ballroom - Bend, OR (headline w/ locals)
Jul. 03 - Celebrity Theatre - Las Vegas (w/ HATEBREED)
Jul. 05 - Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO (w/ HATEBREED, UNEARTH, RED CHORD)
Jul. 06 - Salt Air Pavilion - Salt Lake City, UT (w/ HATEBREED, BLEEDING THROUGH)
Jul. 13 - Reverb - Cedar Falls, IA (headline w/ locals)
Jul. 17 - The Opera House - Toronto, ON (headline w/ locals)
Jul. 20 - Bogart's - Cincinnati, OH (w/ HATEBREED, UNEARTH, RED CHORD)
Jul. 24 - Embassy - London, ON (headline w/ locals)
Jul. 25 - Peabody's - Cleveland, OH (headline w/ locals)
Aug. 02 - The Station - Portland, ME (headline w/ locals) More...
Gwar's Cover of Alice Cooper Available Online
Oderous Urungus, lead singer of GWAR, recently posted a message on the DRT Entertainment web site where he discussed the band's upcoming album, titled "Beyond Hell", covering an ALICE COOPER song, working with producer Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD), and SlavePit TV. Here is what he had to say:
"OK, scum, it is I, Oderus Urungus, overlord of Toilet Earth and lead singer of the most dangerous band on this or any other planet — GWAR! Here to give you a quick update/review on the upcoming events and disasters that are set to plague this planet in the wake of GWAR's latest assault upon your sense and sensibility!
"First off, it's DONE! 'Beyond Hell', our latest and greatest studio release to date, is mixed and mastered and ready to drop on your heads! Produced by the amazing Devin Townsend, I can say with utmost confidence that this one is going to take yer fucking head off! The record doesn't get released til' August, but that is not going to stop us from letting you hear the first single from the album. That's right, we actually have done a single for radio play in a desperate attempt to expand GWAR's dominion of this world to the FM airwaves!
"But what's this you say? That GWAR's music is simply TOO FUCKED UP to ever make it on the radio — well, yer right! And that's why, for the first time in GWAR history, we have covered someone else's music! But not just anybody! Nobody less than ALICE COOPER, who is rumored to be a Scumdog himself! GWAR pays homage to the original master of shock rock, with a bone-crushing version of his most famous song — that's right, GWAR has covered 'School's Out' [download MP3] as the anthem of the summer and the rallying cry for legions of fed-up drop-outs everywhere. Demand it from your local lame-ass radio station all summer long, and hear us play it live on the mammoth Sounds of the Underground tour, coming soon to a burning city near you!
"And just to catch you up on the various other GWAR activities, Slave Pit Television is going strong, with new chapters being added every week! The new video, 'Bloodbath and Beyond', will be out this summer!
"As I mentioned earlier, we will be dominating the Sounds of the Underground tour all summer, and then this fall go on a HUGE headline tour. Plus I've had my pet hemmorhoid 'Blinky' replaced with several more that are even nastier. Rejoice children, it's almost time — GWAR will amongst you soon!"