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 121 - 140 of 145 1 2 ... 5 6 7 8 Last
Strapping Young Lad Frontman Talks About New Album
An audio interview with Strapping Young Lad frontman, Devin Townsend, about the band's new album, "Alien," has been posted online here.
More Details On Sounds Of The Underground Tour
A cadre of hard rock acts led by Opeth, Unearth, Poison The Well and Clutch are uniting for the inaugural Sounds of the Underground summer festival tour. The bill will hit the road in North America in late June and run through late July.
With organizers promising the addition of a notable headlining act, others already confirmed for the full tour are From Autumn To Ashes, Chimaira, Norma Jean, Every Time I Die, Strapping Young Lad, Throwdown, High On Fire, DevilDriver, All That Remains, A Life Once Lost and veteran horrorcore group Gwar, which will present a "halftime show."
Madball has been drafted for the eastern half of the tour, with Terror picking up on Western dates. Regional additions include the Red Chord (East Coast), Fear Before The March Of Flames (Midwest, Southeast) and Himsa (West).
"This tour will show the masses that real music is alive and well," Unearth's Trevor Phipps says. "The Sounds of the Underground will prove that you don't need 'pop-culture' to embrace your sound and way of life."
The tour is being produced by Face the Music Touring agent Tim Borror, Ferret label executive/artist manager Paul Conroy, Ferret label owner Carl Severson and artist manager Larry Mazer. The group has pledged to keep ticket prices below $30.
Dates for the trek have not yet been announced. The Sounds of the Underground Tour website will launch soon with full details.
Sounds of the Underground Tour To Rival Ozzfest
The "Sounds of the Underground Tour" will rival Ozzfest and tickets will range from $20- $25. Bands include:
Lamb of God(main stage headliner)
Gwar (second stage headliner)
Unearth
Opeth
Chimaria
Clutch
All That Remains
Norma Jean
Poison the Well
Throwdown
Strapping Young Lad
A Life Once Lost
Devildriver
Every Time I Die
Terror / Madball (half of the tour each)
SYL To Post The Making Of "Alien" Online
The countdown starts on Monday, February 7th with a weekly documentary about the making of this most extreme & unyielding metal album, starring Devin Townsend (vocals / guitars), Jed Simon (guitars), Byron Stroud (bass) and Gene Hoglan (drums) - collectively known as Strapping Young Lad.
Check out www.centurymedia.de/syl to view the Making Of “Alien” online:
- The first part will be online February 7th (Recording session at the Armoury Studio in Vancouver)
- The second part will be online February 14th (Gene Hoglan pounds through 11 tracks at Armoury Studio in only three days)
- The third part will be online February 21st (At Greenhouse Studios in Vancouver, recording bass, guitars and female vocal for "Possessions")
- The fourth part will be online February 28th (At the Dev Lab, recording vocals and keys)
- The fifth part will be online March 7th (The technical secrets of "Alien": Devin talks about effects and samples)
- The sixth part will be online March 14th (More technical secrets of "Alien": Gene Hoglan talks about drums)
- The seventh and final part online March 21st (Even more technical secrets of "Alien": Byron Stroud about his bass equipment, Dave Young's keyboard tricks and an insight to Jed Simon's guitar world)
You can see all parts in high-resolution quality on the bonus DVD of the limited first edition of "Alien."
Strapping Young Lad "Alien" out in Europe on March 21st, 2005.
Visit Strapping Young Lad's website: www.strappingyounglad.com.
Metal Musicians Comment On Violence In Metal
Imhotep Zine from Norway have issued an extensive report asking a long list of hard rock/metal musicians these two questions: "Can aggressive music led people to kill others?" and "Is there any connection between heavy music and violence / killings / crimes against humanity?". Here are some of the reponses:
Jens Johansson (Stratovarius):
I think the connection is not a useful one to make. This was just one of those freak things that no amount of planning, forethought or "self policing by the industry" could have prevented. I would blame it more on the state of health care (psychiatric health care in particular) in the USA and of course on the gun control laws! But I would not put much blame on those things. It's simply not useful. I also wonder a bit why the US Marine Corps take a schizophrenic guy and teach him how to use a gun. But maybe they need people like that, what the fuck do I know. Such a sad thing what happened. I only met Dimebag very briefly once when we played this Randy Rhoads benefit together in LA many years ago. He seemed a cool guy, surprisingly quiet for playing such aggressive music. :) Everyone I've spoken to who knew him say that he was one of the sweetest people they met. It's so typical somehow. Why don't they ever kill the assholes??? :)
Jonas Björler (The Haunted, ex-At the Gates):
No, I don't think brutal music causes violent behavior. The violence I've seen in pits during metal concerts have been all about 'friendly violent fun'", like EXODUS said. I really don't see a clear-cut connection. But there will always be exceptions to a certain rule, and in the case of Dimebag's killer - that was a really sick & troubled young man who dealt with his frustration & anguish the wrong way.
Gene Hoglan (Strapping Young Lad, Dark Angel, Death, Old Man's Child, Testament):
These people are VERY misinformed, and, by the looks of their articles, really have it in for heavy metal and anyone who listens to it or plays it. How could anyone seriously lay the blame back on Dime for some psychopath's delusional breakdown? No one came out to blame John Lennon for Mark David Chapman's murder of him, and he was under FBI scrutiny for years! Had he been in a metal band (or merely an avid fan), it would have been, "Oh, he got what was coming to him", and his death could have possibly been made fodder for some of the true haters out there.
Music only becomes an issue when it can be used to enflame a story. When Charles Whitman climbed to that bell tower in Texas and gunned-down dozens of people, no one questioned his musical tastes. Chances are, him being from Texas, the 1960's, ex-military, he was into country/western music. Did that drive him to kill a ton of people, with its discussions of how "I'm gonna take a gun and shoot my wife", or "I shot a man in Reno/ just to watch him die"? Sure it did. Is this this uninformed conjecture on my part? Of course it is. But it sure is easy to do...
Now, some factions of Black Metal seemed to embrace violence against others...that's a subject I don't know what to do about... RIP Dime. You are loved and missed...
Read the entire list of reponses from other musicians here.
Read the full article at Imhotep Zine.
Over 40 Bands Confirmed For NEMHF
The organizers of the New England Metal And Hardcore Festival have announced most of the bands that will perform at this year's event, set to be held Friday-Sunday, April 22-24, 2005 at The Palladium in Worcester. The billing for the festival is shaping up as follows:
Friday, April 22, 2005 (doors open at 3:00 p.m.): More...
New SYL Song Available For Download
A brand new Strapping Young Lad track, entitled "Shitstorm", has been made available for download at this location.
"Shitstorm" comes off the group's highly anticipated fourth studio album, "Alien", due on March 22 via Century Media Records.
Beginning February 8, the first segment of "The Making of Alien" will be online and a new installment will be posted each Tuesday leading up to the album's release.
Strapping Young Lad documented their entire recording process, and the first four parts will provide an in-depth look into Armoury Studios (Kiss, Van Halen) where mastermind Devin Townsend (vocals, guitars) describes how the album was assembled. Also, for the first time, fans can witness how Gene Hoglan (ex-Death, Testament), Byron Stroud (now also in Fear Factory) and Jed Simon lay their tracks down. The final three parts of this series will focus on the more technical aspects (gear, settings, samples, etc.) of the recording.
The follow-up to the group's critically acclaimed 2003 release "SYL", "Alien" is being described by the label as "frontman Devin Townsend's personal cathartic outlet to unleash all of his angst, and it proves to be a very positive therapeutic experience for both him and his fans."
"Alone In The Dark" Tracklisting Revealed
Nuclear Blast has announced the tracklisting of "Alone in the Dark," the original motion picture soundtrack inspired and from the movie. "Alone in the Dark" is based on the best-selling Atari video game series of the same name. The soundtrack will feature some of today’s best Metal bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Shadows Fall, Fear Factory, Machine Head amongst others, and it will be featured on a double disc format. This is the first time a Hollywood production receives an all Extreme Metal soundtrack. The release date for the soundtrack has been set for January 25, 2005.
Edward Carnby (Christian Slater) is a private investigator specializing in unexplainable supernatural phenomena. His cases delve into the dark corners of the world, searching for truth in the occult remnants of the ancient civilizations. Now, the greatest mystery of his past is about to become the most dangerous case he has ever faced. With the help of his ex-flame, archeologist Aline Cedrac (Tara Reid), and his bitter rival, government agent Richard Burke (Stephen Dorff), Edward Carnby is about to learn that just because you don’t believe in something, that doesn’t mean it can’t kill you. More info can be found here.
There will be two different version of the soundtrack, one for European territories and the American version. Here are both tracklists: More...
SYL Song Used For Next Season Of The Osbournes
The Strapping Young Lad song "Bring On The Young" will be used in a 2 week ad campaign for the next season of The Osbournes. The ads will start running on 1/3/05 on MTV and MTV2. It may run on some of the other MTV Networks as well, but it's not likely. The spot WILL feature Devin Townsend conducting a children's choir who will sing "Bring on the Young."
Strapping Young Lad To Premiere New Material
Vancouver, Canada’s Strapping Young Lad will premiere material from their forthcoming album Alien at the Century Family’s inaugural Christmas BallS, taking place next Monday, Dec. 20 at Los Angeles’ Key Club. The band will perform alongside Century Family artists Death Angel, Nebula, Impaled, and Eyes Of Fire. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster for the low price of $15. For more information check the Century Media website by clicking here.
Alien, Strapping Young Lad’s fourth Century Media album, has been slated for release on March 22, 2005. The follow-up to the group's critically acclaimed 2002 release, SYL, was recorded at the Armoury and Greenhouse Studios (both in Vancouver) as well as in mainman Devin Townsend's studio in Maple Ridge (suburb of Vancouver).
Alien final track listing: More...
Strapping Young Lad Announces Tour Dates
Strapping Young Lad have announced the following tour dates with the Agony Scene, Misery Signals and Reflux:
Apr. 10 Minneapolis, MN - Ascot Room @ Quest Club
Apr. 12 Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
Apr. 17 New York, NY - B.B. King's Blues Club
Apr. 22 Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
Apr. 23 Worcester, MA - The Palladium - New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
May 14 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
SYL will play the Century Media party in Los Angeles December 20 at the Key Club (with Death Angel, Nebula and Impaled).
SYL's new album "Alien" is scheduled to be released around March 22.
The Century Family's Christmas Balls
Come one, come all to ye olde Christmas BallS! The Century Family cranks it to 11 with their Christmas celebration Monday, December 20 at the Key Club in Los Angeles. You thought Santa was bringing coal, merrily he's bringing a night filled with hard rockin' metal acts representing their label imprints: Strapping Young Lad, Death Angel, Nebula, Impaled, and Eyes of Fire. Whether you've been naughty or nice. Century Media's elves are assembling stockings filled with heavy metal trimmings for raffle and there will also be lots of free musical goodies. Bringing toys for all metal girls and boys Santa's sleigh delivers headliners Vancouver, Canada's Strapping Young Lad. Century Media veterans, the band released their first DVD, entitled "For Those Aboot To Rock", on November 2, and will unchain their new full-length album, "Alien", on March 22, 2005. More...
Strapping Young Lad Finalizes "Alien" Tracklisting
Strapping Young Lad have announced the final tracklisting for "Alien," which will be released around March 22th.
01. Imperial
02. Skeksis
03. Shitstorm
04. Love?
05. Shine
06. We ride
07. Possessions
08. Two weeks
09. Mega bulldozer
10. Zen
11. Info dump (instrumental)
The full artwork of the album has been designed by Par Johansson
The Tom Jones cover has been left off of the album. It was recorded but did not fit the flow but will assuredly appear some time in the future. Also, a MP3 of the new record posted on the Strapping Young Lad website for christmas
SYL will play the Century Media party in Los Angeles December 20 at the Key Club (with Death Angel, Nebula and Impaled). You can get your tickets for this event here.
New SYL Website, Update From Gene Hoglan
Strapping Young Lad's newly re-vamped website is now online. The band's new upcoming studio album, entitled "Alien," is scheduled to be released in March 2005 through Century Media Records.
Here is the track listing:
01. Imperial
02. Skeksis
03. Shitstorm
04. Love?
05. Shine
06. We Ride
07. Possessions
08. Golluminizor
09. Thalamus
10. Zen
11. Celestial Event
Drummer Gene Hoglan has also posted this message on the band's website: More...
Century Family Christmas Balls Details
Century Media are putting together their first ever CENTURY FAMILY CHRISTMAS BALLS show at the Key Club in Hollywood on December 20th of this year. Artists set to perform at this star studded show include:
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD
IMPALED
EYES OF FIRE
SINAI BEACH
NEBULA
Dillinger Escape Plan Pay Tribute To The Melvins
Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah, High On Fire, Strapping Young Lad, Keelhaul, Dog Fashion Disco and Abdullah are among those bands featured on the Melvins tribute album 'We Reach: The Music Of The Melvins'. This should be released next May by Fractured Transmitter Record Co.
Strapping Young Lad To Release New Album In March
Canadian band Strapping Young Lad set the title of the new album as "Alien." The release of the album is scheduled for March 2005, through Century Media Records.
It took drummer Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, ex-Death) only three days in late August to pound through 11 tracks at the Armoury in Vancouver before the band moved on to Greenhouse Studios (also in Vancouver) to record the guitars and vocals. The remaining work is being done in SYL mainman Devin Townsend's studio in Maple Ridge (suburb of Vancouver). Songtitles set to appear on the CD include:
01. Imperial
02. Skeksis
03. Shitstorm
04. Love?
05. Shine
06. Possessions
07. Landscape
08. Zen
09. What's New, Pussycat? (Tom Jones cover)
SYL will release their first-ever DVD, entitled "For Those Aboot To Rock (Live at the Commodore)", on November 15 through Century Media Records. The disc features a full set from the band's sold-out hometown show at The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver recorded earlier this year, plus some "hilarious" backstage antics and video clips. The DVD will be available for the price of a regular CD.
Strapping Young Lad Post Studio Photos Online
Canadian metallers Strapping Young Lad have posted some new photos from the studio online here.
An official statement from Devin Townsend's website reads:
The guys are busy recording the new Strapping Young Lad album. The drums were finished late August at the Armoury in Vancouver. It took Gene only three days to pound through 11 tracks when they moved on to Greenhouse Studios, also in Vancouver, to do guitars and vocals. The remaining work will be done in Devin's studio in Maple Ridge (suburb of Vancouver). The SYL DVD is done and as posted last month, the release is set by Century Media for November 2nd. We will also be carrying it but we are not sure at this time when we will receive our stock. Devin is still working on the Devin Townsend band DVD so it will not be ready until sometime in the new year.
SYL Studio Report From Devin Townsend
Maniacal Canadian extremists Strapping Young Lad have just entered Armoury Studios in Vancouver to record the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2002 release, "SYL." Devin Townsend (vocals, guitars) checks in with the following studio update.
Here's a heads up from the Dev, speaking on behalf of the Strapping camp. We recently put in a long touring year and we all went through many changes as a result. We took this year for everyone to get their shit together on a personal and business level and really analyzed what it was about, what SYL represents that makes it (to us) so powerful.
We toured with Meshuggah last year, and everyone really connected. Gene Hoglan (Death, Testament) and I saw the musical connection established by those guys and really wanted to see if we could finally do the same. It seems the more shit you get over and out into the open in terms of a band relationship, the more you realize that the only job we have to do and do well is rock. And not in a 'group hug, lets all hold hands and pray' kind of way, but more to do with the fact that we spend a fuck of a lot of time together, not discussing something as trivial as maybe somebody’s stinky feet.More...
Strapping Young Lad Begin Recording
A review of the Devin Townsend Band show at the Showroom in Vancouver last Saturday has been posted here. You can also check pics from the show here.
Strapping Young Lad is back in studio on August 17th, more info to come about the new recording on hevydevy and on the SYL site.
To finish, the Strapping Young Lad "For Those Aboot To Rock" (DVD) will be released in Europe on November 2nd, 2004 (same release date for the US). We will keep you updated, we will probably have some of the DVD available on the site.