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Strapping Young Lad - The New Black
Release: 2006Label: Century Media
By: Anders
Posted: Aug 15, 2006
The mad Canadian, Devin Townsend is back, this time with his band Strapping Young Lad, the star struck ensemble rounded off by Byron Stroud, Jed Simon, Gene Hoglan and Willy Campagna. I've enjoyed the last couple of records from the band a lot and was of course looking forward to more thrashing madness from SYL.
Though it didn't take many spins for me to realize that this album wasn't up to par with the self titled album and the last release "Alien", it lacks some of the immense catching elements those 2 elements and perhaps the satirical approach have taken a bit too much over for the music's good. Of course the superb musicianship of the band's members can't be denied, there are tons of killer elements and passages throughout the album, and we are getting served some tour de force instrumentation. Composition-wise the music is quite good as well, though there isn't that much new over Strapping Young Lad anymore, they don't shock musically as they once did, they deliver their thrash very good, and the spices added in form of samples, keys and other effects do also work well, but they have done it before, and better as well. There are a lot of good hooks during the 43 minutes the album lasts, and after 10 spins, you often catches yourself in singing along to Devin's wicked lines, as long as his vocal performance doesn't get too far out there, as it does a couple of times, though generally he does a really good job.
"The New Black" grows for each listen, no doubt about that and it is a highly listenable album. Though when it finishes I am not left with the same satisfaction as most of Strapping Young Lad's work have left me with, the album isn't as complete and hard hitting. This is a must buy album for all fans of the band, as it is Strapping Young Lad all the way through, that can not be discussed. But if you haven't heard the band before and wants to check it out, this isn't the place to start. Even though one can't do nothing but admire the ideas and compositional skills of Townsend.
Though it didn't take many spins for me to realize that this album wasn't up to par with the self titled album and the last release "Alien", it lacks some of the immense catching elements those 2 elements and perhaps the satirical approach have taken a bit too much over for the music's good. Of course the superb musicianship of the band's members can't be denied, there are tons of killer elements and passages throughout the album, and we are getting served some tour de force instrumentation. Composition-wise the music is quite good as well, though there isn't that much new over Strapping Young Lad anymore, they don't shock musically as they once did, they deliver their thrash very good, and the spices added in form of samples, keys and other effects do also work well, but they have done it before, and better as well. There are a lot of good hooks during the 43 minutes the album lasts, and after 10 spins, you often catches yourself in singing along to Devin's wicked lines, as long as his vocal performance doesn't get too far out there, as it does a couple of times, though generally he does a really good job.
"The New Black" grows for each listen, no doubt about that and it is a highly listenable album. Though when it finishes I am not left with the same satisfaction as most of Strapping Young Lad's work have left me with, the album isn't as complete and hard hitting. This is a must buy album for all fans of the band, as it is Strapping Young Lad all the way through, that can not be discussed. But if you haven't heard the band before and wants to check it out, this isn't the place to start. Even though one can't do nothing but admire the ideas and compositional skills of Townsend.
Rating: 7½/10
Strapping Young Lad website
Distributed in Denmark and kindly supplied by EMI
Distributed in Denmark and kindly supplied by EMI
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