CoC : Strapping Young Lad - Heavy As a Really Heavy Thing : Review

Strapping Young Lad - _Heavy As a Really Heavy Thing_
(Black Mark, 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10)

This is the debut release of Devin Townsend's new project, Strapping Young Lad. Townsend, former vocalist for Vai, has created something here that is almost impossible to categorize, but nonetheless he has definitely lived up to his reputation of being a madman. The disc starts off with a sample of a toddler describing some kind of "monster who ate the kids." The music then proceeds into a very industrial yet metallic plethora of noise, reminiscent of older Fear Factory sans growls. Devin's vocals vary throughout this album in more ways than I can count on all of my fingers and toes. My favorite track is definitely "Goat", which fuses monstrous noises with deathly music. "Cod Metal King" is a techno beat assortment of various noises. The last two tracks, "Skin Me" and "Drizzlehell" are pure industrial songs complete with distorted vox. An interesting number is "Critic" which once again shows how much of an influence Fear Factory is to Devin. The vocals are the old style "whisper growls" Bell made famous on Fear Factory's first album. Also included is an unmarked tenth track that starts as a goof-off carnival song, and then cuts into a chorus of monstrously evil growling. Altogether, I thought this LP made for a very interesting listening experience, (of course it is "... utterly and completely MADE IN CANADA!") however I think that it will be very difficult for many people to get into Devin's music, simply because of the fact that it is so varied.

(article published 1/10/1995)

CHATS
7/13/2006	J Smit	Strapping Young Lad: None More Black
6/12/2003	A McKay	Strapping Young Lad: The World Makes Way
10/1/1995	A Bromley	Strapping Young Lad: Bracing for Success

ALBUMS
6/27/2006	J Smit	8	Strapping Young Lad - The New Black
2/22/2005	J Smit	10	Strapping Young Lad - Alien
4/16/2003	X Hoose	8	Strapping Young Lad - SYL
7/8/1998	A Bromley	9.5	Strapping Young Lad - No Sleep Till Bedtime
2/4/1997	A Bromley	9	Strapping Young Lad - City

GIGS
9/14/1997	S Hoeltzel	Testament / Stuck Mojo / Strapping Young Lad	Demonic Pigwalk