Strapping
Young Lad have long been known for their blast beat in a blender style
of industrialized speed metal. After a somewhat hit or miss debut album,
SYL have unleashed three absolutely scything salvos of sarcasm-laced rage.
Each album having it's own distinct feel, while maintaining the same level
of furious intensity. I have greatly enjoyed each of SYL's last three releases,
and their live show is something every metal fan should experience. Seeing
Devin hunched over his guitar, screaming his face off, veins bulging form
his forehead while his trademark skullet thrashes and whips around his head
like a writhing crown of snakes..... that’s something you don't forget.
I was expecting more of the same from "The New Black" and have
to admit being somewhat surprised by what I heard. The album sounds like
a blend of SYL and a Devin Townsend Band album. The vocals are far more
varied than on previous releases with Devin using clean vocals more often
than on any other SYL release. The tempo of the album is also more varied
than usual, the blistering speed being balanced almost 50/50 with mid paced
material. Guitar solos are featured in several songs, while there may be
a few of these buried in the back catalog, solos were never featured. In
contrast, some of the solos on "The New Black" really jump out
at you. Despite the changes, this still sounds and feels very much like
an SYL album. The mechanical sound, and keyboards remain a fixture and the
album is structured in such a way that you never go more than a couple minutes
without hearing something that is unmistakably SYL's signature sound. Musicianship
and production, as always, are top notch. The angry, tongue in cheek lyrics
are back as well, indeed Devin takes his love of the F-bomb to a new level
here, some how packing more profanity into this thing than Phil Anselmo
would include in one of his drunken on stage rants. An impressive feat to
say the least. All things considered, this is a good album and changing
things up a little was probably something that the band needed to do at
this point. Most SYL fans will find a lot to like here, fans of Devin's
other projects who have not gotten into SYL's previous releases should also
give this one a listen. Highlight tracks include, “Wrong Side,”
“You Suck” and “The New Black.” Longtime live staple,
“Far Beyond Metal,” is a welcome inclusion as well and features
a guest appearance by Oderus Urungus of Gwar. Their best work? In my opinion
no, but this is certainly their most diverse album to date and is well worth
your time.
Rating: 86
Reviewed By: Garett F. |
