AAAC 14/08/18 Strapping Young Lad - The New Black

You were going to get Billy Mackenzie’s Outernational, a slice of icy 90s pop, but I’ve had a fizzing shitstick of a week, so instead you’re getting about the most accessible thing Devin Townsend’s outfit Strapping Young Lad produced.

There’s a lot of very, very fast drumming and some very black humour.

Personal favourites include You Suck for basic silliness, Far Beyond Metal if for nothing else then for the lyric “You ironic punk-rock fuck”, and Almost Again for managing to sound quite plaintive, despite steaming past at 200 BPM.

This album is rated PG due to the gleeful abandon with which the F-bomb is thrown around.

I’d be grateful if someone could post a Tidal link.

For the truly desperate I’d be surprised if this wasn’t available on vinyl.

No idea what this is all about. Will look forward to something new.

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How typical of DT is it ?

If it’s his usual schtick then I expect flouncing and thread crapping :smile:

I found the Devin Townsend Project stuff to be a little overblown and, err, proggy.

This is earlier and more speed metal, although there are definitely elements of progness with some odd time signatures and fiddly guitar.

However overall I agree with you, I fully expect this to go down like a warm turd.

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Ooh, never listened to any of DT’s stuff before. Will be checking this out :metal:

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My only experience of Devon Townsend has been later DTP stuff. Apart from the extreme shredding, this has nothing, I say nothing in common. Yes there are proggy segues but DTP this is not.

As expected, I can’t get past the vocals. Not the proper, melodic singing but the shouting and growling. It does my ‘ead in.

Moreover, the white, middle class angst thing is just twee. I didn’t come across as tongue in cheek (although that may have been the intention), it came across as contrived.

Rapid fire (Thrash) drumming isn’t my thang but overall the music wasn’t bad. There are some very strong sections that with a different drumming style would be fantastic.

For the record, I prefer his later DTP efforts.

Potential but must try harder

3.5/5

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:thinking: :metal:

:thinking: :fu:

Deeply sceptical about this. I have little or no time for metal or ‘shredding’.

Me neither, but it’s worth it if for no other reason than to raise some bile and belch forth a barrel of vitriol :+1:*

*Note the thumb is yellow.

image

For Luddites like myself

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Slightly to heavy for me,i rarely veer past early Alice Cooper in the heavy stakes.

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:flushed::grimacing: i usually like your taste in music Guy, but this is absolutely dire.

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:smile: :+1:

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