Search - Strapping Young Lad :: Heavy As a Really Heavy Thing

Why can't this happen more often?

Barry Dejasu | Rehoboth, Massachusetts | 05/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For over ten years now, Strapping Young Lad's debut was as stripped as can be. "Eh" production quality, only 9 songs that stretched only seconds shy of 40 minutes long, and a photo-heavy booklet that included NO lyrics whatsoever (something that annoys me more than anything else with CDs). Granted, it was a GOOD album, but these things left much to be desired.



And now, this has emerged.



This is exactly what this album needed. The production has been remastered, giving the album a lot more punch to its heaviness - and with a band like Strapping Young Lad, heaviness is a MUST. There are four bonus tracks, making the album over 56 minutes long now! And best of all, THERE ARE LYRICS NOW! And not just lyrics to all the songs, but even to the bonus tracks (a rare thing in and of itself with special editions of albums)! There's also a enhanced video clip for "S.Y.L.," which is a nice bonus. What a deal! There's also a really nice introduction from Devin Townsend in the booklet, telling the story of SYL's inception and the coming-about of this album in a manner that is as funny as it is informative.



About the bonus tracks: the first of them is the hilariously goofy and heavy "Satan's Ice Cream Truck," with a silly vocal performance, tasty crunch-riffs in the choruses, and a bizarre guitar solo that would sound better in a polka group. "Japan" is epic-feeling, with choruses composed of soaring vocals and waves of riffs, feeling more like something off of CITY or SYL. "Monday" is previously unreleased (well, officially anyway), and is a nice industrial-tinged piece, with Devin making a great singing-turning-into-screaming performance over a building storm of melodic riffs, very reminiscent of his Ocean Machine work. "Exciter" is recorded to sound like it was recorded live (or maybe it really *was* live?), a refreshing cover of the famous Judas Priest song (I never really cared for it until now).



I've found a whole new appreciation for this album. SYL have always been a great and unusual metal band, even way back in "the day." Any shortcomings you might have once thought HEAVY... had are gone: buy this, and listen to the album as it should have been!"