I once read that at the first Strapping Young Lad concert, hundreds of Steve Vai fans attended because Devin Townsend, the singer of Strapping, had collaborated with him, and the guitarist's fans were curious to witness the concert of his friend. The result?
Legend has it that after 10 minutes, all these curious fans were forced to leave due to the brutality, the power, and the violence of the music of Strapping Young Lad.
All these qualities can be found on a CD like "Alien". Total ferocity packed into 10 songs. Townsend's terrifying voice, the talent of Byron Stroud and Jed Simon, and the superior technique of Gene Hoglan (who on this CD outdoes himself) form an excellent group (in my opinion, also underrated).
This CD, dated 2004, is probably the best from Strapping, and the sound reaches its full maturity. The musicians' performances exceed all expectations, and the songs are increasingly more brutal and complex. "Love?", "Imperial", "Skeksis", "Zen" and all the other songs are authentic gems and will likely remain in their live setlists for quite some time.
In short, it is a CD that leaves one speechless, sure to impress anyone who listens to it. This time, Strapping Young Lad has truly hit a bullseye... now we must wait for the new album to see if it will live up to this masterpiece.
Self-defined by the band as "Chaos Metal", SYL’s musical proposal is the most original, crazy, and energetic that currently exists in the now saturated extreme scene.
There are few bands like Strapping Young Lad, and even fewer like Devin Townsend, the "Frank Zappa of metal," the living proof that heavy metal is not just music for semi-angry adolescents with blinders on.