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Rating: A bolt from the blue, this latest work by Strapping Young Lad.
Certainly, one does not expect a follow-up to 'Alien' from them about a year later, and Townsend's interviews, which were supposed to promote it, turned out to be nothing more than the outburst of a tired and pissed-off person who wanted to unplug; in short, all elements that certainly do not cast a benign shadow on the quality of the album and fatally, unfortunately, "The New Black" disappoints.
However, let it be clear that not everything should be thrown away; flashes of inspiration run throughout the album, which flows between classic blasts à la Strapping and absolute novelties for their characteristic sound. What strikes about this album is the presence of several songs ready to desecrate metal clichés: "You Suck" for example, a song that is nonetheless uninspired, textbook-like, with all the classic elements we would expect: sick chorus, schizophrenic solo, and schizoid rhythm, all topped off with a rather banal text... of the same caliber is "Far beyond Metal", a familiar presence in live shows for fans and recorded as track number seven. Not exactly the pinnacle of originality to include it in this album, an unfortunate choice in my opinion that diminishes the importance of the record, as if it were a collection of b-sides or outtakes... at the metal derision fair and the less original things I also add "Fucker", with its awkward and banal rhythm, given that we're talking about people who have gotten us used to something different.
But little gems exist here too, you just have to know how to grasp them: "Antiproduct" for example, with the addition of strings, or "Wrong Side", furious, with an epic chorus, "Hope" slow and cadenced that PROGresses into a vortex of devastation, then "Almost Again", practically of the same kind, all really interesting.
A careful listening of "The New Black" deduces the hastiness, the addition of tracks inserted just to make up numbers (contract expiration with Century? Very likely) that are not up to a group that has always been distinguished for genius and innovation, which is partly there but not sufficiently. Waiting for better times... if good Hevydevy will feel like it...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Decimator (02:53)
Penetrate and desecrate my soul
Penetrate and decimate them all
God, have you always be listening to me
Hell has a way with the pros
Give me the strength
Give me the strength now to know
Penetrate and demonstrate your guiding
Every word and every note and everything at all
God hasn't always been listening to me
Hell has a way with the pros
Give me the strength
Give me the strength now to choose
It's in your nature to fear
Fearing the cracks in the earth
SYL!
SYL!
SYL!
SYL!
Yes, it's in your nature to fear
Fearing the cracks in the earth
Oh God, it's human nature
Fearing the cracks in the earth
02 You Suck (02:40)
WHOA
Give us all that you are
I HATE ME!
Give me all that you are!
WHOA YEAHHH!
HELL YEAH!!
WHOA Give us back the temptation
WE HATE YOU
This is not the temptation
WHOA YEAH!!
HELL YEAH!
Tell us how much they fucking suck!
HELL YEAH THEY FUCKING SUCK!
You and your band you fucking suck!
HELL YEAH YOU FUCKING SUCK!
I don't give a fuck you fucking fuck!
HELL YEAH YOU FUCKING SUCK!
Come on tell me how much we fucking suck
HELL YEAH YOU FUCKING SUCK!
Hell yeah we fucking suck!
Hell yeah we fucking suck!
Oh fuck us all!
[solo]
Oh yeah!
HELL YEAH!
WHOA YEAHHHH!!!!
HELL FUCKING YEAH!!!
WHOA
Give us back the temptation
WE HATE YOU!!!
This is not the temptation
Sing it now!
OHHH YEAH!
HELL YEAHHHH!!!
Tell us how much they fucking suck!
HELL YEAH THEY FUCKING SUCK!
Even your girlfriend fucking sucks!
HELL YEAH SHE FUCKING SUCKS!
Oh fuck you you fucking fuck!
HELL YEAH YOU FUCKING SUCK!
Tell me how much you fucking suck!
HELL YEAH WE FUCKING SUCK!
Hell yeah you fucking suck!
Hell yeah you fucking suck!
We are the losers of all that we know!
Fuck us all!
03 Anti Product (03:56)
I am the Anti product, rotten to the core
Sell me, the Anti product, rock me to the core
Sell me, tell me, I'm the only one
I AM THE ANTI PRODUCT, ROCK ME TO THE BONE
I am the Anti product, quantum mechanically pure
So you will show me, be automatic, we must be perfectly sure
Sell me, tell me I'm the chosen one
I AM THE ANTI PRODUCT, ROCK ME TO THE BONE
FOR SALE
I am the Anti product, rotten to the core
Sell me, the Anti product
Rock me to the bone
...to the bone
I AM THE ANTI PRODUCT
WE ARE THE ANTI PRODUCT
ANTI-GODDAMN
04 Monument (04:11)
Because we love you
We return to rock you
Become to
Because you
We want you
Workers are going home
Workers are going home
Once you've been alone
And everybody knows
Work begins alone
Workers are doing time
For you, there's nothing now but time
Once you cross the line
And everything is fine
Work starts in the line
What do we want?
Hate!
Do you want to know why?
Because we love you
We return to rock you
What's the matter, little man?
Uncomfortably you believe (we want you)
What's the matter, little man?
We warned you
So you have mercy
You know why now
Become to
Because you
We want you
We want you
Become so
Be controlled
We want you
We want you
08 Fucker (03:53)
Fuck you
Dance, you fuckers
We're all fired up and ready to go
To give it all up at the metal show
Don't play it up and don't play us some love
Just play this shit on the radio
Fucker
You fucker
Fucker
Get out of my face, get off my case
You're a fucker
You're all fuckers
And I don't fucking care
I've said it before, now I'll say it again
It was all too much for the Alien
So heavy metal, fuck it, rock
We're doing it for you, baby
Fucker
You fucker
Fucker
Get out of my face, get off my case
You're a fucker
You fucker
And I don't fucking care
Watch behind my eyes
Watch behind your face
Just understand it and see the little fucker
Like I give a fuck!
Fucker
You fucker
Fucker
Get out of my face, get off my case
You're a fucker
You're all fuckers
And I don't fucking care
10 Polyphony (01:54)
I know why I fall all the time
I fall in
Just one look in your eyes tells me why it's a lie
I'm falling for
I warned you I'd be right here waiting
I know you're tired
I need you
I've been right here waiting
I know you're trying to go
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Other reviews
By ThirdEye
"Decimator pierces our senses, nullifying them, and already frightens us... it’s in human nature to fear the crumbling of Earth."
"The Canadian group does exactly this: it strips the new black and lays it bare before our still bleeding eyes."
By strong84
The New Black is yet another masterpiece signed by the crazy Canadian band known to all as Strapping Young Lad.
Far Beyond Metal: an authentic anthem for metalheads with a refrain that is nothing short of orgasmic. THE SONG OF THE YEAR.
