STRAPPING YOUNG LAD News

Canadian extremists STRAPPING YOUNG LAD have completed tracking their highly anticipated new album, The New Black, which frontman Devin Townsend promises to be the group’s definitive release. The soon-to-be genre-defying epic will showcase a new dimension of the SYL beast, which will be backed up with an abundance of devastating guitar solos. It would be safe to say that you can expect the unexpected.

The album’s U.S. touring campaign will kick off June 29th, as the group joins the second stage lineup at Ozzfest alongside such acclaimed acts as Atreyu, Bleeding Through and Unearth, among others. Townsend further describes his excitement over being a part of Ozzfest and sheds some light on their new disc: “The recording process is going well, and Strapping as a whole is really excited to have the opportunity to record again. We were very inspired with the idea of doing Ozzfest, and the concept we are running with on this record is really based around abhorring the current music scene, yet being a part of it in some weird way. SYL is ready to be a subversive product for the unwitting 14-year-olds to scream along with.

“We also intend to sprinkle a little ugly around all the pretty bands this year. You can think of us as the proverbial pubic hair in the cheesecake of this year’s festival. We are ugly, large and angry. We have also been around longer as a band than 90% of the other bands. Most of all, we're just really excited to be a part of Ozzfest and this summer is going to be crazy. See you all soon.”

On June 12th, Century Media Records is proud to re-release STRAPPING YOUNG LAD’s 1995 debut album Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing, which changed the metal world forever. The re-issue features a re-mastered version of this classic debut, 4 bonus tracks, the “S.Y.L.” video and a 12-page booklet with extended liner notes from Devin himself. As Devin recalls, “I had finished with the Wildhearts just prior to this [1994], and they were so anti- everything that I decided to take a similar approach while focusing on dissonance and just being as over-the-top as I could. Songs didn’t really matter; it was just the intensity and the vibe plus lots of humor. Screaming and laughing are pretty close, I think, and I have just never been ‘hard’, so we do what comes naturally, right? Right.” So enjoy the rebirth of a genre-defining classic!

Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing (re-issue) Official Tracklisting:
1. S.Y.L. 4:46
2. In the Rainy Season 4:37
3. Goat 3:30
4. Cod Metal King 5:08
5. Happy Camper (Carpe B.U.M.) 3:01
6. Critic 4:08
7. The Filler – Sweet City Jesus 5:24
8. Skin Me 3:30
9. Drizzlehell 3:10
10. Satan’s Ice Cream Truck 2:34 (hidden bonus track from original pressing)
11. Japan 5:17 (originally Japanese bonus track)
12. Monday 5:13 (previously unreleased bonus track)
13. Exciter 6:04 (European bonus track from original version; Judas Priest cover version)
+ “S.Y.L.” video clip 4:50

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD’s most recent offering, Alien, was met with tons of acclaim, ranging from the likes of Billboard and Stuff magazine, who hailed the effort as “STRAPPING YOUNG LAD's best studio disc yet,” to Decibel, Metal Edge, Outburn and Revolver, among a slew of others. The group’s biggest break would come in the summer of 2005 on the inaugural Sounds of The Underground tour, which also featured such acclaimed artists as Lamb of God, Opeth and Unearth. The group’s overly intense live performances clearly set the band well ahead of the pack while captivating the uninitiated crowds who were immediately drawn to the band’s perfect blend of melodic industrial thrash insanity. The word quickly spread to promoters and directly resulted in a spot on the Transgression Tour with Fear Factory, Soilwork and Darkane later that year.

In 2006, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD prepares to deliver their most accessible offering yet, which Townsend also promises will still challenge their listeners and claims is the next logical step in the group’s continuous evolution. This is the year that SYL leaves their defining mark on the genre.

www.strappingyounglad.com