July 2020 Feature Release - The Sphere Edition

It's now July which of course means that we'll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we're asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter.  

This month's feature release for The Sphere is 1997's classic sophomore album "City" from Canadian progressive metal legend Devin Townsend's industrial metal outfit Strapping Young Lad. For those that aren't already aware, Strapping Young Lad features the one & only Gene Hoglan (Death/Testament/Dark Angel, etc.) behind the drum kit which would be a major feather in any band's cap but that's certainly not the only highlight of "City" which sees Devin flexing his more intense metal muscles in no uncertain terms. Is it up to the hype? We'll let you decide for yourself.

https://metal.academy/releases/869 

First of all, I’m glad you picked this because it gave me an excuse to check out something by Devin Townsend, whose work I’m not really familiar with but I’m also aware is crucial in some circles.  To be honest, it’s not really my cup of tea. Yes, the drums are superhuman. I think Gene Hogan could take on an AI controlled high-end drum machine and win. To cut to the chase, I think my main problem is with the lyrics. Usually lyrics are the LAST thing I care about (especially if they’re not in English) . But Townsend’s lyrics sound like they’re coming from a teenage kid who’s trying to sound sooooo tough. I just have trouble taking it seriously. Credit where credit is due though, the guy has a great range and those vox can’t be easy on the throat. And there are moments on the record that have me saying “ okay, that’s cool,” but those will be followed by something I don’t like. “Home Nucleonics” is my fave track for sure, the lyrics don’t get cringy on that one and I find all the riffs appealing. I may not be the best guy to review this though. I’m kind of old school in my tastes and (again to give credit where credit is due) I feel like this record helped spearhead a more modern sound.

2/5

I've always found "City" to be a very solid slab of industrial metal but I'm not sure it's the classic release it's often made out to be. I don't think it competes on the same level as Devin's Ocean Machine release from the same year for example but when Devin & co get it right  it sure hits the spot.

4/5

City is Devin Townsend at his most unhinged, and its so absurdly aggressive and heavy that it's hard not to like at least some parts of this album. The strange but somehow endearing lyrics on "AAA", the pure insanity of "Oh My Fucking God", and the distortion drenched "Spirituality" all come together in this strange package that somehow works out in the end. I feel like on paper this album has no chance of working, with its flurry of random chug riffs alongside Devin's unsystematic vocals and corny sound effects, but it creates such a unique package that shows that extreme metal can take on many different forms, even if that different form is a strangely sung ballad-type thing with piano and pounding industrial drums on "Room 429". Devin's eccentricity is one of this things that always draws me back to him, and while I agree with Daniel and Chris in that I'm unsure about the "classic" status of this album, it certainly represents something sincerely different and something that only Devin could feasibly pull off. It certainly has its weak points and has a ton of issues in terms of structure and just overall strangeness, especially when it's trying so hard to be heavy and angry, but I still think that City is a must for Devin Townsend fans and an interesting excursion for anyone looking for something different in their extreme and angry Metal. 

4/5