Strapping Young Lad - The New Black (2006)^{Release ID: 872}

Strapping Young Lad came to an end in 2007. After their final album The New Black, Devin Townsend made two more solo albums, the ambient The Hummer and the comedic metal opera Ziltoid the Omniscient. Then he announced the end of Strapping Young Lad and a break from touring to focus on family and album writing/production. So how did this final SYL album work out in both the production and the result?...

This album continues the band's usual violent kick-a** destruction! They keep the standard diversity true to the band. They add more of the melody of their previous two albums while bringing back the heaviness and humor of the first two.

"Decimator" already brings in the riffing melody, along with enjoyable clean vocals reaching a nice ending crescendo. The anger comes back in "You Suck" which never sucks! It continues the rage that has made most of the band's previous albums killer. "Anti-Product" adds a little more funky jazz in the horns and flute in the bridge. This is metal at its least serious while nicely listenable. For me, "Monument" is skippable because it sounds too happy for me. It fits better for one of Devin Townsend's solo albums, and it's the reason why I can't give this album a perfect 5-star rating.

However, "Wrong Side" is a true progressive industrial metal highlight. I just love the insane drumming in this one! Anyone who thinks that kind of drumming doesn't belong in industrial metal can stand corrected. "Hope" has more of a groove-metalcore vibe that nicely shakes things up a bit. The metallic "Far Beyond Metal", originally a touring song from as early as the City tour, features by Oderus Urungus of GWAR (RIP). "F***er" is a mid-paced metal love duet with Canadian hard-rocker Bif Naked.

"Almost Again" is where drummer Gene Hoglan deserves some praise for his mighty drumming blasts, but you know who else? Devin Townsend for his fine lyrics and raw vocals, not to mention founding this band! Is it just me or does the guy in the last 10 seconds of the song screaming and collapsing sound like Hoglan after this impressive work? Hmm... At least he will be well-suited for a drum soloing battle with Meshuggah's Tomas Haake. "Polyphony" is a good track to return to for a sincere calm before the final storm. The magnificent 6-minute title finale opens with mighty power and ends with a climatic sign-off, all without tiring me out. A true industrial metal swansong!

Devin Townsend continued once more to venture through his heavier band. Some of it is forward, some of it is backward. They continued their recent melodic direction while having a lot more of the earlier heaviness and humor. It's like they've continued where their 90s era left off in the same place as their 2000s era. It's a shame that SYL is gone, and it's probably for the best. Nonetheless, the band's speed and groove would make some comebacks in a special multi-album project from this Canadian metal man!

Favorites: "You Suck", "Wrong Side", "Hope", "Far Beyond Metal", "Almost Again", "The New Black"