What do you all think of Strapping young lad

they are one of the heaviest bands I have heard they are heavy monsterously

- awesome band.
- Devin Townsend is a genius

love this band, towsend is a genius

I was hoping to like them but never bought any full length cds so when the best of came out I picked that up. I wasnt too crazy about it so im really up in the air about them. Theres another band called Zimmers Hole that has some SYL members in it and I think I like them a tad bit more.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

I was hoping to like them but never bought any full length cds so when the best of came out I picked that up. I wasnt too crazy about it so im really up in the air about them. Theres another band called Zimmers Hole that has some SYL members in it and I think I like them a tad bit more.

love zimmers hole as well, while you were shouting... is a great album

INVADERS wrote:

- awesome band.
- Devin Townsend is a genius

That about sums it up.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

I was hoping to like them but never bought any full length cds so when the best of came out I picked that up. I wasnt too crazy about it so im really up in the air about them. Theres another band called Zimmers Hole that has some SYL members in it and I think I like them a tad bit more.

SYL isn't going to be for everyone. You should, however, check out his solo material. Brilliant stuff!

And if you like his solo stuff, check out SYL's The New Black album. That album is more like his solo stuff mixed with the SYL stuff. I think it's their best album, though many disagree.

I think INVADERS hit the nail on the head. SYL are fantastic, but I can also see why they wouldn't appeal to everyone. I originally didn't like them until I saw them open for Arch Enemy a couple of years back. Their show won me over instantaneously, with Devin's banter being one of the highlights of the entire evening - especially when he remarked that his skullet was the result of playing Dungeons & Dragons as a teenager. I think they were touring for Alien at that point, which is a great album. Incredibly aggressive and incredibly unique, I always enjoy sitting down to listen to it. Possibly one of the heaviest albums I can think of, too.

However, I definitely prefer Dev's solo stuff to SYL. His solo stuff is so melodic and has such fantastic song writing. I also really enjoy Dev's cleaner vocals and he always seems to get the balance between heavy and melodic just right for me.

On a slightly off-topic note, has anyone got his Punky Bruster album - the spoof punk one? I managed to get it at the beginning of the year, and it's definitely one of my favourite albums nowadays.

...I may have gone in to ramble mode a bit.

Smindas wrote:

I think INVADERS hit the nail on the head. SYL are fantastic, but I can also see why they wouldn't appeal to everyone. I originally didn't like them until I saw them open for Arch Enemy a couple of years back. Their show won me over instantaneously, with Devin's banter being one of the highlights of the entire evening - especially when he remarked that his skullet was the result of playing Dungeons & Dragons as a teenager. I think they were touring for Alien at that point, which is a great album. Incredibly aggressive and incredibly unique, I always enjoy sitting down to listen to it. Possibly one of the heaviest albums I can think of, too.

However, I definitely prefer Dev's solo stuff to SYL. His solo stuff is so melodic and has such fantastic song writing. I also really enjoy Dev's cleaner vocals and he always seems to get the balance between heavy and melodic just right for me.

On a slightly off-topic note, has anyone got his Punky Bruster album - the spoof punk one? I managed to get it at the beginning of the year, and it's definitely one of my favourite albums nowadays.

...I may have gone in to ramble mode a bit.

I looked for it but could not find it

I saw them open for Arch Enemy as well, wow what a set!-TJ

INVADERS wrote:

- awesome band.
- Devin Townsend is a genius

Can't argue with that.

I think they're interesting.

I've checked them out, but apparently I don't "get it."

Devin is a genius, but his music usually gets on my nerves...

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Devin is a genius, but his music usually gets on my nerves...

He's got an awesome "skullet" hair do tho. When I start going bald up the middle like him I'm going to do the same thing, and grow the sides out super long.

i like them, especially the first album. i just never understood all the hype.

I don't like SYL, but I like most of his solo stuff a lot. Especially Terria and Accelerated Evolution.

mc666 wrote:

i like them, especially the first album. i just never understood all the hype.

This is me, except I also dig "City". Beyond that, whatever.

Fat Freddy wrote:

I've checked them out, but apparently I don't "get it."

Put me in that category too. I heard the hype, then listenend to the music. Meh, not my thing. But yea, the skullet rocks.

Breaking news: Devin cut off the skullet a while back. Shame to, him and Dio should have done a Metal up the Skullet tour.

Rex wrote:

Breaking news: Devin cut off the skullet a while back. Shame to, him and Dio should have done a Metal up the Skullet tour.

don't forget about Cronos.

Cronos could wear a clown wig and still be billions of times cooler than Devin Townsend.

I like SYL's music however, the lyrics tend to turn my off (too much cussing just doesn't do it for me anymore-the major reason why I stopped listening to Biohazard years ago). I love the song Love and played it quite oftern (though not in some time). Also Satan's Ice Cream Truck is pretty amusing song. Townsend is indeed a genius nutball (bipolar to be exact) and did a very awesome cover of Judas Priest-Exciter.