STRAPPING YOUNG LAD - The New Black · BLACK TAPE

Black music cassette.

Background information about 'The New Black'

What happens when you take industrial metal's most unhinged visionary and let him loose in the studio? You get "The New Black", Strapping Young Lad's fourth studio album that stands as a testament to Devin Townsend's ability to channel pure sonic chaos into something brilliantly coherent. Released in 2006, this album finds the band at their most refined yet still utterly devastating, blending their signature wall-of-sound approach with unexpected moments of clarity and even - dare we say it - catchiness. Tracks like "Decimator" and "Wrong Side" showcase the band's ability to marry crushing heaviness with memorable hooks, while "You Suck" delivers exactly what its title promises with tongue-in-cheek brutality.

The production on "The New Black" is nothing short of spectacular, with every instrument fighting for space in the mix yet somehow finding its perfect place in the controlled mayhem. Townsend's vocals range from death growls to clean singing, often within the same song, creating a dynamic that keeps listeners on edge throughout the album's runtime. Songs like "Monument" and "Hope" demonstrate the band's versatility, proving they could craft both punishing metal anthems and more experimental pieces without losing their essential identity. The album serves as both a culmination of everything Strapping Young Lad had been building toward and a bold statement of intent for extreme metal's future possibilities.

For fans of: Fear Factory, Meshuggah, Ministry and Static-X

Track listing

A1. Decimator
A2. You Suck
A3. Anti Product
A4. Monument
A5. Wrong Side
A6. Hope
B1. Far Beyond Metal
B2. Fucker
B3. Almost Again
B4. Polyphony
B5. The New Black

Manufacturer: 375 Media GmbH, Schlachthofstraße 36A, 21079 Hamburg, Germany, Contact: www.backonblack.com