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Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing is the debut album by Canadian extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was released on April 4, 1995. Century Media Europe has released a remastered version of Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing on June 12, 2006, including the video for "S.Y.L.", several bonus tracks, and a 12-page booklet containing extended liner notes.
[edit] Background
Strapping Young Lad began in 1995 as a solo project of Canadian musician Devin Townsend. Following his work as vocalist on Steve Vai's 1993 album Sex & Religion and its 1994 tour, Townsend believed he had been a "musical whore", spending "the first five years of [his] career working at the behest of other people".[1] During a brief stint as touring guitarist for The Wildhearts, Townsend received a phone call from an A&R representative for Roadrunner Records, expressing an interest in his demos and an intention to sign him. The offer was ultimately rescinded by the head of Roadrunner, who regarded Townsend's recordings as "just noise".[2] He faced further rejection by Relativity Records, the label behind Vai's Sex & Religion, who saw no commercial appeal in his music.[3] Century Media Records subsequently contacted the musician, offering him a contract to "make us some extreme albums".[2] Townsend agreed to a five-album deal with the record label.[4]
Following his tour with The Wildhearts, Townsend began recording and producing his debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing, under the moniker Strapping Young Lad. According to Townsend, the recording process took "about a week".[3] Embracing The Wildhearts' anarchist approach, "while focusing on dissonance and just being as over-the-top as [he] could",[5] Townsend sang on the record and performed the majority of its instrumental tracks (with the assistance of a drum machine). A few songs, however, featured local session musicians, including guitarist Jed Simon, Townsend's future band mate.
[edit] Release and reception
Released on April 4, 1995, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing was not widely recognized in the metal community. The album sold 143 copies in its first six months,[6] but received favorable reviews from the heavy metal press. Its unusual musical ideas—a synthesis of death,[7] thrash,[8] and industrial metal[7][8] influences—prompted Andy Stout from Metal Hammer to call it "one of the most disturbing albums you'll hear for a very long time".[9] Nevertheless, Townsend has repeatedly expressed his distaste for the recording. He dismissed the album in the liner notes of the record's 2006 reissue, contending that it contained only two great songs.[6] He also deemed its production poor in interviews,[10] referring to the album as "basically a collection of demos that were remixed".[2] When Century Media advertised the reissue of Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing as the "rebirth of a genre-defying classic", Townsend called it "record company bullshit".[10]
[edit] Track listing
- "S.Y.L." (Townsend and Adrian White) – 4:47
- "In the Rainy Season" (Townsend and White) – 4:37
- "Goat" (Townsend) – 3:30
- "Cod Metal King" (Townsend) – 5:08
- "Happy Camper (Carpe B.U.M.)" (Townsend and White) – 3:00
- "Critic" (Townsend) – 4:07
- "The Filler - Sweet City Jesus" (Townsend) – 5:24
- "Skin Me" (Townsend) – 3:29
- "Drizzlehell" (Townsend) – 3:09
- "Satan's Ice Cream Truck" (Townsend) – 2:33
- "Japan"* (Townsend and White)– 5:18
- "Monday"* - 5:14
- "Exciter"* (Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton) – 13:40
- - The Judas Priest cover "Exciter" is included on the original European release & the 2006 re-issue.
- - The bonus track "Japan" is included on the original Japanese release & the 2006 re-issue.
- - The previously unreleased track "Monday" appears on the 2006 re-issue.
- - The 2006 release also includes the video for "S.Y.L".
[edit] Credits
- Devin Townsend – Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards, Programming, Mixing, Editing, Producer, Arranger
- Christopher Meyers – Keyboards
- Jed Simon – Guitar
- Adrian White – Drums
- Chris Bayes – Drums
- Smokin' Lord Toot – Drums
- Greg Price – Drum Programming
- Blair Calibaba – Engineer
- Rod Michaels – Engineer
- Greg Reely – Editing, Mixing
- Jason Mausa – Mixing
- Doctor Skinny – Mixing
- Tania Rudy – Photography
- Byron Stroud – Photography
- Robert Lowden – Art Direction
- Brian Gardner – Mastering
- Ashley Scribner - Bass
- Mike Sudar - Guitar
[edit] References
- ^ Rocca, Jane. "Devin Townsend interview." Loudmouth. 1997, Iss. 2.
- ^ a b c "Devin Townsend interviewed by Tony on 3RRR FM, Melbourne". The Church of Devin Townsend. April 1997. http://www.axs.com.au/~vk3aaw/devhard1.htm. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b Bromley, Adrian (1995-01-10). "Bracing for Success - CoC interviews Devin Townsend of Strapping Young Lad". Chronicles of Chaos. http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/articles/chats/1-7_strapping_young_lad.aspx. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Devin Townsend: 'I Don't Have Anything To Say With Strapping Young Lad Anymore'". Blabbermouth.net. 2006-07-04. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=54611. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b Townsend, Devin (2006). Album notes for Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing (Reissue) by Strapping Young Lad [CD liner]. Century Media (8259). Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing (Reissue) at MusicBrainz.
- ^ a b Lee, Cosmo (2006-07-31). "Strapping Young Lad - The New Black - Review". Stylus magazine. http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/strapping-young-lad/the-new-black.htm. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b Filcetti, Gino (1995-01-10). "Strapping Young Lad - Heavy As a Really Heavy Thing : Review". Chronicles of Chaos. http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-34_strapping_young_lad_heavy_as_a_really_heavy_thing.aspx. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b Pardo, Pete (2006-09-18). "Review: Strapping Young Lad: Heavy As a Really Heavy Thing (remaster)". Sea of Tranquility. http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=4201. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Stout, Andy. "Strapping Young Lad - Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing." Metal Hammer. April 1997.
- ^ a b Vasilakos, Konstantinos (2006). "Strapping Young Lad - Interview with Devin Townsend". MetalEagle Online magazine. Archived from the original on 2008-02-12. http://web.archive.org/web/20080212160039/http://www.metaleagle.com/interviews.php?action=show&id=137&PHPSESSID=8993a87adfc69bf4. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing lyrics
