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to call it "one of the most disturbing albums you'll hear for a very long time". 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. He also deemed
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The album was remastered and re-released on June 12, 2006, by
Century Media Europe. The re-release contains several bonus tracks taken from international versions of the album, an unreleased track, and the video for "S.Y.L.".
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was not widely recognized in the metal community. The album sold 143 copies in its first six months, but received favorable reviews from the heavy metal press. Its unusual musical ideas—a synthesis of
285:
and its 1994 tour, Townsend believed he had been a "musical whore", spending "the first five years of career working at the behest of other people". During a brief stint as touring guitarist for
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approach, "while focusing on dissonance and just being as over-the-top as could", Townsend sang on the record and performed the majority of its instrumental tracks (with the assistance of a
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released a remastered version of the album on June 12, 2006, which includes the video for "S.Y.L.", several bonus tracks, and a 12-page booklet containing extended liner notes.
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subsequently contacted the musician, offering him a contract to "make us some extreme albums". Townsend agreed to a five-album deal with the record label.
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363:, demonstrates Townsend's musical approach at the time: "Songs didn't really matter; it was just the intensity and the vibe plus lots of humor".
1422:
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821:– guitar, vocals, keyboards, programming, mixing, editing, production, arrangements, child voice on Track #1, art direction (as Nived)
316:, under the moniker Strapping Young Lad. According to Townsend, the recording process took "about a week". Embracing The Wildhearts'
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its production poor in interviews, referring to the album as "basically a collection of demos that were remixed". When
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Following his tour with The
Wildhearts, Townsend began recording and producing his debut album,
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as the "rebirth of a genre-defying classic", Townsend called it "record company bullshit".
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Stout, Andy (April 1997). "Strapping Young Lad – Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing".
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981:"Devin Townsend: 'I Don't Have Anything To Say With Strapping Young Lad Anymore'"
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1032:"CoC : Strapping Young Lad - Heavy As a Really Heavy Thing : Review"
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Strapping Young Lad began in 1994 as a solo project of
Canadian musician
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Greg Price – assistant on drum programming ("Skin Me", "Drizzlehell")
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Chris Byes – drums ("Critic", "The Filler: Sweet City Jesus")
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1162:"Strapping Young Lad - Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing review"
1063:
The
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties
1146:
1108:
957:. The Church of Devin Townsend. April 1997. Archived from
955:"Devin Townsend interviewed by Tony on 3RRR FM, Melbourne"
846:
Chris Meyers – additional keyboards ("Goat", "Skin Me")
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1236:"Strapping Young Lad – Interview with Devin Townsend"
886:
Jason Mausa – mixing ("The Filler: Sweet City Jesus")
81:, Canada), Greenhouse Studios (Vancouver, Canada)
1492:
934:Rocca, Jane (1997). "Devin Townsend interview".
877:Rod Michaels – additional engineering ("Critic")
1423:For Those Aboot to Rock: Live at the Commodore
1190:"Strapping Young Lad – The New Black – Review"
1273:
1159:
305:, who saw no commercial appeal in his music.
1238:. MetalEagle Online magazine. Archived from
855:Stooly and E: Val Yum – Bon Jovi gang vocals
852:Smokin' Lord Toot – drums ("Cod Metal King")
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18:1995 studio album by Strapping Young Lad
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864:Chris Valagao Mina – guitar, backing vocal
29:
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840:– additional guitar ("Critic", "Skin Me")
289:, Townsend received a phone call from an
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324:). A few songs, however, featured local
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1013:Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing (Reissue)
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1101:, ed. (2006). "Strapping Young Lad".
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532:influences—prompted Andy Stout from
275:. Following his work as vocalist on
259:. It was released on April 4, 1995.
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1030:Filicetti, Gino (October 1, 1995).
13:
1160:omne metallum (October 12, 2020).
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14:
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1516:Albums produced by Devin Townsend
1015:(CD liner). Strapping Young Lad.
892:Doctor Skinny – additional mixing
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437:
430:The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
228:Punky Brüster – Cooked on Phonics
1234:Vasilakos, Konstantinos (2006).
889:Jamie Myers – additional editing
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418:Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal
371:Problems playing this file? See
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676:"The Filler – Sweet City Jesus"
359:"S.Y.L.", the opening track on
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1107:. Vol. 7 (4th ed.).
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1:
1341:Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
1104:Encyclopedia of Popular Music
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648:"Happy Camper (Carpe B.U.M.)"
545:Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
517:Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
361:Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
314:Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
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248:Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
219:Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
170:Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
24:Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
1511:Century Media Records albums
1188:Lee, Cosmo (July 31, 2006).
1075:Collector's Guide Publishing
874:Blair Calibaba – engineering
812:
7:
515:Released on April 4, 1995,
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1501:Strapping Young Lad albums
1440:Devin Townsend discography
560:All tracks are written by
543:advertised the reissue of
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1139:(May 6, 1995). "Albumz".
910:Robert Lowden – cover art
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733:2006 reissue bonus tracks
718:"Satan's Ice Cream Truck"
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1011:Townsend, Devin (2006).
901:Tania Rudy – photography
54:April 4, 1995
1387:No Sleep 'till Bedtime
858:Ashley Scribner – bass
338:
1405:1994–2006 Chaos Years
606:"In the Rainy Season"
381:Release and reception
337:
307:Century Media Records
1242:on February 12, 2008
961:on December 13, 2007
826:Additional musicians
386:Professional ratings
261:Century Media Europe
1480:Front Line Assembly
1355:Strapping Young Lad
1289:Strapping Young Lad
1067:Burlington, Ontario
1037:Chronicles of Chaos
861:Mike Sudar – guitar
734:
406:Chronicles of Chaos
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293:representative for
257:Strapping Young Lad
155:Strapping Young Lad
44:Strapping Young Lad
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564:except where noted
385:
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303:Sex & Religion
299:Relativity Records
295:Roadrunner Records
282:Sex & Religion
210:Sex & Religion
77:Mushroom Studios (
1506:1995 debut albums
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1122:978-0-19-531373-4
1084:978-1-894959-62-9
883:– editing, mixing
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913:Borivoj Krgin –
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634:"Cod Metal King"
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530:industrial metal
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1077:. p. 425.
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279:'s 1993 album
273:Devin Townsend
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1369:The New Black
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1333:Studio albums
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1149:. p. 45.
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1137:Dome, Malcolm
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1099:Larkin, Colin
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1017:Century Media
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907:– photography
906:
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896:Brian Gardner
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704:"Drizzlehell"
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555:Track listing
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541:Century Media
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391:Review scores
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253:extreme metal
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136:Century Media
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69:December 1994
68:
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36:
32:
27:
22:
16:
1460:Fear Factory
1455:Zimmers Hole
1421:
1403:
1397:Compilations
1385:
1367:
1360:
1353:
1346:
1340:
1339:
1319:Adrian White
1310:Byron Stroud
1244:. Retrieved
1240:the original
1217:Metal Hammer
1215:
1209:
1197:. Retrieved
1183:
1171:. Retrieved
1165:
1155:
1140:
1131:
1103:
1093:
1062:
1053:
1041:. Retrieved
1035:
1025:
1012:
989:. Retrieved
975:
963:. Retrieved
959:the original
935:
929:
905:Byron Stroud
832:Adrian White
801:Glenn Tipton
791:Judas Priest
594:Adrian White
559:
549:
544:
535:Metal Hammer
533:
516:
514:
466:
428:
416:
404:
370:
360:
322:drum machine
313:
311:
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280:
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247:
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217:
208:
177:
169:
168:
100:thrash metal
39:Studio album
15:
1379:Live albums
1315:Gene Hoglan
1246:January 31,
1199:January 31,
1167:Metal Storm
991:January 31,
965:January 31,
898:– mastering
797:Rob Halford
505:Metal Storm
105:death metal
1495:Categories
1465:Dark Angel
1325:Mike Sudar
1111:. p.
921:References
881:Greg Reely
869:Production
592:Townsend,
373:media help
267:Background
199:chronology
157:chronology
58:1995-04-04
1450:Steve Vai
1305:Jed Simon
936:Loudmouth
838:Jed Simon
813:Personnel
746:Writer(s)
690:"Skin Me"
578:Writer(s)
318:anarchist
277:Steve Vai
79:Vancouver
1475:Dethklok
1173:March 1,
1142:Kerrang!
1061:(2007).
1043:March 1,
771:"Monday"
662:"Critic"
589:"S.Y.L."
468:Kerrang!
143:Producer
66:Recorded
51:Released
41: by
1019:. 8259.
915:A&R
834:– drums
787:Exciter
757:"Japan"
291:A&R
232:(1996)
223:(1995)
214:(1993)
183:(1997)
174:(1995)
56: (
1119:
1081:
1071:Canada
793:cover)
774:
749:Length
721:
707:
693:
679:
665:
637:
623:
620:"Goat"
581:Length
528:, and
526:thrash
509:7.7/10
399:Rating
396:Source
114:Length
74:Studio
1470:Death
1362:Alien
743:Title
575:Title
522:death
255:band
131:Label
87:Genre
1415:DVDs
1348:City
1248:2008
1201:2008
1175:2024
1147:EMAP
1117:ISBN
1109:MUZE
1079:ISBN
1045:2024
993:2008
967:2008
938:(2).
805:6:04
777:5:14
763:5:18
724:2:33
710:3:09
696:3:29
682:5:24
668:4:07
654:3:00
640:5:08
626:3:30
612:4:37
598:4:47
423:6/10
411:7/10
179:City
1113:791
789:" (
782:13.
768:12.
754:11.
739:No.
715:10.
571:No.
1497::
1226:^
1192:.
1164:.
1115:.
1073::
1069:,
1065:.
1034:.
1001:^
983:.
944:^
799:,
701:9.
687:8.
673:7.
659:6.
645:5.
631:4.
617:3.
603:2.
586:1.
524:,
123:48
119:39
1281:e
1274:t
1267:v
1250:.
1220:.
1203:.
1177:.
1125:.
1087:.
1047:.
995:.
969:.
785:"
375:.
121::
60:)
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