The press release for SYL points out that the inspiration behind the album was borne out of the horror surrounding the events of 9/11, and, later, says bluntly, "This is, without question, war music." And while the music certainly sounds like Armageddon, the lyrics are in fact angry, incredulous diatribes against not only the futility of war, but rape, hypocrisy, and hate.
Devin Townsend's sense of humor surfaces here and there, particularly in "Dirt Pride" ("dripping...gigbutt; dirt pride...my pride; dripping...bunksock"), but without the lyric sheet you wouldn't hear it; Strapping Young Lad's apocalyptic death metal soundscapes are the aural equivalent of endlessly spraying shrapnel, or the nightmare hum of locusts, or the earth swallowing itself.
Meanwhile, the ethereal keyboard washes and occasional bits of melodic singing only heighten the biblical intensity.
Not for the faint of heart.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DireStrapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Play | 01:05 | 2 MB | 8 MB |
| 2 | ConsequenceStrapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Play | 04:13 | 9 MB | 24 MB |
| 3 | RelentlessStrapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Play | 03:12 | 7 MB | 13 MB |
| 4 | Rape SongStrapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Play | 04:01 | 9 MB | 18 MB |
| 5 | AftermathDavid Arnold, Strapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Play | 07:11 | 16 MB | 30 MB |
| 6 | DevourStrapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Play | 03:13 | 7 MB | 14 MB |
| 7 | Last MinuteStrapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Play | 03:58 | 9 MB | 32 MB |
| 8 | Force FedStrapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Play | 05:43 | 13 MB | 24 MB |
| 9 | Dirt PrideStrapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Play | 02:40 | 6 MB | 20 MB |
| 10 | Bring on the YoungStrapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Play | 05:53 | 13 MB | 37 MB |
| 41 mins | 94 MB | |||||
| 41 mins | 225 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Arnold | Composer |
| 2 | Sean Carruthers | Choir/Chorus |
| 3 | Daniel Michael Collins | Photography |
| 4 | Kurt Dahle | Drum Technician |
| 5 | Dev | Choir/Chorus |
| 6 | Gene Hoglan | Drums |
| 7 | Stevie J | Choir/Chorus |
| 8 | Carla Levis | Assistant Engineer, Vocals |
| 9 | Rossy Living | Choir/Chorus |
| 10 | Marnie Mains | Vocals |
| 11 | Misha Rajaratnam | Engineer |
| 12 | Paul Silviera | Engineer |
| 13 | Jed Simon | Choir/Chorus, Guitar, Keyboards, Sampling |
| 14 | Travis Smith | Visuals |
| 15 | Strapping Young Lad | Composer, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 16 | Byron Stroud | Bass, Choir/Chorus, Project Coordinator |
| 17 | Louie Teran | Mastering |
| 18 | Shaun Thingvold | Engineer, Mixing |
| 19 | Devin Townsend | Engineer, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Sampling, Vocals |
| 20 | Chris "The Heathen" Valagao | Vocals |
| 21 | Nico Wobben | Photography |
Strapping Young Lad
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |