If you’re anything like me, chances are you’re coming into this review scratching your head. "What? A new SYL album? Huh? Alien is still piping hot! Aren’t you going to give it time to cool?" I think that was the reaction everyone that wasn’t shitting themselves had when The New Black was announced; if you didn’t react like that you may have been one of the legions of people shitting yourself whenever Devin Townsend mentions anything. Between the almost non-existent time between this new album, Alien, and Townsend’s last solo release Synchestra, you have to wonder if Devin Townsend is stretching himself a bit thin.

And it seems on The New Black as if he is. It’s not at all a bad album. At its worst it’s completely solid and at its best it’s pretty damn good, but at times one can’t help but feel underwhelmed. The riffs are sometimes recycled from their self-titled album and Alien; while they work, they are not as effective in comparison to those last 2 records. The album does display Strapping Young Lad’s quirkiness and melodic intensity, but the craziness here seems to be less individual. What I mean by that is a lot of The New Black’s diverse sound is merely crossover from the solo releases under Devin Townsend’s name. That’s not a bad thing in itself as Devin Townsend’s solo stuff is excellent but the sound comes off as a bit disingenuous: people are buying this for the trademark SYL sound, not for the Devin Townsend Band. I realize in recent interviews that the band is trying to make a message about the state of the commercial metal industry, but that doesn’t answer the criticism and comes off more like an excuse.

Again, though, it must be repeated that this is in no way a bad album. When the songs come hard and heavy, they come with panache and energy that practically demand retarded sing-a-longs. When the music slows down, it isn’t too mellow or quiet for the distraught metal head. Devin’s vocal performance is at its best, seamlessly moving from thrashy screams to melodic clean singing, and Gene Hoglan still demonstrates his ability to defy laws of anatomy. Seriously, have you seen him? The fact that this man has yet to suffer severe cardiac arrest from the combination of his drumming and the weight of his body is a wonder of medical science! (And from promo photos of his time with Death- where you never see anything below his neck- I assume this phenomenon has been magically persisting for years, as early as his time with Dark Angel even!) Not to mention, The New Black has a huge ace in the whole:"Far Beyond Metal". If you’re new to Strapping Young Lad’s discography, then it’s understandable to be unfamiliar with it, but for everyone else this is a deal breaker. "Far Beyond Metal" was originally recorded live on Strapping Young Lad’s No Sleep ‘Til Bedtime EP and has since become a fan favorite. While this new studio recording lacks the awesome live element and cheesy introduction, it makes up for it with the campy guest appearance of Oderus Urungus from GWAR. Though I’ve never been a particular fan of GWAR, the man is the perfect element "to accentuate the cheesier parts" (as Devin Townsend says it) of the song. Hell, this album could suck nearly as much as St. Anger and I can guarantee people would still buy it if only for "Far Beyond Metal".

All in all, The New Black is yet another strong Strapping Young Lad album, though one can’t help but feel that Devin needs to regroup. His other focus is slowly invading Strapping Young Lad’s sound and it seems like it’s a result of the ridiculously tight proximity between all of his projects. His plate is becoming too full and it’s starting to show. However, given his plan to take a respite after supporting The New Black, I have no doubt he’ll get the regrouping he needs. Here’s hope for the future. (Also, as a side note, if and when Gene Hoglan croaks we need to mine his body for the greater benefit of humanity. That man’s body is the only thing I know that defies all knowledge about fat people. Okay, the second thing to defy such knowledge: I once saw a near morbidly obese man perfectly ride a bicycle. That blew my mind.)

Review byNecro-tron