Strapping Young Lad

Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing (Century Media)
by Chaz Thorndike

Holy fucking heaviness! With the term “industrial,” I’d pictured Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing (Century Media) as tortured vocals, chugging guitars, lots of sound bytes and distorted everything. There should be a warning sticker on this that says, “Use caution when listening. Contents may rip you a new asshole and leave you turned inside out like a discarded sock.” After playing with Frontline Assembly, Steve Vai, and countless others, it seems Devin Townsend, the lad himself, learned some serious tricks. If you think Pantera, Nailbomb, and Fear Factory are heavy, this may redefine the word.