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It's ok, nothing special. Alien and City is on a different level compared to this. A much higher level.

Bif Naked? Jesus. Have yet to get my first SYL album (much prefer his solo stuff), what I've heard about and of this doesn't inspire me much. Still, I'll get City one day, just to make sure I'm not missing anything...

This is a killer album, Zad. The negative comments come from those that want SYL to be brutal and aggressive. That's understandable, but it's not like SYL have been 100% brutal on every song. They've melodic parts on every album, it's just that there is more of it on this one. A fan of SYL and Devin's solo albums should love this one because it's about 50/50 each style. Someone had mentioned on Devin's board that if he had released the Physicist album back in the day under the SYL monike, like he originally intended, no one would be complaining about this one, and I think that's a true statement.

As for the review, I very well written piece, as always, but I don't hear "The New Black" as being anything but an SYL song. I would say that "Monument" and "Antiproduct" wouldn't be so out of place on a DT solo release, the former more so, but "The New Black" is all SYL to me.

And yeah, Zad, Bif Naked is on the anti-sellout sellout song. She fits, surprisingly. I agree that Oturdus doesn't really fit, though. He's not aggressive enough, too comical. Kayla, does he sing the "kill, kill" part on "Wrong Side," too? It sounds like it. I'm waiting for the import so I haven't bought it yet.

It's not the aggression - I loved that Love? song from 'Alien'. It's just that the songs sound so simple when compared with his DT band stuff - 'Detox' sounds more Fear Factory than something Dev would do. I'm not saying it's bad, but not what I'm looking for. I will try it again - is City a good album to start with, or should I just get this?

I would love it if SYL was all out brutal and aggressive, much like in We Ride. Easily my favorite song by them.

City is considered to be the definitive SYL album. Like you, though, I enjoy his solo stuff more. SYL has never had as much melody and a lot of times there's so much going I get a little lost. Like "Oh My Fucking God," the song is fucking killer, but then it goes into these insane parts where everyone is just going off, molesting their instruments at the speed of light and it just loses its groove. I don't like that. I listen to SYL less because of that sort of thing, but I still think they're killer.

If you like his solo stuff, this album would be a good start, but City is still a great album and it's varied enough that you should enjoy it.

His solo stuff always seems to be cheaper here when I look at it than SYL, strangely. Still, I'll keep my eyes open...

Great album, for me this fits in:

City
The New Black
Alien
SYL
Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing.

and yes, this album is more like SYL crossed with Physicist style Devin Townsend, with a bit of Infinity (and Punky Bruster ) thrown in. The song Fucker reminds me of a mix between Bad Devil, EZ$$ and Love?. Where Alien has that period between Love? and Zen where I find the songs unmemorable (We Ride is ok but nothing special, and Two Weeks is only memorable for being totally out of place), this album has none of it. It's more like City where the middle is filled with great songs like AAA, Detox and Underneath The Waves. The songs sound nothing like those ones I just mentioned, but they're great in their own right.

This album sounds like he wrote it too fast. The songs have potential but on pretty much every one its not really realized. It still has Devin singing and Gene drumming though so I'll give it 70.

I thought Bif Naked and the dude from Gwar fit in fine on their songs, "Fucker" reminds me of KMFDM =P

Yeah I certainly agree about the album sounding like it was rushed. Also, when you're using 'Far Beyond Metal' as anything but a bonus track when it was available at least 8 years ago (on the live album) it just stinks of filler and laziness. This album has flashes of greatness, but mere flashes aren't what we're used to from Devin. Still, it's pretty good overall compared to other modern metal bands I guess. I give it 72/100.

I don't think he wrote it too fast at all. In fact, knowing Devin, I'd bet that much of these tracks have been around for a long while now. I just don't think he was in his typical SYL mindset, that's why there's a lot of his solo mentality on this on.

Actually it reeks of a band giving the fans something they've been asking for ever since that song was released.

Needn't have bothered, the live version is better

yeah

I don't need to voice my dissapointment from this album again. 50/100

It sounds like it, but the liner notes only listed him on "Far Beyond Metal," so I erred on the side of caution in the review. If I had to wager a guess, though, I'd say it was him.

Weird. It's definitely not Devin. Could be Jed, Gene or Byron, I guess. Sounds like Oderus, though.

8) 8) 8)

This album is great. It's in the running for album of the year... my album of the year. 87/100

And Zad, I say start with City. That way you know what SYL sounds like. Get this after City and you'll see why the brutal vaginas are throwing a fit. This album = Physicist, which = awesomeness!!!