411 Exclusive Interview – Devin Townsend Of Strapping Young Lad
Posted by Michael Melchor on 06.21.2005
411 Music’s Exclusive Sounds of The underground Tour preview continues!
Editor’s Note: Welcome to the third part of our exclusive Sounds of The Underground Tour preview! Rather than a long-winded take on how the tour (starting this Saturday) that could surpass OzzFest may go, we decided to let the artists do the talking. After a long spate of arranging schedules and coordinating times, we got several of the bands on the bill to let the 411 faithful know what to expect on the most chaotic tour of the summer.
What has already come to pass is a look at headliner Lamb Of God (by way of a review of their new DVD, Killadelphia (out today) and an interview with From Autumn To Ashes. What will follow throughout this week are interviews with GWAR, Chimaira, and DevilDriver. We hope you enjoy and keep it here for your exclusive Sounds Of The Underground info!
--Michael Melchor, 411 Music Editor
It’s hard to imagine that, amid the chaotic world of heavy metal, that one band would stand above the rest as being one of the most intense and frenzied of them all. But then, this is the anomaly known as Strapping Young Lad.
With the release of Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing back in 1995, Strapping Young Lad – and, in particular, mastermind Devin Townsend – gave the world only a taste of what to expect. It would be 1997’s City that imposed Townsend’s will and exploded into the national consciousness.
Six years would pass until SYL’s attack would be streamlined into an effort to take over the metal world in 2003’s self-titled assault. Picking up the momentum, Townsend didn’t wait nearly as long to release one of the band’s signature albums, Alien, earlier this year.
Recently, 411 Music got the chance to talk to the mastermind of Strapping Young Lad about Alien, what’s in store for the future, and, of course, the Sounds of The underground Tour.
Michael Melchor: So, how did you initially get started in music, then?
Devin Townsend: I played the piano around the house and there was always a guitar laying around. My whole family was musical and I showed a bit of a proclivity for it when I was young. The family was always like, “Yeah, go for it!” They always supported that; “If you’re good at music, then do music.”
MM: So it wound up that you started playing with Steve Vai?
DT: Well, that was my first professional thing. Before that was with all the local bands in Vancouver and around my house, basically.
MM: Oh, okay. So, with the background in music, what motivated you to do the more very chaotic style you do now?
DT: Well, I guess the music is just a reflection on how I perceive our chaotic environment, you know? It’s like everything is happening at once, all the time. Everything’s louder than everything else. I have several musical outlets. I have some that are really melodic and very nice. Strapping serves as the one for the frustration and chaos that city life imposes on you, I guess.
MM: Right – like the more cathartic, explosive, “let-it-all-out” aspect of it.
DT: Totally.
MM: Cool. Tell us a bit about the new album, Alien. I guess, from what I’ve read, that this is one tat the entire band had a hand in creating?
DT: Well, that was a bit of a misprint, I think. Me and Gene [Hoglan, drums] spent most of the time putting it together. I had, on a personal level, a strong vision that I wanted to get across, so we sort of put the reins on a lot of it.
MM: Ahh, okay. So is a lot of it reflective of things going on personally or, like you mentioned, things you see around you?
DT: I think everything. Strapping wasn’t really meant to mean much; it’s just a lot of frustration and a lot of fear and a lot of all these things – anger and a lot of those emotions that can just come out. Where they’re directed and where they’re from isn’t as much of the point as it just happens.
MM: Gotcha. So how do you think this one came out?
DT: I’m satisfied with it. For what it wanted to be, it seems to be a pretty good representation of it.
MM: I think so. I've it a little while and I’ve spun almost nothing else since. I love this one.
DT: Cool, thank you. It’s one of many, you know? And this Alien record, that “alien” frame of mind, being on your own and trying to figure everything out and realizing it’s too big. You kind of, at that point, just let everything go, and that’s kind of what the record’s all about for me.
MM: Excellent. So are you touring all the way up to the Sounds Of The Underground tour?
DT: Intermittently, yeah. We’re kind of taking it step-by-step right now. We’ve been around as a band for a long time, so we’re kind of taking it slow. We don’t want to pretend we’re 18 when we’re not, so we kind of do it when it suits us. By doing that we’re hoping to maintain the longevity of the band and extend it a little longer.
MM: Just a matter of pacing yourself instead of going balls-out or whatever.
DT: Totally. None of us are 18 anymore, so if we’re going to do music like this, we’ve got to take it easy sometimes.
MM: [Laughs] I hear you there. So how did you land on the Sounds Of The Underground bill?
DT: We had some good people in our court that really put in a good word for us that basically said, “Look, let these guys play in front of some more people and you’ll like ‘em.” I think much of these tour packages haven’t gotten a taste of Strapping, so we have to kind of prove ourselves again and again and this is another example of that.
MM: Looking at the bill, it looks awesome. Any other bands on that bill you’re looking forward to seeing?
DT: I really love Opeth and I know the guys in Lamb Of God pretty well. It’ll be cool to see them again. GWAR, I really love GWAR. Otherwise, each one’s just another show so I’m just gonna put my head down and do the best I can. Whether it’s here [in Phoenix] or the Underground tour, this is just what I do – take each show as it comes. I’m not gonna change my schtick; I’ll keep doing it and hope things come out bigger and better.
MM: There you go. After the Underground tour, is there anything else planned? Anything you have in mind to do next?
DT: I’m gonna do a solo record. I’ve got one that I’ve been dying to get out so I will and then we’ll see what happens after that.
MM: Ah – that’s something I was going to ask about!
DT: Yeah. August or September is hopefully when I’ll get to record it.
MM: Cool. Looking at it coming out by maybe end of this year/early next?
DT: Totally.
MM: Cool. As far as this band or even any of the solo projects, are there any goals you have in mind with any of them?
DT: Just doing what I love to do and trying to make it the coolest thing I could possibly do. I just want sounds that do cool things and whatever to the environment. So I just keep trying to do my thing and hone in on what makes each thing that I do so specific and try and get better and better at that. I’m just doing my thing and have no hopes for anything other than being able to continue doing my thing.
MM: It’s gotten off to an awesome start and I hope it stays that way.
DT: Cool, man, I appreciate that. It’s like, you’re born to do it so you do it. Whatever that “it” is is what you focus on. For some, it’s writing books or whatever; mine is making heavy metal music, so I’m just going to keep on doing it.
