Review of Strapping Young Lad - For Those Aboot To Rock (DVD)

Fear the skullet! It’s been about two years since I last saw Strapping Young Lad live, but from the looks of this new SYL DVD in my hands, the craziest balding man in Canada has only gotten crazier. Between his appearance, stage demeanor, and crowd banter, I’d guess that the great white north has numbed his brain quite a bit. All of this makes for a very entertaining hour-plus of DVD pleasure.

Filmed at the Commodore in Vancouver, Canada, and armed with a clever title, For Those Aboot to Rock, delivers about an hour of Canuck mayhem, consisting mostly of tunes from their 2002 self-titled album. You also get a pair of music videos for “Detox” and “Relentless”, as well as the usual assortment of DVD freebies like an interview and such.

The concert itself looks like a grand old time. Devin is his usual self, insulting the crowd, shouting inanities, and so on. All the while, Gene Hoglan is battering away behind him, while Jed (guitars) and Byron (bass) keep up the pace. It all starts off very expectedly, with the introduction of “Dire” leading right into “Consequence”, which leads right into “Relentless” and then right into “Rape Song”. From there it gets a little more varied with “Home Nucleotides” off of City and “SYL” off of the first album. They end up playing a few off of each of the older two albums and most of the rest off of the self-titled. Other SYL classics such as “Oh My Fucking God” and “All Hail the New Flesh” also find their way onto this recording. Their trademark sound is very well-suited for a concert setting, and can be quite stirring, although the tame Vancouver crowd may give a different impression. Maybe that’s just a cultural thing.

What really stands out is the production – quite possibly the best production I’ve seen and heard on a concert DVD. The videowork is excellent, with total stage coverage and fair crowd shots. They also engage in some split-screen effects. Then there is the sound quality, which is either covertly aided by a backing track of the album cuts, or it is the best live recording ever. The band sounds better than they do in the studio, and I’m not really sure if I like that. While it is an audible treat, that in-concert feel is lacking a little.
The promo sheet comes right out and says that this release is meant to placate rabid fans until the new SYL album surfaces in 2005, and that’s basically how it plays. As far as metal DVD’s go, this particular one is worth the money, so it all depends on how much you crave a dose of Devin. You get a well-recorded concert recording of reasonable length, a few stock extras, and Devy’s silly stage antics. For the serious SYL fan, this DVD is definitely recommended.

Release Details

Strapping Young Lad

For Those Aboot To Rock (DVD)

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