Strapping Young Lad

Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed in Vancouver in 1994 by Devin Townsend. The project began as a solo endeavor, with Townsend playing most instruments on their debut album Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing, released in April 1995. By 1997, the band had recruited permanent members including Jed Simon on guitar, Byron Stroud on bass, and Gene Hoglan on drums. Their second album, City, was released in February 1997 and received critical acclaim, earning a cult following and ranking number 45 on Revolver magazine's "69 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time" list in 2002. After a hiatus from 1999 to 2002, Strapping Young Lad released three more albums: Strapping Young Lad (February 2003), Alien (March 2005), and The New Black (July 2006). The band disbanded in May 2007.