Review by Michael on February 1, 2003.

It’s been a long time. Devin Townsend has been pumping out masses of music under many different names over the years since the last full release from Strapping Young Lad, but it hasn’t been the same has it? Each release has been brilliant in its own way, but it’s not had the intensity nor the sheer aggression that Devin was so renowned for with Strapping Young Lad. Even in an interview your very own XCase conducted with man in 2001, he stated he was not planning to ever doing another Strapping Young Lad album... it seems he changed his mind for the better of metal everywhere...

Don’t get me wrong. This is a Devin Townsend record. It contains all of the elements he is now so well known for. Crushing guitars, ethereal layered vocal lines, super fast drums and his ever increasing array of varied screams. To the happiness and possible disappointment of many, not much has changed in the Strapping camp.

This album certainly is heavy, a massive jump for the almost soothing tones of Devin’s latest release Terria, but unlike "City", "SYL" has a lot more groove and catchiness to the songs as apposed to the wall of noise that was the trademark of this band. It seems a lot more time has been put into the arrangement of the songs, and the result is an album full of very well balanced and well structured tracks both dynamically and rhythmically, giving listeners all the aggression they so desire, but really backing off for the quieter and more roomy clean vocal sections creating a space that Strapping certainly have not explored before.

Production wise I think this album is a massive leap ahead from "City". The production on Devin’s releases has improved greatly since the release of "City", but they were very different albums and I cannot compare them. "City" was a very hard album to digest, it had virtually no dynamics, it was very hard to hear any individual instruments and there was just too much happening too much of the time. Sure, there are moments on "SYL" where the old ‘wall of noise’ becomes apparent again, but as was mentioned before, it is broken up beautifully with some of the greatest melodic sections Devin has created to date.

Bottom Line: All in all, this is a powerful, heavy and beautiful album from the one man that can pull it off time and time again. Be patient with it, and it will grow on you...

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8.5
Atmosphere: 8.5
Production: 8
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Alex on February 7, 2019.

Tankograd whom I have just only discovered have left me stunned, absolutely speechless. This is doom metal done indelibly, crafted with care and ingenious precision. The overwhelming emanations of gloom, doom and full-fledged atmospheric oppression is brought to life by Poland’s Tankograd. Afflicted with a pinch of sludge, stoner and blues rudiments, this quartet piece faction provides an album that will be remembered for years to come. Hence said, it needs to be available on vinyl. I mostly know Poland for their black metal that reeks of murky auras, but their doom metal I'm surely new to. Once hearing this debut full-length following Tankograd's 2017 Ep (that I will investigate), my craving for the material intensified. Tankograd wasted no time in revealing their influences as the Polish black metal was being presented in full flourish. Sometimes a flower can only drift so far away before it's roots begin to sprout. This is doom metal; however the markings of Polish black metal penetrate the pores of these stalwarts.

As mentioned, black metal riffing is present on Totalitarian, you can hear it make its first waves on the opening song “Ostatni sen Joachima” that accompanies the enigmatic lines of poetry. And with the subject matter being so illustrious, it only comes as a compliment when the black metal riffing takes effect. This adds a lamenting coating to the pessimistic and oppressive tones. The shorter tracks offer a catchier side, whilst the longer tracks on Totalitarian hits you with a trance that cannot be ignored. The atmosphere created on Totalitarian is one that perfectly suits the cover artwork. Having first glance at the image, the saturnine strikes you intensely and sets you up for the anger, melancholy and despair entrenched in this journey. Totalitarian is a very dark and emotional record, you can hear the agony, hatred, pessimism, grief and disgust being conveyed through the brilliant guitar and vocal work. Its magnificence boldly shines on every tune, in every utterance and musical note played.

I can’t get over just how devastating of an atmosphere lingers throughout Totalitarian; though there are instances in which you are given moments of tranquil via bluesy undertones such as on "Żelazne trumny", the destructive sensations return through the mighty sounds of the guitars and vocals. The production ensures you get every crumbling bit of this turmoil expressed through music that governs the journey of traversing this WW2 dilapidated terrain. Totalitarian is a total assault on your senses, it locks your perception in an era that was scarred so aggressively that time could neither heal nor bury the effects. This is the kind of album that rewards the listener as time progresses; though it materializes as a very heavy record both musically and conceptually, you will be given a sense of fulfillment once you have sat through its dread. This needs to be on vinyl, a Cd only release cannot do justice to Tankograd and most certainly not Totalitarian. The record is successful (for an understatement), it has the feeling of menacing misery and bitterness that needs and cries out to be etched in wax. By the time you're done experiencing this 40+ minute marvel, the replay factor kicks in; I guess history does repeat. 

Rating: 8.9 out of 10