HEVYDEVY RECORDS
PO Box 153, Maple Ridge, BC, V2X 7G1, Canada
Email: hevydevy@shaw.ca Web: www.hevydevy.com
Issue #73
Hi Everyone! There has been a lot of action in the past couple of months and this is officially the longest newsletter we have ever had. First this year was the release of Synchestra which has been received phenomenally, more so than any other Devin album. It managed to make the charts in France, Germany and Finland so thank you for that! The momentum is just beginning too with the release of the video for Vampira that can now be seen on YouTube (www.youtube.com and search for Vampira), the MySpace page (www.myspace.com/devintownsenddtb), or the HevyDevy website Fan section. The video is hilarious and maybe not what you would expect from an album like Synchestra but sure to get attention!
The second big announcement recently is the addition of Strapping Young Lad to the Ozzfest lineup this summer. This is a great opportunity for them and the exposure from such a tour may provide for more headlining tours in the future. The scheduled dates are as follows and remember that we have nothing to do with the booking of this tour or where it goes. There are also some off-day shows planned as well that are not known at this time. Please check the website for updates.
June 29 Seattle, WA, White River Amphitheater
July 1 - San Francisco, CA, Shoreline Amphitheater
July 2 - Sacramento, CA, Sleep Train Amphitheater
July 7 - Phoenix, AZ, Cricket Pavilion
July 8 - San Bernardino, CA, Hyundai Pavilion
July 11 - San Antonio, TX, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
July 14 - Kansas City, KS, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
July 15 - St. Louis, MO, UMB Bank Pavilion
July 16 - Chicago, IL, First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
July 18 - Pittsburgh, PA, Post Gazette Pavilion
July 19 - Detroit, MI, DTE Music Energy Theatre
July 21 - Columbus, OH, Germain Amphitheater
July 22 - East Troy, WI, Alpine Valley Music Theatre
July 23 - Indianapolis, IN, Verizon Wireless Music Center
July 26 - Scranton, PA, Toyota Pavilion
July 27 - Buffalo, NY, Darrien Lake Performing Arts Center
July 29 - New York, NY, Randall's Island
July 30 - Hartford, CT, New England Dodge Music Center
Aug 1 - Boston, MA, Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
Aug 4 - Camden, NJ, Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
Aug 5 - Virginia Beach, VA, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Aug 6 - Bristow, VA, Nissan Pavilion
Aug 9 - Raleigh, NC, Alltel Pavilion
Aug 13 - West Palm Beach, FL, Sound Advice Amphitheatre
As well as Ozzfest, SYL will be playing several of the European festivals with some headlining dates in June. What we know so far is as follows:
June 3 Festival du Chateau de Moncel, Jarny, France
June 5 - Flame Fest, Bologna, Italy
June 6 Le Transbordeur, Lyon, France
June 7 - Elysee Montmartre, Paris, France
June 9 Download, Donnington, UK
June 11 Biebob, Vosselaar, Belgium
June 12 Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands
June 13 013, Tilburg, Netherlands
June 14 Lille Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark
June 15 Festivalen, Hultsfred, Sweden
June 17 Provinssirock, Seinajoki, Finland
SYL have been busy recording a new album to be released in July to coincide with the summer tours. It is called The New Black, features 10 songs including DECIMATOR, YOU SUCK, ANTIPRODUCT, HOPE, WRONG SIDE, MONUMENT, FAR BEYOND METAL, FUCKER, ALMOST AGAIN, POLYPHONY, THE NEW BLACK. Devin says: Its all sorts of styles in one. Its about Infinity, its really cool to listen to and sounds great. Each SYL disk has been its own thing, and this is too. Its really heavy, it has lots of cool textures and the band is proud of it. There are two bonus tracks, THE LONG PIG and C:enter:###. The album is being mixed by Mike Fraser of ACDC/Aerosmith/Metallica fame. From the Century Media press release: The soon-to-be genre defying epic will showcase a new dimension of the SYL beast that puts an emphasis on incorporating more hooks and catchier melodies into the group's renowned insanity, which is backed up with an abundance of devastating guitar solos. It would be safe to say that you can expect the unexpected. [Devin says] The recording process went amazingly well, and Strapping as a whole is really excited about this effort. We were very inspired with the idea of doing Ozzfest, and the concept we are running with on this record is really based around abhorring the current music scene, yet being a part of it in some weird way. SYL is ready to be a subversive product for the unwitting 14-year-olds to scream along with We also intend to sprinkle a little ugly around all the pretty bands this year. You can think of us as the proverbial pubic hair in the cheesecake of this year's festival. We are ugly, large and angry. We have also been around longer as a band than 90f the other bands. Most of all, we're just really excited to be a part of Ozzfest and this summer is going to be crazy. In 2006, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD prepares to deliver their most accessible offering yet, which Townsend also promises will still challenge their listeners and claims is the next logical step in the group's continuous evolution. This is the year that SYL leaves their defining mark on the genre.
The Devin Townsend Band have a show with Kings X April 24th at the Red Room in Vancouver. Devin is honoured to be playing with them as the band were a huge influence on him early in his career.
From Gwars website comes: GWAR and Slave Pit are as pleased as a pimply porcupine to announce that none other than the incredible Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, producer of about a million killer bands) will be co-producing the new GWAR record, tentatively entitled 'Go to Hell!' The bulk of the material is already completed, and recording at Flattus/Cory's Karma Studios begins in early April. Then Oderus and Flattus will travel to the semi-frozen wasteland of Vancouver (in the bat-shaped helicopter, of course), to mix and master what is without a doubt going to be the heaviest album in GWAR's discography. To ensure this every album will come with a large brick, that fans are encouraged to throw at someone. The concept of the album is the closest thing to a rock opera that GWAR has done since 'Ragnarok', and concerns GWAR's epic journey into the tunnels and caverns that honeycomb your world, a journey not only to escape their earthly prison 'from within,' but also to find and confront this so-called 'Satan,' who seems to think that he is a bigger badass than Oderus. Along the way GWAR encounters a bevy of demonic dickheads and hapless victims, all ready to die for your entertainment. The album will also have a special 'enhanced' section, with incredible behind-the-scenes footage and GWAR knows what else! Look for GWAR's latest and greatest album yet to hit the stores in September. I couldnt have possibly said it better myself.
Also coming in the next few months, Century Media Records is re-releasing SYLs "Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing" in Europe on June 12. Also from Century Media: The re-issue features a re-mastered version of this classic debut, four bonus tracks, the "S.Y.L." video and a 12-page booklet with extended liner notes from Devin Townsend himself. As Devin recalls, I had finished with THE WILDHEARTS just prior to this [1994], and they were so anti-everything that I decided to take a similar approach while focusing on dissonance and just being as over-the-top as I could. Songs didn't really matter; it was just the intensity and the vibe plus lots of humour. Screaming and laughing are pretty close, I think, and I have just never been 'hard,' so we do what comes naturally, right? Right. The re-issue includes the Japanese bonus track Japan, the Judas Priest cover of Exciter, and one never-before released track called Monday. Monday was written in 1995 with a drum machine and is the last song from that era. Devin played with the idea at the time but thinks that he was never able to finish it properly.
The DTB was planning a tour of Europe in May that we apologize was forced to be cancelled. Contrary to popular opinion, the reason was not for Ozzfest or for the new SYL album but Devin and I found out we are going to have a baby. Not a great shock to those who analyze the album lyrics but Devin decided that he needed to be home for the first part of the pregnancy and medical tests. The baby is due in October which will postpone any touring until 2007. No gender is known or names chosen at this time though I keep insisting to Devin that Gollum Townsend is not an option.
After a brief lull in posting, the Ebay store is back going in full swing. New things are being posted regularly so check back often for clearance deals. http://stores.ebay.com/hevydevyrecords
We would like to thank the readers of Terrorizer magazine for voting for Devin/SYL in their readers poll. He/they were listed under best band, vocalist, musician, and personality categories... Thats really awesome, although I dont understand Devins being left out of the Most Shaggable category - that is an obvious oversight on your part :o)
Tracy 