An IT professional owed me a favor a few months back so he pulled the data off a drive I gave up for dead. It turns out the thing held my Devy related bootlegs/rarities archive. Probably the strangest thing was this monstrosity called "Alien For Pirates." SYL's "Alien" leaked in rough form quite awhile before the official release. Some folks to the Internet and proceeded to complain about the production values of something that
a) wasn't complete
b) was a 192 Kbps lossy rip
So someone decided to confuse matters with a fake rip. Unlike the usual "LOLZ LETZ GIVE THOSE METHUL KIDZ SUM YOKO ONO" this mess was especially recorded for the ocassion. One guy did his worst Ghost Pirate LeChuck impersonation and staged clearly improvised little pirate-themed sketches sneaking in official release dates and tour information for Strapping. When he couldn't think of something to say, the dude just did a very bad-80's animation esque parrot impression and repeated the song title over and over.
I asked a friend about it on a whim and it turns out he was privy to some fascinating tidbits from the creator:
-The proper name for the one-man project behind this was Stripping Young Ladies; something based off a personal favorite attempt to Metalize a chronically Un-Metal band name
-To enhance overall quality, everything was done in one take on a laptop with a shorted monitor and an overheating problem. This lead to the major reason more people didn't fall for it: small file size. Hitting the six minute mark when you had your notes in one hand and a fire extinguisher in the other wasn't deemed intelligent.
-The amazing sword fight during "Skeksis" was achieved by "going over to mum's house, grabbing a couple butter knives, and smacking them against each other in front of the microphone."
-The author of this fine piece of recording once gave a copy to the proper SYL's tour manager who "went on to change his email address and phone number without warning and otherwise shun anyone remotely involved with the clique".
-This was all conceived, written, and recorded in roughly 45 minutes.
-It included the first appearance of the bunnyhat Dev had on in Oneonta (since it was an audio drama, I never would have guessed).

Anyone want to hear this mess?

What the fuck?

This sounds awesome, tell us more!

Or better yet, post it! :3

Socks, I've missed you. Let's make out sometime.

Or better yet, post it! :3

I second that.

This sounds awesome, tell us more!

Me: So Froghat, may I call you Froghat, Mr. Jones?
FH: Sure, dude! Been called worse by Devy fans, I assure you.
Me: Or would you prefer... Bunnyhat?
FH: FORSOOTH! YOU HAVE FIGURED ME OUT!!!! MY DISGUISE!!!! FOILED!!!!!!
Me: Seriously, what is with the hats?
FH: Whenever Ryan comes down from the north, he brings with him an epic cold and those babies are handknit with some super-luxe fibers thus counteracting his paltry attempts at vengeance.
Me: Vengeance? What did you do to RVP???
FH: I interviewed him for my friend's zine. It was the middle of January in Massachusetts and probably about fifteen degrees out. As there wasn't exactly a presspass, we had to conduct it in my car. Never having met Ryan and failing to realize he was a whiny little girl who would complain about this for seven years and counting, and also being plenty toasty, I didn't turn on the heat.
Me: Seven years? How long have you know DTP and company?
FH: I think "known" is a bit of a strong word. They're just righteous dudes who appreciate their fans. Honestly, I don't think Devin even knows my name and we first met back in '97.
Me: '97? Holy crap! How many shows have you been to?
FH: Well, bearing in mind I group SYL with DTB and DTP as that's the same fandom for me I want to say 20+.
Me: Wow! You're a trooper! Any favorite moments?
FH: Well, the one that makes the best story is from the last night of Strapping's tour with Meshuggah. The boys in Mesh decided it was prank time and started tossing out assorted paper goods while The Lad melted the audience's collective face off. It was pretty entertaining seeing these paper plates come out like flying saucers and all but it had nothing on what occured while Meshuggah promoted er... Nothing. In the middle of a song, Devin strolled out with a newspaper and a bucket. He sat down on said vessel and mimed filling it while reading. THis distracted everyone from the rest of Strapping and crew sneaking behind the drums to launch toilet paper rolls. Soon, Strapping Young Lad was toilet papering Meshuggah. Jens had this cute little turban but a guy I'll just say was Gustav because that's a fun name to say got mummified.
Less LOLZMACOPTEROTFL moment was in Boston during the Cynic tour. The band came out, were awesome, and I realized that DTP were still "my" band; the dudes I followed all over New England and a bit beyond detonating a car, alienating in-laws day of the bridal shower, and just generally driving everyone nutty gushing about literally half my life. I got frickin misty. Some dude was going to call me a pansy but then he saw the Froghat and thought again. Really handy, that hat. Go to a Metalcore show in a Metalcore town wearing that thing and people part like an effect in a Charlton Heston movie never mind skipping the whole "HIYAAAAAAAAAAAAA I START LAWN MOWER NOW" style of dancing.
Me: Anyhow, to get back on topic people were asking about "Alien for Pirates!"
FH: That's not good.
Me: Why not? It's classic!
FH: That may well be, given the humor of some fans but I really just made it up on the spot so I can't give you any insight into the creative process.
Me: Well, at least tell us what provoked you to record it?
FH: It was born of frustration. There were people ripping the production of an album they only ever heard in a lossy format. As if that wasn't bad enough, it turned out to not even be a final cut of Alien. So people bashing the wrong cut based on something other than the intended product made me debate quitting the Internets again. Then I realized that would mean never again ummmm I don't know watching the Badger Badger Badger video on loop for a week again and decided that these pirates needed something that was intended to be lossy. I mean you couldn't write something like "Alien for Pirates" and want everything to be fully audible. I think you can actually hear me shifting around as I laid on the bed recording the original files.
Me: So it was a pioneering all-digital release?
FH: If by pioneer you mean like the guys who played Oregon Trail in Junior High expressly to get told "you have died of dysentery" and leave tombstones that would TOTALLY burn someone in a way which failed to make any sense within a year, sure.
Me: Was it really just you on those tracks?
FH: You actually thought there was more than one person? Geeze. Did you get the 96kbps version? About the only voice I can do that doesn't sound like me trying to do a voice is Frank Welker as Glomer.
Me: Glomer?
FH: Yeah. From the Punky Brewster cartoon. Voice is better known these days as Stitch from Disney's "Lilo and Stitch" franchise.

IN THE NEXT PART we go as in depth as you can go into something you made up on the spot half a decade ago and I ask Froghat the question you all want to know WILL THERE BE SEQUEL?

Me: What's your process for awork such as this?
FH: See if the title or something related to the "source material" inspires a pun and start recording before you can care how bad the gag is before you finish. Having a chance to think is why Clitoid the Omnisexual never got off the ground. Same with Wildly Off-Ki. Addicted to Devy Metal died for similar reasons. Put actual thought into it and liked some ideas enough that a total hatchet job felt wrong. I suppose I could turn to the community but then not doing a damn thing with the project because I go on a Streets of Rage binge would be a problem.

Me: Do you every worry about offending people? Lots of fans take Devy very seriously.
FH: The only one I would really worry about offending at all is Devy, who generally seems to take the whole Devin FUCKING Townsend thing alot less seriously. Say I had recordedmy version of "Lady Helen." His relates to dead grandparents and that's not something I care to shit upon. But if someone else took offense to the mock-porn stylings of Clitoid they'd need to pay me to care. Honestly, Addicted to Devy is the only one I'd even consider doing because it's a loving homage to a fifteen+ year old fandom of mine and I am more hesitant to flood a major promotional channel when the likely leaks are of the actual product. Dudes were douches with "Alien" so fuck 'em.

Me: If you did make Addicted to Devy who would you want to work with?
FH: Ideally, King Diamond. Realistically, I haven't kept tabs on the fan communIty but that guy you crush on from Chicago is pretty rad. Favors I would pull in are a couple spoken word guest testimonials for "Bring Back Evenlight" sort of doubt they'd be keen but it'd be confusing to have them show so I'm all for it.

Me: in closing, any reissue plans?
FH: The YouTube fifth anniversary edition will include me in a variety of kilts and hats performing interpretive dance but otherwise, you're doing the mediafire thing. If people want a physical copy, I'll look for the original coverart to scan but I honestly think Seely (Bryan Seely was tour manager for Strapping near the end of their run) got the only copy.

http://www.mediafire.com/?w3dagql6td86856

Awesome. Just awesome.

I asked and he's willing to reprise capt. Snaggletooth for the Omega Experiment!