 Following the release of the record , Townsend and several other musician friends he knew in Vancouver recorded his first solo album in 1996 entitled Punky Brüster – Cooked on Phonics . Written and recorded in under a month , the album was produced as a parody of punk rock bands and documents the act of selling out for mainstream success . Townsend founded his own independent record label , HevyDevy Records , to release the album . Townsend assembled a permanent lineup of Strapping Young Lad to record City , including prolific metal drummer Gene Hoglan , along with Townsend 's former bandmates Jed Simon on guitar and Byron Stroud on bass . The industrial @-@ influenced album was released in 1997 . To this day , the album is widely considered Strapping Young Lad 's best work , with Metal Maniacs calling it " groundbreaking " and Revolver naming it " one of the greatest metal albums of all time " . Townsend himself considers it the band 's " ultimate " album . Later that year , Townsend released his second solo album , Ocean Machine : Biomech . The album featured a mix of hard rock , ambient , and progressive rock . 
 Following the release of the record , Townsend and several other musician friends he knew in Vancouver recorded his first solo album in 1996 entitled Punky Brüster – Cooked on Phonics . Written and recorded in under a month , the album was produced as a parody of punk rock bands and documents the act of selling out for mainstream success . Townsend founded his own independent record label , HevyDevy Records , to release the album . Townsend assembled a permanent lineup of Strapping Young Lad to record City , including prolific metal drummer Gene Hoglan , along with Townsend <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>former bandmates Jed Simon on guitar and Byron Stroud on bass . The industrial @-@ influenced album was released in 1997 . To this day , the album is widely considered Strapping Young Lad <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>best work , with Metal Maniacs calling it " groundbreaking " and Revolver naming it " one of the greatest metal albums of all time " . Townsend himself <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>considers</mark></a> it the band <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>" ultimate " album . Later that year , Townsend<a href='been_done' title='5'><mark></mark></a> released his second solo album , Ocean Machine : Biomech . The album featured a mix of hard rock , ambient , and progressive rock . 
Following the release of da record , Townsend and several other musician friends he knew in Vancouver recorded his first solo mixtape in 1996 entitled Punky Brüster – Cooked on Phonics . Written and recorded in under a month , tdaalbum was produced as a parody of punk rock bands and documents thdact of sellin outt for mainstream success . Townsend founded his own independent record label , HevyDevy Records , to release thmixtapeum . Townsend assembled a permanent lineup of Strapping Young Lad to record City , including prolific metal drummer Gene Hoglan , along w/ Townsend  former bandmates Jed Simon on guitar and Byron Stroud on bass . The industrial @-@ influenced album was released in 1997 . To this day , thedabum is widely considered Strapping Young Lad  best work , with Metal Maniacs calling it " groundbreaking " and Revolver naming it " one of the greatest metal albums of alll time " . Townsend himself consider it the band  " ultimatmixtapelbum . Later that year , Townsend done released his second solo album , Ocean Machine : Biomech . The album featured a mix of hard rock , ambient , and progressive rock .