In 2001, when Strapping Young Lad was done touring, Jed and Byron got Devin Townsend to produce their second album Legion of Flames, released on his label Hevy Devy Records. It was a big step-up from their previous album, with song parodies such as Gender of The Beast" (Number of The Beast, Iron Maiden), "Sodomanaz" (Go For a Soda, Kim Mitchell), and spoofing Metallica's "Master of Puppets" in the song "Evil Robots" with the line "Napster, Napster, where's the cash that I've been after?". The album also contained a straight-out cover of Joni Mitchell's "This Flight Tonight" with humorously altered lyrics.
In August 2007, Zimmers Hole signed with Century Media Records for the release of their third studio album. Byron and Jed had this to say:
“Now with Zimmers Hole signing a fresh, new deal with Century Media, we have decided to give this band our full and undivided attention. No more 'side-project' status here; the men of the HOLE are fired up like a city on fire and we entered Vancouver's famed Armoury Studios today to begin tracking the new release. [...] As you can see, it's all about having a good time with the HOLE. Make no mistake though, we are very serious about our love of metal; it made us who we are, and we wear our influences on our sleeves proudly. We are now more focused than ever before and are so excited about the new album. So excited in fact, that the combined length of our erections may just reach out and touch ya!”
Shortly after, drummer Steve left the band and in December 2007 was replaced by Gene Hoglan, another former Strapping Young Lad member. Gene joined in time to start the recordings for the new album. With this roster, Zimmers Hole now has 3 of 4 former SYL members, with Devin Townsend as vocal producer. The band entered Vancouver's Armoury Studios in the same month to record the album, entitled When You Were Shouting at the Devil... We Were in League with Satan released on March 11, 2008 through Century Media Records.
In an interview with MTV on April 2008, vocalist Chris Valagao explained the origin of the album's name:
“I believe David Vincent of Morbid Angel was having a conversation with one of the guys from Forbidden," he recalled. "They were drinking and fucking around, and they got into this argument over who's more metal. The dude from Forbidden, at one point, turned to Dave and said, "Dude, when you were shouting at the devil [a reference to Mötley Crüe], I was in league with Satan [a reference to Venom]," and Jed was in the room and picked up on that. So we started saying it as a joke. That little statement applies to a whole bunch of shit. Basically, "When you were a poseur, I was the real deal".
The Vowel Song
Zimmers Hole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y are you wasting my air?
Why are you still here?
Why must I tolerate, no debate, eliminate!!!
A, E, I, O, U...SUCK....SUCK!!!
"The Vowel Song" by Zimmers Hole is a satirical, tongue-in-cheek song that pokes fun at the English language and the use of vowels. The lyrics are straightforward and consist of the five vowels, sometimes Y, and a repetition of the phrase "why are you wasting my air?" The chorus is even more straightforward, with the five vowels being described as "suck." The song is a commentary on the frustration that often arises from trying to communicate effectively, particularly in situations where people are using language in a way that is difficult to understand or interpret.
Line by Line Meaning
A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes
The vowels A, E, I, O, U are all well-known, but sometimes the letter Y is also considered a vowel.
Y are you wasting my air?
The letter Y is not always recognized as a vowel and is therefore seen as unnecessary or wasting air.
Why are you still here?
The presence of the letter Y is questioned and it's being asked why it's still considered a vowel.
Why must I tolerate, no debate, eliminate!!!
The singer is fed up with the letter Y and wants to remove it from the vowel family altogether without discussing it any further.
A, E, I, O, U...SUCK....SUCK!!!
The singer expresses their dislike for vowels and believes they all suck, including Y.
Contributed by Charlotte S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.