There is some evidence for that:

- Most obviously, it was recorded by the same people that are Strapping.

- Devin did have business problems with Century Media at the time (until they renegotiated and eventually released "SYL" a couple of years later), so maybe he didn't want to release an album through them back then; because AFAIK, it's only the band name "Strapping Young Lad" that is "signed" to Century Media.

- The musical style is vastly different from all of Devin's other "solo" albums. Though it's also not quite the same as Strapping's usual style, it is not that far removed from it. Actually, some songs would fit seamlessly onto a Strapping album. Maybe it would be fair to say that it's Strapping with some lighter parts thrown in, and a long atmospheric "Devin solo" piece at the end.

Maybe you're right.

I've always seen Physicist as a half-way between Dev's solo stuff and SYL.

This is just my opinion but I don't think it sounds that close to Strapping Young Lad. You bring up some interesting points tho, who knows.

sometime Dev said that Physicist "is the coke light version of SYL", and thats pretty much what it is, cause Dev said that himself and also made the album, so cheers.

It was supposed to be a SYL album ,but it ended "too light" for being labelled under the SYL sticker. So it ended as a solo project.
It was really supposed to ba a SYL album though.

Well, on the audio commentary he just says that he made Physicist because he was really fed-up with the recording of Infinity, which took ... ages to finish.
So, it's a record which probably has been written pretty fast, and recorded in a short time.
It's not Strapping, it's just Devin opening his frustration-vents.

It was supposed to be a SYL album ,but it ended "too light" for being labelled under the SYL sticker. So it ended as a solo project.
It was really supposed to ba a SYL album though.

I don't buy that. Where did you hear this?

i always heard rumours that there was supposed to be an SYL album before 'SYL'. i always kinda saw physicist as that to be honest.

[Blazingmonga]

I seem to remember Dev saying how some of the material was written originally with SYL in mind, but that it evolved into its own thing.

I dont think of it as SYL-lite at all, Physicist is unique.

very unique! in fact it sticks out like a sore thumb out of that discography. I wuv it wewwy mucho!

I think I remember reading Devy saying that it (Physicist) was like an syl album without the negative vibe, or the aggression. Probably not his exact words, but I think it's easy to see that they're very similar. I consider Physicist to be what SYL would be if they suddenly cheered up a bit.

It was supposed to be a SYL album ,but it ended "too light" for being labelled under the SYL sticker. So it ended as a solo project.
It was really supposed to ba a SYL album though.

I don't buy that. Where did you hear this?

Dev said it at the time.
It was really supposed to be a SYL album.

It doesn't feel like SYL, though. Not even musically. Imo, it has more to do with Terria or Infinity...

It doesn't feel like SYL, though. Not even musically. Imo, it has more to do with Terria or Infinity...

That is why it didn't ended as a SYL album...

it sounds somewhat like syl but doesnt have the same angry feel that syl did at that point in time