Devin Townsend - Empath (2019)

After an incredible run with the DTP, renowned musical mad man Devin Townsend felt that the group had run its course, disbanding it to search for new ways to express himself. It sucks since it felt like Devin and the rest of the group was doing great, but the ways of the Canadian is strange to say the least, a man that is seemingly easily bored if he stays in the same spot for too long. So, after a lot of soul searching in these last three years between records (which is almost a life time for fans eagerly awaiting new music from the Dev), "Empath" has finally emerged, so let us dive head first into what might be the most dense Devin album yet.

Knowing the career Devin has had up until this point, you know that he has ventured into a ton of musical spectres, and yet, they all seem to intertwine on this record in a way that should not be possible without it sounding like crap. Seemingly every part of Devin's career is represented in here, minus the "Punky Brüster..." punk album, acting as sort of a retrospective of what the man has accomplished. We have the earthly tones of "Terria", the soothing calmness of both "Ghost" and "Casualties of Cool", the epic cheese of "Epicloud", the brain shattering brutality of his Strapping Young Lad days, and of course, we also got some Ziltoid in here (and in the album artwork as well, why wasn't that featured on the cover instead of that white background?). It is a goody bag of sounds that mix surprisingly well.

Speaking of mixes, the production on this record is out right phenomenal. It is as loud and vibrant as you could expect from a Devin record, but he somehow turned it up another notch, making every single little noise crystal clear for our ears, and the sound design shines as well with these small clips here and there. Even if Devin did much of this on his own, he did still get a lot of help from his friends, with a guest list that Devin fans should mostly recognize. We got Steve Vai, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Ché Aimee Dorval, Ryan Dahle, Morgan Ågren, Chad Kroeger... wait, Chad Kroeger? From Nickelback? Well I'll be damned, that is a surprise, and he is on the heaviest track too ("Hear Me")!

To say the least, this is an emotional record that is gonna take you on one hell of a ride, starting off slowly with the intro "Castaway", then flinging you into orbit with "Genesis", a truly chaotic song with a cheesy sing along chorus and disco beats, and I love every second of it. "Spirits Will Collide" follows after with tons of cheesy power pop that is on the verge of being too much, but the album transitions early enough to "Evermore", a neat little catchy tune that just makes you smile and nod your head sideways o the beat, just like the cartoon astronaut cat in the music video. Then we have "Sprite" that opens up with some Dr. Seuss, just to roll with some Spring feelings, a very fitting tactic considering the current season.

After that, Devin wonders if we can hear him in "Hear Me", and yeah, we do. This is complete madness in a can, borrowing both from SYL and "Deconstruction", while also throwing in Anneke and Chad into the mix, creating an unholy mix of epic emotions and insanity, which of course ends up being amazing. Then we get transported into a Disney musical with "Why?", which is beautiful for sure, but so odd still. "Borderlands" is next, and it is one of the more memorable tracks with its steady and catchy main riff. Add in some casual cool into it all, and we get a laid back 11 minute track that goes by in a flash.

The interlude "Requiem" prepares us for the final stage of "Empath", the insane 23 and a half minute monster "Singularity", a six-piece track that is the epic finish to end epic finishes. At first, I had a rough time getting into this beast, and it did not help that we had already been given 50 minutes of music prior, but trust me, this is a grower. Every time you listen to this monstrosity, you find new angles and parts that speaks to you, making you wanna come back to it time and time again. I also found it stunning that all six bits of "Singularity" where unique in its own right, being really different from each other, yet they all come together so perfectly that the transitions are hard to notice. It is still not my favourite track on "Empath", but "Singularity" is a track that deserves respect.

At the end of the day, "Empath" is ultimately Devin in a nutshell, an album that is so insanely expansive that it is hard to get a grip on, but still so accessible that you cannot get enough of it. It is obvious that Devin has released all of his restraints, going all in on this record with everything that he got. It acts as the perfect summary of the man's career, while also showing that there is still a ton of material left in that shiny head of his. This is an insane record, one that has tons of emotions, one that no other musician can make. It is effervescent quality through and through, just a brilliant effort from a brilliant mind.

Songs worthy of recognition: Hear Me, Genesis, Evermore, Borderlands, Singularity

Rating: 9,5/10 Sprites

https://www.hevydevy.com/
https://twitter.com/dvntownsend

More reviews of Devin Townsend (solo work)
Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics
Ocean Machine: Biomech
Infinity
Physicist
Terria
Devlab
The Hummer
Ziltoid The Omniscient

From Worst To First: Devin Townsend

While waiting for 2019 to truly get going, let us look back at another one of the bands that I have done a discography review on. Well, it is not a band, it is Canadian mad man who seem to be doing whatever the hell he wants, and he does not give a fuck about what anyone thinks about it.

The career of Devin Townsend is one of the most interesting ones you will ever see, a guy who first appeared in the Steve Vai album "Sex & Religion" has gone on to create one of the most influential industrial/thrash bands of all time through pure youthful anger, while also juggling a solo career from the opposite side of the musical stratosphere. Every record he has done has reflected his personality, where he is currently at the long journey of life, making his discography more of a story than anything else. His dedication and unique mind makes him one of the most colorful figures in metal, and it is excitement in the air every time he presents us with a new project. Needless to say, the man is special in so many way, and so is his music.

Devin is also one of the most hard working men in the business, so tackling his discography was no easy feat. From the first Strapping Young Lad record in 1995, the man has released 23 full length albums under 5 different monikers (well, 6 if you count the short lived Ocean Machine), which is a record a year, and this is not including the Steve Vai record, in which he was only an accomplish, or any of his live records, or the "Ass-Sordid" demos. So let us count them down, all 23 of them, and see which is the best and the rest.

23. Devlab

Well... what do I even say about this hunk of junk. "Devlab" should not really be considered as a music album, because it only consists of ambient noises that Devin experimented a lot with. It is a strange experience that will leave you uncomfortable, to the point where you would take any excuse to not listen through it, everything from "I have to take a piss" to "let me take a toothbrush and scrub the living room floor". I guess this was the original intent from Devin, to release something that is way too strange for anyone to handle, and if it was, then I can say he most definitely succeeded... but he could have at least given the tracks individual names at least, that lazy bastard.

22. The Hummer

Just like with "Devlab", "The Hummer" is mostly ambient noise that a normal metal head like me cannot stand, but this record at least feels a little like a music album. It has some production value, it has some structure to it, and there are tiny hints of melody in here. Still, "The Hummer" is a boring ambient record that acts more like a catalyst for the heavier stuff that Devin was doing during that time. Yeah, this is mostly for venting off steam, which is probably why this was not commercially released. This is for the Dev alone, and if you happen to find it enjoying, then good for you.



21. Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics

Okay, on to some real music... or maybe not. "Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics" is a rather fun concept record, about a black metal band who changes their direction from blackened death metal to pop-punk rock, becoming instant sensations without any dignity left to spare. For a first try, it was obvious to see that Devin had a knack for writing great, comedic concept records. Unfortunately, that is the only good thing I can say, because the record is basically just watered down punk with some comedic lyrics stating how fake it all is. It is obviously what Devin was going for, but that does not make it better.


20. Ghost

Let us put an end to the ambient phase of Devin with "Ghost", one of the four initial albums of the Devin Townsend Project. This album is undeniably the most "normal" music record of the ambient trilogy, and I cannot disagree with the fact that it is a soothing experience, an album that could probably work wonders on a hangover. However, it is still an ambient record, and I am not a guy who likes this much low sounded progress in one place. I want something to happen, I want action, I want some god damn mother flipping metal. All respect to "Ghost", it is a great ambient record, but it is an ambient record nonetheless.


19. Strapping Young Lad

Without a doubt the most faceless record in the Devscography, the self titled Strapping Young Lad record is just like any other SYL effort, a big "holy crap!". However, instead of "Holy crap, this is awesome!", we get "Holy crap, this is lame". Not that this record is not heavy enough to be a true SYL record, it just does not have the impact that the other 4 have. It is just a bunch of forgettable tracks that displayed Devin's lack of interest in the SYL enterprise. With that said, I still love "Force Fed", and still think it is a top 5 song from the band. It's something.



18. Ki

I have never understood the constant praise that "Ki" has gotten over the years. Sure, it might be the ultimate evolution of what Devin wanted to do with his ambient work, and it has its nice moments (most of them include Ché Aimee Dorval), but the album as a whole has never stuck with me. It might be a little too distant for me, trying to be as mysterious as possible, pulling off a lot of progressive elements, losing any sort of structure as a result. Yeah, this is not a record that makes a grand entrance and becomes the talk of the town, but instead hides in the shadows, not doing anything special. Cool Tool-like cover though.


17. Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing

Ahh, the album that started it all, the record that said "What's up fuckers, let's metal!". "Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing" (man, I love that title) is certainly an experience, a jumbled industrial mess of a record that is filled to the brim with groovy rhythms, crunchy riffs, and mad moments that would make anyone mental. It is teenage anger in musical form, and despite its crude production that even trve black metal acts would negate, the music comes off in such an irresistible way. With songs like "S.Y.L", "In The Rainy Season", and most importantly, "Satan's Ice Cream Truck", you simply cannot fail.


16. Casualties of Cool

The (so far) one off project with Ché Aimee Dorval is certainly interesting, an acoustic project with country influences that creates atmospheric music straight from the moon's surface. The chemistry between Dev and Ché is pretty mesmerizing and honest, a collaborative effort of smoothness that is quite exquisite to hear. I was surprised over how much I liked this record, because as you probably know by now, this calm type of music is not really my thing. Yet, the duo managed to draw me in, and keep my interest for longer than I anticipated. I really do hope they will release more from this project in the future, a nice change of pace from time to time.

15. Physicist

The powerhouse "Physicist" was first meant as a collaboration project together with Jason Newsted, but after the rest of Metallica scrapped that idea, Devin just went out and released it himself, in a hurried manor. "Physicist" is not the prettiest album out there, but under the mud lies some great heavy metal that could easily be seen as SYL light. It is a little uneven at times, but it has some fantastic highs like "Namaste" and "Kingdom" that makes the album more than worth it's while. Pretty good for an album that risked to not even see the light of day.



14. Accelerated Evolution
13. Synchestra

Now we enter the most forgotten era of the Dev, the time when he put the word Band at the end of his albums. The Devin Townsend Band was a short lived project that delivered two pretty good records, none of which made any significant impact on Devin's career. They are still both enjoyable, with "Accelerated Evolution" putting some nice speed into those typical song structures only Devin can create, and "Synchestra" putting a more earthly tone to it, like a more symphonic version of "Terria". This duo may not be too much alike, but they do make a nice double feature, meshing well together to really set this project apart. Still though, they just does not have enough interesting material in them to make me wanna pick them up any time soon. At least we have "Vampira" and its wackiness (which is the only reason to why "Synchestra" is ahead of its brother).

12. Z²

To be technical, "Z²" actually contains two albums, so counting this as one entity is a little unfair, but it was released as a double whammy, so it shall be judged as such. "Z²" is easily described as the DTP against Ziltoid, with one half consisting of the high soaring and poppy "Sky Blue, and the other half is a heavy and comedic conceptual sequel to every one's favourite alien lizard. This album is heavy metal's answer to Yin and Yang, both working against and together with each other in a fascinating way. Sure, it is way too big to muster in one go, and there are a bunch of fillers in here, but when the going gets good (like "Fallout", "Silent Militia", "March of The Poozers", and "Ziltoid Goes Home"), it gets extremely good. Indeed.

11. Infinity

This is just insanity in a can, which is pretty telling of the state Devin was in during the recording of "Infinity", a wide ranged album that has a lot of groovy swing to it, you could even dance to some of this madness. It is such a happy album that it can even make such a grim subject as war jolly. Maybe this is an insight of the mind of a mentally insane human being who perceives life in such a euphoric state where no sadness or sorrow exist, except that the brain has completely blocked off those emotions to give its host a false, but happy sight of life. Man, I am overthinking this, it is probably just a fun record.


10. The New Black

For an end to a monumental metal band, this is a strange one, but there is something with "The New Black" that makes me come back to it time and time again. It is probably the fact that it is way too catchy for its own good, going for a surprisingly poppy approach that should not work, but it does. It still has that classic SYL brutality, like the epic crusher "Almost Again" and the Oderus Urungus invaded "Far Beyond Metal", but the overall light nature makes it truly stand out from the rest of the pack, which I guess is a fitting ending for SYL since Devin did not want to continue this band for much longer. It is certainly a spectacular way to go out on.


9. Terria

The most organic of the Devy 23, "Terria" is a celebration to Mother Nature that ends up being one of the most heartfelt records of Devin. There is a ton of slow and epic progressive stuff that crawls under your skin, and it also has enough heavy moments to also bring in the metal fans as well, giving birth to a sound scape that is as unique as Devin himself. This is definitely one of the most beautiful records the man has ever done, and you can hear that a lot of passion has been put through the work. Now if only nature would be this stunning, then maybe I would go out a little bit more. Hmm... let me start up Pokemon Go, see you in a bit.


8. Addicted

Okay, I am back, and my addiction for Devin is still intact, which reminds me, let us talk about "Addicted", which is the start of a fantastic partnership between Devin and Anneke Van Giersbergen. This poppy monstrosity is the catchiest Devin record to date, and maybe his loudest record as well (at least if you believe the song titles), which is possibly putting off some people, but they would miss out on an incredibly fun record that has a lot more quality to it than what you normally hear on your local radio station. Do not like the remake of "Hyperdrive" though, get me back to space god damn it.


7. Alien

If anyone ever ask me "How heavy can heavy metal become?", I will probably just show them "Alien". This record is as massive as you can get, with a sound design that has the density of a solid lead wall and an energy enough to rival the sun. "Alien" could be considered the ultimate SYL record, because how in the hell could they even top this ridiculousness, there is no way that anyone could. Well, the track list could have been a little better, but it is still great enough to force you through this thick layer of screams, riffs, blasts, and chaos. It is truly a shitstorm worth witnessing.



6. Epicloud

All you need to do to understand what type of album "Epicloud" is is to take a peek at the title. This album is truly epic and loud, and everyone involved is completely loving it. Devin, Anneke, the rest of the DTP, and a giant choir puts out a performance of extravagant proportions, drowning out every other sound within your normal ear range. It is a record that some might dislike because it is too over the top, but that is the exact reason to why I love this record, it goes all in with everything it tries to do, from the amazing remake of "Kingdom", the blood pumping speed in "Liberation", or even the more soft and beautiful moments in "Save Our Now" and "Where We Belong". Besides epic and loud, there are two other words that can describe this album perfectly. Effervescent quality!

5. Ziltoid The Omniscient

Well, Ziltoid is probably gonna throw me down to the mining pits for putting his album only at number 5, but there is no denying that "Ziltoid The Omniscient" is just a brilliant album front to back. Sure, it has some plot holes, and there is no human being behind the drums, but with a premise so wacky as an alien who is in the search of the universe's ultimate cup of coffee, it is pretty hard not to get giddy. I also love that all of the music have a distinct space vibe to it, which gets you immersed into the story even more. You feel like you are flying through space in "Hyperdrive", you feel like you are summoning Herman in "Planet Smasher", and you feel the immense realization Ziltoid is going through in "Color Your World". I may not like coffee my self, but I would take a hot cup of Ziltoid any day.

4. Deconstruction

From one crazy concept record to another, "Deconstruction" is just another record that proves Devin has a mind that goes beyond comprehension. Following a man who is searching for all the answers of life and death, "Deconstruction" takes us through hell and back with some fantastic progressive metal that is almost as heavy as SYL's music, expressing a man going through a journey of self insight and complete despair, eventually having to realize that his journey was for nought. With the help from some good friends (Mikal Åkerfeldt, Oderus Urungus, and Jamey Jasta just to name a few), Devin brings us a mad album that flows seamlessly from song to song, creating an incredibly strong and tasty unity that will make your mouth water. Mmmmmm... cheeseburger *drools loudly*.

3. Transcendence

The newest record by the Dev is still one I remember very fondly. It marked the end of the DTP, but did so in the most perfect way, with a record were all of the members were involved in the song writing, creating some sort of Nirvana of a record (not the band kind). It takes the epic nature of the predecessor "Epicloud", and mixes in the sound scape of "Terria", which ends up being a heavenly mix of everything that has led Devin to this point. Okay, it may not have any SYL brutality, any immense progressive moments, or any punk songs about wallets, but everything else is there, and it is all intertwined in such an amazing way. This record truly transcends everything, and it does it with such grace.

2. City

"Oh My Fucking God" indeed, "City" is as metal as metal can get, being incredibly heavy smashing your face in with some of the most crushing sounds you will ever hear. It may not have the massive production that its younger brother "Alien" have, but it makes up for it with a bunch of the most memorable Devin songs ever. We have the all out epic "All Hail The New Flesh", the devastating "Oh My Fucking God", the speed freak "Underneath The Waves", the strange cover of "Room 429", and last, but certainly not least, the galloping beast known as "Detox". This album is complete euphoric madness of the best kind, and it is a surprising grower as well, becoming bigger and bigger every time you take it for a spin. I hear this stupid piece of shit, and I fucking love it.

1. Ocean Machine: Biomech

There are probably a thousand types of Devin Townsend fans out there, coming from just as many backgrounds, and yet they all seem to be unified in the fact that "Ocean Machine: Biomech" is the Canadian's best work. No matter if you got into the mad man through SYL, DTP, or even any of his ambient projects, "Ocean Machine: Biomech" is still the common denominator throughout the fan base. So what is it with this record that makes it so special? Personally, I find it insanely hard to describe through text, this is something that you have to experience yourself. It is a calm and collected album that still has a touch of chaos within, and the flow in this record is just remarkable, rolling on like an ocean wave. Simply put, "Ocean Machine: Biomech" is a magical album, and it kind of sucks that the project Ocean Machine did not last very long, but then maybe this record would not be as special, knowing we could have more like this one. This is prime Devin, this is just the best of the best.

And as a bonus, here are my top 10 Devin Townsend songs, in alphabetical order

Almost Again
A different kind of SYL song, almost a ballad by their standards.

Bastard
10 minutes of pure magic.

Color Your World
An epic finish to Ziltoid's journey.

Detox
Iiiiiiiiiiii got a feeeeeeeeeliiiiiiiiiiing!

Earth Day
Remember to eat your beets, and recycle.

Failure
Oh you can be sure that this is anything but a failure.

Hyperdrive
Space has never felt more lonely.

Kingdom
No matter if it is the "Physicist" or "Epicloud" version, it is full on quality.

Planet of The Apes
This takes us through all seven cycles of hell in 11 minutes, and what a ride it is.

The Death of Music
The chills, oh man the chills.

Stay metal!
Robert "Sharkruisher" Andersson

Best of Devin Townsend

Another discography reviewed and I gotta say, I did not know that Devin had this much experience. The total number of full-length album is 20 for the Canadian and almost everyone of them is great in one way or another. Only one thing left to do know, summarize!

Best albums

Best Strapping Young Lad album: City
It ultimately stood between "City", "Alien" and "The New Black" since they all got the same rating, but I went with "City" because it has a brutality that very few bands on this earth can match. Besides, it is also the most even record in the Strapping Young Lad discography.

Best solo album: Ocean Machine: Biomech
Technically, this is a Ocean Machine release, but who gives a damn, "Ocean Machine: Biomech" is still an amazing record. This album is filled with waves that cleanses your mind and soul. A beautiful record that almost makes me a little sad, since I wanted to see what this Ocean Machine project could have done if it had a longer career.

Best The Devin Townsend Band album: Synchestra
That honour goes to the magnificent and the versatile "Synchestra". It is a very melodic album that almost covers everything, from metal to polka. A good album from a very short lived project.

Best Devin Townsend Project album: Epicloud
I know, the cheese factor is almost through the roof, but that does not matter when the musicality is out of this world. Devin makes the most of out the choir in "Epicloud" and creates his grandest album to date. Effervescent quality!!!

Worst album: Devlab
I do not know what Devin was thinking when he released "Devlab". This stupid ambient album is a complete waste of time, unless you do want to hear low frequency sounds from a city street. This is not music. Hell, this is not even shit. This is the shit that shit shits. Stay away from this horrible offering at all costs.

Best songs

5. Almost Again
This is an unusual Strapping Young Lad song, but I cannot help but loving it. It is a genius move in pretending to almost being a ballad only to introduce an ultra heavy chorus to the plot twist.

4. Planet of The Apes
Out of all the songs on "Deconstruction", this is the most versatile one. A long, heavy, epic piece that accuses everyone of ripping off Meshuggah and reveals that it has a little boner. Nice appearance by Tommy Giles Rogers is also included.

3. Color Your World
An intense 9+ minute ride through the mind of Ziltoid tops of this fantastic concept album. A ultimate proof of Devin's amazing story telling skills.

2. Force Fed
This is without a doubt Strapping Young Lad's most underrated song. It got the typical SYL heaviness and also a fantastic epic chorus to top it off. An amazing song from a mediocre album.

1. The Death of Music
I have never found any song more beautiful than this amazing track from "Ocean Machine: Biomech". Despite consisting of mostly low whisperings, "The Death of Music" is probably the only song where Devin has put out his heart and soul out on the line. The goosebumps are inevitable when listening to this song.

Best album cover

Ziltoid The Omniscient

It is impossible to not like Ziltoid, and this comic inspired cover makes this coffee drinking alien even cooler. It is a cover that says "Here I am. Worship me. Bring me your finest coffee bean.". Hail Ziltoid

Total discography verdict

Quality: 8/10
"Devlab" and "The Hummer" drags the rating down, but you can otherwise count on that when Devin releases a new album, it is going to be worth a listen.

Creativity: 10/10
Devin Townsend is so creative that he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. That is not a joke, that is the truth. Devin can almost create any type of music in almost no time. His ever changing mind is seemingly bottomless.

Musicality: 9/10
There is no doubt that he is a guitar wizard and that he has one of the most unique vocals in the metal world, so why does he not get a 10? He does not play drums.  Otherwise, he is a high quality musician.

Lyrics: 7/10
An over use of the word fuck and some cheesiness drags the rating down, but he has some nice qualities in the lyrics department. For instance, he is the best on making a humor filled concept album.

Album rating summary
Strapping Young Lad
Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing: 6,5/10
City: 8,5/10
S/T: 7/10
Alien: 8,5/10
The New Black: 8,5/10

Solo
Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics: 5/10
Ocean Machine: Biomech: 9,5/10
Infinity: 7,5/10
Physicist: 7,5/10
Terria: 8/10
Devlab: 0/10
The Hummer: 2,5/10
Ziltoid The Omniscient: 9/10

The Devin Townsend Band
Accelerated Evolution: 8/10
Synchestra: 8,5/10

Devin Townsend Project
Ki: 7/10
Addicted: 9/10
Deconstruction: 9/10
Ghost: 6/10
Epicloud: 9,5/10
Z²: 8,5/10
Transcendence: 9,5/10

Casualties of Cool
S/T: 7/10

Average rating: 7,2954545454545454545454545454545/10

Next band up against the wall is one of the oldest still active metal bands out there. Yep, my next discography review will be on Black Sabbath's great career.

Stay Metal
Sharkruisher

Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omniscient (2007)

After the birth of his first son, Devin took some time off of the touring with Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band to take a break from music. I guess that break was not very long at all since he released this album in the spring of 2007 (a half year after the release of "The Hummer"). "Ziltoid The Omniscient" is one of the most legendary and well appreciated albums in the Devin Townsend discography, mostly thanks to the crazy concept about a 4th dimensional alien that travels to Earth in search for the ultimate cup of coffee.

This is the solo album with a capital S. Devin made the album all by himself (even the drums thanks to the Drumkit From Hell expansion on EZdrummer). This makes it even more impressing since the production is very good and the drums are sounding pretty real (although some parts are just a little too ridiculous). But his best work is not the production nor the work he put into this album. It is the amazingly hilarious concept. Everything with this concept is so well thought of into the finest details. From the dialogues in and between the tracks to the voice acting made by Devin, Dave Young and Brian Waddell.

After a short introduction to this green, lizard like alien who has the same hair style as Devin, the invasion begins with "By Your Command" and "Ziltoidia Attaxx!!!", two heavy songs that shows how Ziltoid got the title as the ultimate 4th dimensional guitar hero, but also two songs that shows the diversity of the album. "By Your Command" is a heavy and progressive piece with an ending that instantly brings out goose bumps and some frenetic headbanging, while "Ziltoidia Attaxx!!!" is more of a faster paced song that could easily have been in the "Mars Attacks" sound track (btw, that movie is so bad that it is sometimes good).

After that, we get to follow Captain Spectacular and his ride towards Nebulon 9, in search for Ziltoids true identity (how that will stop the invasion is beyond my knowledge). This part of the story is explained in "Solar Winds" and "Hyperdrive", two songs that are slower, but are still very much alike the two songs that was before them. "Solar Winds" have a great epic ending and "Hyperdrive" is a shorter song, more fast paced song. I also think "Hyperdrive" is the song on this album that defines the space theme best with its dark feel and laid back vocals. It is without a doubt one of my favourite tracks on this album.

So Ziltoid gets exposed as the nerd he is and the story skips forward to what seems like a crucial thinking process where he decides to attack Earth once again, but this time with the devastating 6th dimensional Planet Smasher. This is without a doubt the heaviest track on the album, and probably the closest we get to being a Strapping Young Lad song (the verse reminds me of the track "Hope" from "The New Black"). I only miss a smashing solo, but other than that, this is a fantastic song with great drum beats, awesome growling, and probably the grandest chorus that Devin has ever created. Makes me wonder why the Planet Smasher rejects Ziltoid after this magnificent effort.

The album ends with Ziltoid visiting the Omnidimensional Creator (or some pot head) to find out his true identity and a plot twist (which I will not reveal. Listen to the album yourself you lazy hippie). This leads us into the most progressive part of the album with the amazingly diverse "Color Your World" as the epic master piece. If it was not for "Color Your World", then I think that "Ziltoid The Omniscient" would be a slightly less awesome album. The technicality and the flow of the song lifts the album from being great to being a master piece. The last two songs of the album are fine pieces as well, but they are clearly behind quality wise against the other songs.

So is this the end of this coffee drinking alien? Devin never intended to continue the story of Ziltoid, but since this album was such a huge success, Ziltoid has been seen in many other medias, such as merchandise, having and own radio show and a coming web series. And yes, there is a follow up album called "Z²" coming hopefully around late 2014/early 2015. A decision I am not surprised of, since this is such a magnificent album with one of the funniest characters the metal community has ever seen. So when Ziltoid will once gain show up in the future, I will certainly give him my finest coffee bean that I have to offer. Hail Ziltoid.

Songs worthy of recognition: Color Your World, By Your Command, Solar Winds, Hyperdrive, Planet Smasher

Rating: 9/10 Tall Lattes

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More reviews of Devin Townsend (solo work)
Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics
Ocean Machine: Biomech
Infinity
Physicist
Terria
Devlab
The Hummer

Empath

Devin Townsend - The Hummer (2006)

So here we are again, another ambient record made by Devin Townsend. Oh why, oh why would you do this you silly Canadian? Now, for those of you who does not remember (or missed it), I gave Devin's previous ambient record "Devlab" my first ever 0/10. So I was dreading that "The Hummer" would be another super boring album that was as far away from music as it could get.

Luckily, those fears would disappear faster than a speeding bullet once I took the courage to actually listen. This album still consists mostly of low frequency sounds and some random audio cut ins (like a bit from the famous sitar player Ravi Shankar and some Morse code), but it is a lot more user friendly than what "Devlab" will ever be. Besides, Devin also cared to give the "songs" names on this record. Now I am not saying that it is particularly any good music in this album, but I can definitely see why some people would willingly listen to this kind of music.

There are only six songs on "The Hummer", and neither of the songs really appeal to me. There are three songs that are way too long (over 15 minutes) and the other three songs are just not strong enough for me to give a damn about them. I guess that the part that I enjoyed the most is the soothing waves from "Cosmic Surf", but Devin could have easily cut this 16 minute Snorlax to a 7 minute Slowbro. I also like that this album is more uplifting than "Devlab". Ambient music sounds so much better on the bright side of life and not with Darth Vader and the rest of the dark side.

I would not label "The Hummer" as a music album, but it is an okay album if you are searching for something to listen to while sleeping or dealing with a hangover. Just like "Devlab", this is not a album for everyone, and it is certainly not an album for us metal heads. And even though I find this album to be so much better than "Devlab", it is still an album that bores the crap out of me. Hopefully, this is the last ambient record I will listen to in my life. What's that? I still have to listen to "Ghost" by Devin Townsend Project? Well, we will take that another time.

Song barely worthy of recognition: Cosmic Surf

Rating: 2,5/10 Arcs

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More reviews of Devin Townsend (solo work)
Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics
Ocean Machine: Biomech
Infinity
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Devin Townsend - Devlab (2004)

This is "Devlab", a dark ambient album made by Devin Townsend. So no, this is not a metal album, frankly, I would not even consider this to be an album. It is just around an hour with random background noises packed into a CD with a palm of a hand as a album cover.

I tried to stay as opened minded as possible with this release, but I still just sat there with one raised eye brow and an open mouth thinking "what the fuck did I just listen to?". Just the fact that the songs are just named "Devlab I", "Devlab II" and so on is just super weird. I also know that Devin has done some crazy shit during his career, but he must have lost his mind when he decided to create this abomination.

The only track that was even close to be labeled as music is the 8th track, but it is still boring as hell to listen too. There is nothing to grab on to in this record, nothing to reflect about, and I do not see any resemblance between the tracks (except that they are all hideous). I do not see any meaning at all with releasing an album like this, and even more, I do not understand why such a fine artist like Devin Townsend go so far from his musical styles to create this abomination. Because there is nothing in this album that is even close to anything from Devin's previous efforts. I know "Terria" had some ambient in its music, but that was justified, this is just plain shitty.

Do you know how many times I listened to this album? Not one, not two, but THREE times. That makes it a total of 3 hours, 17 minutes and 48 seconds that I have wasted with this album. What was I thinking? And what was Devin thinking? This is not music. This is random background noises. I think Devin is trying to show some diversity and display his knowledge with ambient music, but I am not buying it, I am burning it down to the ground. "Devlab" is not music, it is a nuclear meltdown with no survivors.

So it is with great sadness that I give Devin Townsend and his album "Devlab" my first ever 0. There is nothing good about "Devlab", only a CD with sounds that can easily be replicated downtown at a big city. So whenever I see a copy of "Devlab" in real life, I will steal it, burn it, crush it, humiliate it, teabag it and vomit all over it until the end of time (or at least until my death).

Song worthy of recognition: HA HA, good one there

Rating: 0/10 Shitlabs

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More reviews of Devin Townsend (solo work)
Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics
Ocean Machine: Biomech
Infinity
Physicist
Terria
The Hummer
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Devin Townsend - Terria (2001)

The last couple of albums by Devin Townsend had been mostly fast, aggressive and just simply insane, so it was a little surprising that the 5th studio album "Terria" was the exact opposite of "Infinity" and "Physicist". Devin was inspired to do this album since he felt that he ostracized some of his fans on "Physicist", so he took the chance on making a personal record that also was a dedication to his homeland of Canada.

It is instantly obvious that "Terria" is sort of a follow up to "Ocean Machine: Biomech". Both albums have the same humble and soothing sound, but whilst "Ocean Machine: Biomech" was a joyful and happy album, "Terria" has some darker elements in its music (but it is still a positive album though). No matter what, the perfect mix of ambient rock and progressive metal is very exciting and helps lifting the album up to great heigths.

But this is not a album that you will love instantly. It takes a couple of spins before all the songs sets in and presents themselves towards you. Believe me, cause it happened to me. I first thought that the intentional silent parts were slightly annoying and that most of the music was nothing that was impressing. But now I see why Devin put those in, and I got to say that it takes some talent to really get the most of the music and silence, which Devin does. But even if the silence is a big part of "Terria", it is the loudest song that catches most of my attention. "Earth Day" is a great track that mixes the groovy feeling of "War" with the epicness of "Seventh Wave". It still gives me the chills when Devin screams recycle and eat your beets.

It is the epic parts that makes "Terria" such a great album. Some of the great parts are the instrumental rumble plus the quire in "The Fluke", the sensitivity in "Nobody's Here" and "Stagnant", and the doom like part about jury duty in "Canada". Unfortunately, there are also some parts that does not make any sense at all. For instance, the opener "Olives" is just a three minute long haul to the real album. Do not understand why that song is in "Terria" at all. There is also a one minute long complete silence in the end of "Mountain". I can see that silence would be good at the end of the song, but one minute of it is too long.

This is certainly a epic piece that should make every progressive metal fan ecstatic, but compared to the masterpiece "Ocean Machine: Biomech", "Terria" does not have the same quality. Sure, Devin makes the most of the ambient sound that dominates the album, but I do not feel like the impact is as big as it was in "Ocean Machine: Biomech". None the less, "Terria" is an excellent album that feels down to earth and works perfect in the Sunday morning when you are recovering from a hangover. And do not forget, eat your beets and recycle.

Songs worthy of recognition: Earth Day, Nobody's Here, The Fluke

Rating: 8/10 Tiny Tears

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More reviews of Devin Townsend (solo work)
Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics
Ocean Machine: Biomech
Infinity
Physicist
Devlab
The Hummer
Ziltoid The Omniscient

Empath

Devin Townsend - Physicist (2000)

This may seem like a Strapping Young Lad release, and it even has the same line up as the band, but "Physicist" is in fact a solo release by Devin Townsend. It was initially meant to be a album with a new project called IR8 that consisted of Devin and Jason Newsted (Ex-Metallica, Ex-Voivod, Newsted). But since the rest of Metallica did not like that Jason was not fully focused on the band, the project was scrapped and Devin continued writing the album on his own.

"Physicist" is a harder and faster version of its predecessor, "Infinity", and it is a album that does not give a shit. It has a specific sound and it sticks with that sound throughout the album, creating a red line that follows through every song. But it also feels like the variation gets somewhat left behind when everything has the same generic sound.

One of the flaws with the album is that the speed and aggressive sound makes the album sound shorter then what it actually is. The album is approximately 46 minutes long, but it feels like it is 35 minutes instead, which ends up with the sensation of being half full. In other words, you want more after the last song has been played. Now you are probably saying "Is it not a fun album since it made the time go faster?". You could definitely see it that way, but I rather see it as glass half full then half empty. "Physicist" would have felt good with another song or two, and that is that.

The clear star of "Physicist" is the epic "Kingdom" (a track that also appears in the Devin Townsend Project album "Epicloud", but more on that in its review). It is the only song on the album that has a consistent structure and it has some fine musicality, like in between the two choruses and the verse. A memorable song that is also easy to sing-a-long to. It is otherwise the heaviness or speed that most of the other songs rely on. And it works great on songs like "Namaste" and "The Complex", But I cannot help but feel that the sloppy production drags down the quality quite a bit. "Physicist" is a good album, but it could have been a lot better with a better production to support it.

Compared with "Infinity", I would say that "Physicist" is a marginally weaker album because of the weak production and the small variety. But I still think that there are some sweet moments in this album that defines Devin's ever evolving mind. However, it is obvious that Devin did not care for this album as much as some of his earlier works, and I can without a doubt in my mind say that this record would have been more fitting as a Strapping Young Lad release, since the whole ensemble helped conceive this record.

Songs worthy of recognition: Kingdom, Namaste, The Complex

Rating: 7,5/10 Victims

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More reviews of Devin Townsend (solo work)
Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics
Ocean Machine: Biomech
Infinity
Terria
Devlab
The Hummer
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Empath

Devin Townsend - Infinity (1998)

You can probably tell by looking at the cover, but it is a stone cold fact that after the release of "Ocean Machine: Biomech", Devin Townsend checked himself into a mental health hospital after he started to see humans as "little lonesome, water based, pink meat, life forms pushing air through themselves and making noises that the other little pieces of meat seemed to understand.". Fortunately, Devin was discharged a while after he was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder (which could explain how he could create Strapping Young Lad and Ocean Machine around the same time).

From this "madness" came "Infinity", a album that Devin described as a "parent project" between "Ocean Machine: Biomech" and SYL's "City". Is it a accurate description of the album? Well almost. It does not have the same heaviness that SYL stands for, but it is certainly a good mix of heavy and epic in this album. You know what else there is a lot of in this album? Loudness. This is a album that takes up a lot of space with its grand sound, and even with the volume set to a low level, you can clearly hear the music with ease (although it is unnecessary with low volume).

And it is the first half that makes the most of the noise. After the epic starter "Truth", Devin kicks into gear with "Christeen", a spiritual and smooth flowing song that is easily likable. After that, the album becomes more groovy with the jazzy "Bad Devil" that takes your mind to some country western bar in the middle of Transylvania. Sounds weird? Well, it is, but in a really good way. Then we probably have the most well known track in "War". A pretty stale song that still has a hooky riff and some interesting lyrics. It also becomes very silly in the later half when the quire and Devin starts sing "doo wop boddum" in some kind of Can Can style. Oddly enough, it is still fitting nicely with the rest of the track, making it one of the better songs on "Infinity".

The second half of the album is leaning more towards the epic side, especially in songs like "Wild Colonial Boy", "Life Is All Dynamics" and "Soul Driven Cadillac". But it also contains a track that is just completely wild. "Ants" sounds like the mice from Cinderella where high on Red Bull and crystal meth. This song is all over the place, so the end result is not very good. It makes me laugh, but as far as the listening experience goes, I did not like it one bit.

There are some madness in "Infinity", but there is even more brilliance in it. The grand sound makes the album an exciting piece, and even though I feel that the overall standard could have been higher, it is made up for with some fine musicality work and atmospherically feelings. So you will not loose your mind if you listen to "Infinity", but you will probably find some epic quality in this record. 

Songs worthy of recognition: Bad Devil, War, 

Soul Driven Cadillac


Rating: 7,5/10 Unities

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More reviews of Devin Townsend (solo work)
Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics
Ocean Machine: Biomech
Physicist
Terria
Devlab
The Hummer
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Empath

Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine: Biomech (1997)

Once upon a time, there was a band called Ocean Machine, a band that was created by Devin Townsend and also included JR Harder and Marty Chapman. Together they created a little fine piece called "Biomech" that took the world by storm and made them rulers of the earth during the remaining years of the 20th century.

Okay, that little story is only half true. This album did not take the world by storm (although it sold 12, 000 copies in Japan during the first week), but this album was actually originally released under Ocean Machine. Today, this album is known as a work by Devin Townsend since the little side project only lasted a year before the brake up, and the album is now named "Ocean Machine: Biomech".

Unlike the sound in Strapping Young Lad, "Ocean Machine: Biomech" is a album that is filled with soothing riffs and uplifting music that creates a bubble for the listener where there is no stress. The riffs over flow your mind like soft waves, but it still makes a great impact on you. I can also sense that there is more passion and effort put into the music then on the SYL material (Devin have also said that the music on this album was really close to him).

The standard is incredibly high on "Ocean Machine: Biomech" and even if there is no speed freak of a song in here, I still think that the variety is at its top. The fastest song is probably "Night" that impresses with its addictive keyboard sound and Devin's different vocal settings. A diverse song that works well on so many levels. We also have "Life" that is the most positive song on the album, and it can easily be seen as a song made by Good Charlotte or Blink-182, but with better lyrics and deeper music. But the heaviest piece is definitely "Regulator". The main riff has some resemblance towards Strapping Young Lad, but instead of going bat shit crazy, the song holds back its wild side and comes instead with a well constructed and well balanced song that does not let the heavy nor the progressive side take over. It is like Yin and Yang, but for song genres in one song.

Then we have "Bastard", a song that is a fusion between two other songs ("Not One of My Better Days" and "The Girl From The Blue City"), but still feels as one big fantastic 10 minute piece. That riff is so simple, but oh so genius, and the drums during the "transition" between NOoMBD and TGFTBC are just amazing. It is both a beautiful and hurtful song that really brings out all the emotions, especially the euphoric ones. But the most emotional piece is the giant 12 minute piece "The Death of Music". Musically, there is not much happening in the song (except the amazingly beautiful keyboards), but the emotions that the tormented Devin puts out are almost too much to handle, and I freaking love it.

The only complaint I have with "Ocean Machine: Biomech" is the uneventful middle part of the album, which includes the songs "Sister" and "3 A.m.", but this is other wise a magnificent album with flawless production and some solid instrumental work. The mood is well set in every song and there is a red line that flows through the whole album, making it a complete work of art.

For those of you who like your Devin heavy and hard, step aside from "Ocean Machine: Biomech" if you do not want to be disappointed. But if you prefer his more progressive and uplifting side, then you are highly welcome. "Ocean Machine: Biomech" brings a calmness to your mind that is easy to take in, harder to fully understand and impossible to not enjoy. I have never heard this kind of progressive music before, and I would definitely love to hear more of it in the future. So do not only dip your toes in this ocean. Step back, run, do a cannon ball into the water and enjoy this album and its soothing waves. See you on the other side!

Songs worthy of recognition: The Death of Music, Bastard, Night, Regulator

Rating: 9,5/10 Funerals

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More reviews of Devin Townsend (solo work)
Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics
Infinity
Physicist
Terria
Devlab
The Hummer
Ziltoid The Omniscient

Empath

Devin Townsend - Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics (1996)

I like to refer Devin Townsend as the Jim Carrey of metal, mostly because he can come up with some really crazy shit, and this album is one of those crazy shits. "Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics" (the names are puns of Punky Brewster and Hooked On Phonics) is a concept album about a Polish death metal band named Cryptic Coroner. The band is struggling to make a living out of their music. But one day during a show, when one of the members brakes a string, the band finds a more punk rock style. After that, their career rises like a rocket and they also change their name to Punky Brüster, but the price is that they have sold their souls and now creates music that they do not give a shit about.

This is definitely a fun concept, but it also has some truth in it. Think about it. The music industry today works that people like Miley Cyrus and Lil Wayne, who does practically nothing, gets tons of recognition while artists that writes their own music and really works passionately for their music does not get squat. Yeah, the music industry is pretty fucked up, but we already knew that.

The music on this album is, not surprisingly, punk rock, so do not expect any developed metal madness from this record (except for the first part of the opening track "Recipe For Bait"). There is a big lack of variety in this album and if it was not for the dialogues, this album would be a big mash of fast riffs and easily digestible rock. In other words, a very bad album.

The only two good punk songs on this album is the classic old school punk song "Wallet Chain" and the fast and hooky "Fake Punk". I can also enjoy "Heinous Anus" and "Ez$$" from time to time. But it stands clear that the music is best when it leans more towards old school punk a la Sex Pistols instead of the more skate punk oriented style.

It is the comedy and dialogues that are the star of the show, and hearing Devin interpret the story in a pretty silly voice is just hilarious. But what is even more funny is following Cryptic Coroner's transformation from being heavy metal guys with dark and growling voices to lame punk guys with squeakier voices than Alvin and the chipmunks. It is also easy to feel sorry for the guys who have sold their souls and all they end up to show for is squeaky voices, a Grammy award and fake groupies who are not willing to go all the way when they discover the band's "horrible" secret.

As a concept, this is an excellent album, but as a musical piece, "Punky Brüster - Cooked On Phonics" is pretty weak. The variation is no where to be found and the cheesiness level is through the roof. But this is a album that you should not take seriously. Instead, you should embrace the theme and see the silliness in it. If you do that, then there is a slight chance that you will enjoy this album, but I would not count on it though.

Songs worthy of recognition: Fake Punk, Wallet Chain

Rating: 5/10 Heavy Metal Mamas

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https://twitter.com/dvntownsend

More reviews of Devin Townsend (solo work)
Ocean Machine: Biomech
Infinity
Physicist
Terria
Devlab
The Hummer
Ziltoid The Omniscient

Empath