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
