Devin Townsend Project - "Transcendence"

Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence
2016, Inside Out

DISC ONE: Transcendence
1. Truth
2. Stormbending
3. Failure
4. Secret Sciences
5. Higher
6. Stars
7. Transcendence
8. Offer Your Light
9. From the Heart
10. Trans-dermal Celebration

DISC TWO: Holding Patterns
1. Gump
2. Celestial Signals
3. Support the Cause
4. Into the Sun
5. Time Overload
6. Lexus
7. Farther On
8. Victim
9. Monkey Mind
10. Canucklehead
11. Loud

Listening to Transcendence is a bit of a gear shift from previous albums. Not that Devin & co. have changed styles or anything like that. It's more that previous albums have taken a more accessible pop direction. Addicted!, Epicloud, Sky Blue, and Dark Matters all married Devin's "wall of sound" style with pop hooks for albums that were both meaty but easy to digest. Transcendence, however, is much more progressive and ponderous. It's close in style an album like Synchestra or maybe the original Ziltoid. The songs are still very heavy, but overall slower in tempo and lack the standard song structures of the previous discs. As a result, this is going to be a bit of a grower. It's going to take a few listens for things to sink in. One thing I noticed is that the drumming is absolutely off the chain here! Ryan Van Poederooyen is really firing on all cylinders. I think it's one of his best performances on any Devin album I've heard. I'm still not sure how exactly I feel about this record, though. I like it but it hasn't really sunk in yet. I've still got more listens to go, but the good thing is that I do want to listen.

Useless Fact: The album title has to do with Devin "getting over himself" both literally and spiritually. He let the other band members have more input into song writing than normal.

Devin Townsend Project - "Z2"

Devin Townsend Project - Z2
2014, Inside Out

DISC ONE: Sky Blue
1. Rejoice
2. Fallout
3. Midnight Sun
4. A New Reign
5. Universal Flame
6. Warrior
7. Sky Blue
8. Silent Militia
9. Rain City
10. Forever
11. Before We Die
12. The Ones Who Love

DISC TWO: Dark Matters
1. Z2
2. From Sleep Awake
3. Ziltoidian Empire
4. War Princess
5. Deathray
6. March of the Poozers
7. Wandering Eye
8. Earth
9. Ziltoid Goes Home
10. Through the Wormhole
11. Dimension Z

Z2 is the long awaited sequel to Ziltoid the Omniscient. It's been a long time coming too. Devin has said he's been working on it off and on throughout Casualties of Cool and Epicloud. I honestly don't think Devin really wanted to do a sequel. In fact, most of this album isn't even about Ziltoid. It contains two separate albums: Sky Blue - which is just the Devin Townsend Project, and Dark Matters - which isn't really even a sequel to Ziltoid but just another different story. There's no continuity between the two.

Sky Blue definitely evolves the sound that DTP had on Epicloud. While it's still got Devin's signature "wall of sound" chaos going on, it's a lot less commercial, a bit more melancholy, more contemplative. The theme seems to be "life is short so live and love while you can." Devin truly embraces his inner Enya here, especially on tracks like "A New Reign," "Sky Blue," and "Forever." It's also mixed in with some full throttle rockers like "Fallout" and "Silent Militia." He weaves some pretty compelling tapestries on this album that took a bit to grow on me. Anneke van Giersbergen returns to share lead vocal duties, which is always welcome.

Dark Matters is set up like an old fifties radio show with cheesy narration and everything. Dark Matters is certainly heavier and more progressive than Sky Blue but the songs are also simpler and for more melodic hand hook-laden overall. Honestly, the first few tracks kind of run together for me until "War Princess" where I feel like the album really kicks in and starts to get good. I have the three disc edition which includes a raw mix of Dark Matters without all the narration. I actually prefer that to the original as you can really hear what's going on musically.

If it sounds like I'm not quite as excited as I should be about new Devin it's because I still just don't know how I feel about this album. I don't hate it, far from it. I like it better than Epicloud for sure. In fact, I think this is actually my second favorite Devin offering right after Addictied! So I guess I'm saying I don't know what my problem is.

Useless Fact: My buddy Uvulapie actually sings background vocals as part of the Universal Choir.

The Devin Townsend Project - "Epicloud"

The Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud
2012, Inside Out

Disc One:
1. Effervescent!
2. True North
3. Lucky Animals
4. Liberation
5. Where We Belong
6. Save Our Now
7. Kingdom
8. Divine
9. Grace
10. More!
11. Lessons
12. Hold On
13. Angel

Disc Two:
1. Believe
2. Happy Birthday
3. Quietus
4. Heatwave
5. Love Tonight
6. The Mind Wasp
7. Woah No!
8. Love & Marriage
9. Socialization
10. Little Pig

It's always nice to have some new Devin. After finishing his four album cycle, Devin regrouped and released Epicloud. Rumor has it he was trying to write for the next Ziltoid album but all these pop songs kept coming out, and so we have Epicloud. Or perhaps you could call it Addicted! 2 as it sounds similar in that it retains Devin's trademark styles but is also very accessible. It's a pretty decent mix of all his moods. You've got some more progressive tunes like "True North" and "Grace." There are some sort of Enya-core songs like "Where We Belong" and "Save Us Now" as well as some straight-forward rockers like "Lucky Animals" and "More!." Epicloud is exactly the right word to describe this album. There's a gospel choir to go with the huge production making everything sound... well... EPIC. And LOUD. While I do enjoy it, I'm not quite as over-the-moon with it as I was with Addicted! I think part of the reason is that Addicted! hit its groove pretty early and never let up until the closing notes, which made for a supremely enjoying album. I don't think this one quite hits its mark. The songs are great, for sure, but I don't think the whole thing comes together as quite the package of the previous releases. As a result it almost feels like something's missing. That's not to say it's bad, not at all. I think the songs themselves are great except "Liberation" which kind of annoys me for some reason. Also, I like "Grace" but I think it's plodding pace and more progressive nature goes against the accessible pop nature of the rest of the tracks. In other words, it breaks the groove.

The special edition of Epicloud comes with a bonus disc with ten demos. Some were supposed to appear on the album proper, while others were bits and pieces of other ideas. The songs are unfinished but, honestly, you'd probably never know as most seem pretty complete to me. In fact, if it were my record, I think I might have switched out some of the main tracks for some of these. It might have improved the unity of the disc.

Useless Fact: Devin did a "video" for "Lucky Animals" in which he danced, poorly, I might add. However, that was just to prompt fans to film their own video for the song. The fan-shot footage will be used in the official video.

The Devin Townsend Project - "Ghost"

The Devin Townsend Project - Ghost
2011, Inside Out

1. Fly
2. Heart Baby
3. Feather
4. Kawaii
5. Ghost
6. Blackberry
7. Monsoon
8. Dark Matters
9. Texada
10. Seams
11. Infinite Ocean
12. As You Were

Ghost is truly an achievement. It's simple, melodic, peaceful, and beautiful. It's just as challenging as Deconstruction but I think the rewards for diving into this one are far greater. Some songs, like "Heart Baby," seem to have more in common with Enya than anything Devin has done previously. The album also takes a slight industrial/trance detour with "Dark Matters" and "Texada." Surprisingly, it fits the flow of the album very well. While Deconstruction seemed to be a "greatest hits" compilation of all Devin's usual tricks (bumped up to 11, of course), Ghost stands by itself - truly unique. It's a great way to end this four album cycle.

Oh, I also wanted to point out that the cover and booklet art are absolutely gorgeous!

Useless Fact: Those who pre-ordered the album got access to four tracks on Ghost II. I'm not sure if the four tracks, "Drench," "Fall," "Mend," and "Watch You" are supposed to actually be Ghost II or whether they're just a preview.

Devin Townsend Project - "Deconstruction"

Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction
2011, Inside Out

1. Praise the Lowered
2. Stand
3. Juular
4. Planet of the Apes
5. Sumeria
6. The Mighty Masturbator
7. Pandemic
8. Deconstruction
9. Poltergeist

Being the third album in the Devin Townsend Project four album series, Deconstruction is the heaviest, most dense, most progressive entry. It's demanding and uncompromising. Is it good? I honestly don't know. I was absolutely overwhelmed the first few times I listened to this - especially during the longer songs. There were times during "Planet of the Apes" and "The Mighty Masturbator" where my brain literally could not keep track of the song. I was totally lost. It gets easier with more listens but the fact remains - this disc is a challenge. You literally have to plan a day to listen to it. The concept invovles a cheeseburger, the devil, and the meaning of life, but I couldn't really tell you how it all fits together.

I really like some of the shorter songs "Juular," "Sumeria," and "Poltergeist." It honestly makes me wish Devin would do a really heavy Addicted-type album. It's weird because I usually like Devin's sprawling epic songs but there's usually something to latch onto or a hook that keeps me coming back. Here, though, there's just too much going on. It doesn't seem as cohesive or connected. Of course, I think that's kind of the point but it doesn't make for a frequent player for me. I like all the songs under 8 minutes long. I don't hate the others, though. I hope that as time goes on I can foster more of an appreciation for what's going on here but right now it's work to listen to. Wonderful and strange work, but work nonetheless.

Useless Fact: The album boasts a bevy of guest vocalists including the guy from Opeth (forgot his name) and Floor Jansen who's frequently seen in Ayreon and Star One.

Devin Townsend - "Ziltoid the Omniscient"

Devin Townsend - Ziltoid the Omniscient

2007, Inside Out

1. ZTO

2. By Your Command

3. Ziltoidia Attaxx!!

4. Solar Winds

5. Hyperdrive

6. N9

7. Planet Smasher

8. Omnidimensional Creator

9. Color Your World

10. The Greys

11. Tall Latte

Ziltoid the Omniscient tells the story of the fourth dimensional alien, Ziltoid, and his attempt to take over Earth, his search for the perfect cup of coffee, and his existential crisis. As you can probably guess this is pretty tongue and cheek, but the music is stellar. I would definitely count this among my favorites. I think is a good mix of all the sounds Devin has done over the years. There's some hooks, there's some pounding heaviness, there's some atmospheric stuff, and some pretty awesome riffs. Oh... I missed out on another two disc edition with this one. The second disc has some skits with Ziltoid on them, extra tracks, and a couple instructional videos.

Useless Fact: I thought I heard somewhere that Ziltoid was going to have his own talk show a la Space Ghost where celebrities would have to give Ziltoid reasons not to destroy earth. I wonder what happened to that idea?

Devin Townsend - "Physicist"

Devin Townsend - Physicist
2000, Inside Out

1. Namaste
2. Victim
3. Material
4. Kingdom
5. Death
6. Devoid
7. The Complex
8. Irish Maiden
9. Jupiter
10. Planet Rain
11. Forgotten (Unlisted track)

I've heard that this was Devin's attempt to make a pop-metal record. I'm not quite sure it works as that. It's too dang heavy to be pop that's for dang sure! This one took some time to grow on me. I really liked the more melodic songs like "Kingdom" and "Jupiter" but some of the other tracks are just... pounding. Like... nonstop, continuous pounding. It's grown on me some but not as much as some of the later stuff.

Useless Fact: I think this originally started out as a project between Devin and Jason Newstead from Metallica. It's too bad that original idea never materialized because I think that would've been cool.

Devin Townsend - "Terria"

Devin Townsend - Terria
2001, Inside Out

1. Olives
2. Mountain
3. Earth Day
4. Deep Peace
5. Canada
6. Down and Under
7. The Fluke
8. Nobody's Here
9. Tiny Tears
10. Stagnant
11. Humble (Unlisted track)

Okay, this is one of the two Devin discs I pull out the least. Technically, it's good, but the songs just don't resonate with me like the other albums do. I'm not sure why exactly. This is probably the most progressive of the CDs I've listened to....very Pink Floyd-esque (i.e. very atmospheric, but not very catchy). Not that that's bad... again, it just doesn't resonate with me as much as the others.

I was listening to this in the car with my wife and upon hearing the cymbal "ding" in "Olives" she started saying, "PING!" in time with the music. I couldn't tell if it was super cute or annoying. Though we are expecting a baby soon so you can draw your own conclusion. Ha ha! I know... T.M.I.!

Useless Fact: This being an Inside Out release... of course there's a two disc version with another song and some concert footage.

The Devin Townsend Band - "Accelerated Evolution"

The Devin Townsend Band - Accelerated Evolution

2003, Inside Out

Disc One:

1. Depth Charge

2. Storm

3. Random Analysis

4. Deadhead

5. Suicide

6. Traveller

7. Away

8. Sunday Afternoon

9. Slow Me Down

Disc Two: Project Eko

1. Locate

2. Echo

3. Assignable

So after I got Synchestra I got to work on checking out the ol' DT back catalogue and Accelerated Evolution was the second disc I got. It's not nearly as progressive, though it does have some trippy, psychedelic tunes like "Deadhead" and "Away." The focus here I think is on hooks and groove and it's pretty cool. The big "wall of sound" I love so much is still here though not as much. The pounding drive of "Depth Charge" gets my blood pumping and the emotional "Storm" is one of my favorite Devin tunes off of any album. I was lucky enough to score the special edition with the Project Echo CD which is an experimental electronic series of songs.

I also picked up on the fact that Devin says "As above and so below" in "Away" after all the controversy Deliverance went through with their album title of the same name.

Useless Fact: All the songs on this album have to do with relationships.

The Devin Townsend Band - "Synchestra"

The Devin Townsend Band - Synchestra
2006, Inside Out

1. Let It Roll
2. Hypergeek
3. Triumph
4. Babysong
5. Vampolka
6. Vampira
7. Mental Tan
8. Gaia
9. Pixillate
10. Judgement
11. A Simple Lullaby
12. Sunset
13. Notes From Africa
14. Sunshine & Happiness (unlisted track)

This was my very first Devin Townsend album. I loved the bits he did for Ayreon's The Human Equation so when I saw this at Best Buy I decided to take a chance and get it. Boy, am I glad I did! This disc remains my favorite to this day (with the exception of the new Addicted). The Devin Townsend Band is like nothing you've ever heard before. It's heavy, melodic, crushing, beautiful, dense, atmospheric, evocative... I can't think of a way to describe it. Perhaps the closest thing would be "organized chaos." You'll hear everything - distorted guitars, keyboards, horns, odd vocal parts, and other strange noises. And it's all distilled into this thick soup of progressive rock/metal that's nothing short of awe-inspiring. Not too mention the hooks mixed in that bring the album together. I'm convinced that the music played in heaven probably sounds something like this.

Useless Fact: Some editions of this disc come with an extra DVD with the band doing some live tracks.... wish I could have gotten that one.

The Devin Townsend Project - "Addicted"

The Devin Townsend Project - Addicted

2009, Inside Out

1. Addicted!

2. Universe in a Ball!

3. Bend it Like Bender!

4. Supercrush!

5. Hyperdrive!

6. Resolve!

7. Ih-ah!

8. The Way Home!

9. Numbered!

10. Awake!

Hot on the heels of Ki comes Addicted. The absolute polar opposite of everything on Ki. Whereas that album was introspective and minimalistic, this one is a return to the "wall of sound/organized chaos" Devin is known for. This is also one of my favorite albums of 2009. Devin himself describes the album as "Ten rocking songs, no bulls**t." Devin has always had a talent for writing hooks, but he usually places them inside dense, progressive songs. I've always wondered how awesome it would be for him to just write an album full of simple songs and the results are astounding. What Devin has done is taken his heavy, epic style and in essence, produced the finest pop record ever recorded. Devin calls it "Enya-core" and that sounds like a pretty good description to me! Songs like "Bend it Like Bender!" could be played in a rave club and the ballad "Ih-Ah!" could be a hit on VH1 if it ever got played there. Of course you'll hear layers and layers of sound not unlike one of his previous albums, Synchestra. But the hooks...man, the hooks... they'll be stuck in your head for days on end. We also have the haunting vocals of Anneke Van Geirsbergen who's been on a couple Ayreon albums. She does all the vocals for this album's version of "Hyperdrive!" (originally on Ziltoid the Omniscient) and I think it's better than the original! If you're a fan of heavy, catchy music that's a blast to listen to... go buy this right now!

Useless Fact: Yes, the song titles are supposed to all have exclamation points after them.

The Devin Townsend Project - "Ki"

The Devin Townsend Project - Ki
2009, Inside Out

1. A Monday
2. Coast
3. Disruptr
4. Gato
5. Terminal
6. Heaven Send
7. Ain't Never Gonna Win...
8. Winter
9. Trainfire
10. Lady Helen
11. Ki
12. Quiet Riot
13. Demon League

The Devin Townsend Project is a cycle of four albums in which Townsend is endeavoring to create music without the influence of drugs or alcohol. Ki is a quiet introspective album - very different from the "organized chaos" of his past releases. There's no "wall of sound" here everything is subtle and understated. Just when a song like "Coast" or "Gato" threatens to pummel your head in a metal fury it cuts itself off, leading into atmospheric soundscapes like "Terminal" or "Winter." One of my favorite songs, "Trainfire" almost sounds like Elvis Presley on crack! It has a Elvis Presley/Johnny Cash sort of flair in the verses followed by a flowing and melodic chorus. Then it gets really quiet with just the guitar and female vocal... it's really awesome - makes me happy to be a music lover.

Useless Fact: The cover is supposed to be 3-D but I never got the glasses with my preorder.