Metal Reviews

I have to say I never understood why people liked Devin Townsend's stuff be it SYL, Devin Townsend Band, Ziltoid etc.

It all seems too chaotic, too bizarre, too unfocused and too wall of noise in a bad way. There's so many layers and I think that contributes to the unfocused sound. Too often it was not catchy enough despite trying to have some wierd hooks and melodies. Alien, The New Black and Ziltoid especially seemed to suffer from these weak links.

I haven't heard any of the new stuff (last thing I heard was Ziltoid and I didn't like it - concept was ok but execution was lacking for what was a joke album).

The only exception is the Strapping Young Lad self titled album. I absolutely love this one. The appeal seems to be in it seeming more focus, the sound was stripped down to more primitive (by Devin Townsend standards) and it was catchy in a good way It was still pissed off but it was focused rage and not a chaotic spasm. City also has a few good moments.

I did have the opportunity of interviewing Devin Townsend when Accelerated Evolution came out. He was a top bloke and very interesting to talk to.

But I'm afraid despite hearing his stuff for 12 years, other than the SYL album, I've never been able to "get it".

So explain the Hevy Devy appeal!

Alien seems designed to be an overload of everything, so that works in its favour in that way. I personally think The New Black and Ziltoid are a bit shit, so with you there.

But otherwise, I think he's very, very good at writing catchy yet overwhelming music. Take Infinity, the way the catchy Christine flows into the gleefully bonkers Bad Devil - it's highly entertaining, it's very catchy, it's great, really can't see any cause for complaint there. You admit to not having heard Addicted, so I'll reserve judgement on you there - a great, great album.

He does have his own sound that works as a linking thread throughout his projects, and looking primarily here at his various solo stuff, it's a sound that mixes catchiness, 'prog' structure and sound, heaviness, and emotional weight expertly. Few bands can do this - he's done it consistently. That's why I like him, at least, a very important figure in Metal.

Never liked anything he's ever done.

He's one of the best Metal musicians ever. He's put out 16 albums in the span of 14 years between SYL and his solo project, all of which are quality, and produced a ton of other albums in the meantime.

I'm afraid I can't really explain his appeal. His music is so layered, catchy, and emotional. If you don't like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cChV2aSE ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kNaJ3WN1DE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrotHkcKle8

then I genuinely feel bad for you.

Deadhead live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FF10N85 ... re=related



.:crast:.

That song is so fucking good live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaLqmkqC3Hs

This is from the show I was at.

Me either. He needs a music theory class or two on how to write something without hanging melodies and a reminder that overdubbing something boring a dozen times for production reasons doesn't make it better or improve the songwriting whatsoever. I think he goes overboard and destroys the dynamics and the timbre of the instruments.

For a producer, you'd think he'd be aware that you never add a track that destroys another track's dynamics and timbre and you mix instruments in their own space, not every instrument everywhere. You don't fix a track with an overdub, ever.

I don't hate the guy and have nothing against him or anything, but i'm pretty damn harsh on other producers. I'll rip my favorite producer (sonically) Peter Collins to shreds too if the subject comes up.

I think All Hail the New Flesh was the only song of his that I really enjoyed. And I have, what was it, 5 albums?

He has a lot of cool stuff, mainly grabbing me is the melodies, but yeah, I tend to agree with the folks that find it way too pompous, overproduced and well, boring. Not that I've heard everything, but it's kind of a 50/50 for me.

I don't actually own any of his albums but I've heard several songs of each one. The only ones I didn't enjoy were those of Addicted, I found them way too poppy for my taste. But there's no denying that he's a musical genius and incredibly funny on top of that.

Wow, I feel sorry for everybody who dislikes or kind-of-likes Devy. He is by far my favorite musician. I had a long rant typed up defending why, but you know what, it is impossible to explain the brilliance of Devin Townsend.

NP - Ocean Machine -- Bastard

He's wrote a few decent tunes and that's it for me.

This thread is bumming me out. His aggressive stuff is some of the heaviest stuff I've heard and has some rip-roaring intensity to it that just can't be matched. Nothing sums up a bad like Oh My Fucking God. His atmospheric stuff when it's good just has a simplistic beauty to it that helps me relax. The Devin Townsend Band stuff I think is just written really well and sonically all the albums are different and intriguing with a variety that is so well coordinated like Zad was saying about Christine and Bad Devil transitioning and being so different but working so well together. Addicted is just beautiful and I love that album. I love how poppy it is while still being so dynamic and intriguing. It's just not superficial like other pop stuff. I listen predominately to SYL and it really is just one of the best industrial/groove/death metal bands there is in the last 10 years. Even The New Black which has its random moments is just a beast of an album with highs and lows. It's not the quasi-deathgrind that City could be at times and I think it's better for that. It's a mix of highs and lows, intensity and buildup.

Oh my fucking God, dude, stop being such a pompous asshole.

Seriously what is it with you and trying to be so uber technical in all your posts?

My guess is he's just trying to impress everyone with how he thinks he knows so much more about album producton than one of the most talented and prolific producers in the industry.

He deserves a custom rank. "Scott Burns", perhaps.

Uhh, it isn't very technical at all.

How does that benefit anyone?

Production and engineering is not based on talent. It's based on knowledge.

If you guys had spent the last 10 years learning everything imaginable about a subject and spending 30K on a technical education that offers little to no job prospects for the sake of being a better musician.

If you guys were doctors you would complain about non-medical-doctor Phil and Oprah giving people stupid ideas about health. Try to see it from my perspective.

Comparing Devin Townsend to Dr. Phil might be the stupidest thing I've ever heard.