Page 101 - Classic Rock (February 2020)

Superior Reputation cementing Essential
Playlist

Oh My Fucking
God

City (Strapping Young Lad)

Seventh Wave

Ocean Machine: Biomech

Truth

Ocean Machine: Terria Strapping Young Addicted Infinity
Biomech HEVYDEVY, 2001 Lad HEVYDEVY, 2009

HEVYDEVY, 1997 Still arguably the most absurdly Alien CENTURY MEDIA, 2005 Something magical happens Earth Day
Devin’s solo debut was a daft epic of all Townsend’s albums, It’s almost impossible to separate when Devin Townsend and Terria
pop-punk pastiche concept Terria introduced fans to a more Strapping Young Lad from the rest Anneke van Giersbergen sing
album called Punky Brüster – pensive, cerebral side to the of Townsend’s catalogue, so together. It happens repeatedly Tiny Tears
Cooked On Phonics, released in Canadian’s solo work. More fundamental was their frontman’s on Addicted: a collection of
Terria
1996: but this was the real importantly, it took him firmly personality to the whole thing. sublime, radio-friendly alt.rock
beginning. Ocean Machine into progressive territory, with Although it tends to sound like anthems that fizz and froth with
showcased a new sonic and starry-eyed epics like Earth Day a fleet of spaceships carpet joyous, sugary abandon. The Deadhead
melodic world, wherein yard- and Tiny Tears offering a more bombing the Death Star, the follow-up to the overtly proggy Ki Accelerated Evolution
thick reverb and hazy New Age indulgent and expansive take on band’s finest studio record still and the precursor to the
vibes collided with riffs the size an already unique blueprint. brims with the melodic ideas and deranged metal of Deconstruction, Almost Again
of skyscrapers and melodies that A heartfelt paean to nature and textural restlessness that underpin Addicted proved that Townsend The New Black
soared. A perennial fan favourite, its endless magic, Terria was his solo records. Turbocharged could do streamlined and (Strapping Young Lad)
Ocean Machine has stood the test pointedly bereft of the goofiness extreme metal is plainly not for succinct while driving everyone
of time: Townsend performed it and self-mockery that had everyone, but songs like Love? and cheerfully potty with urgent, Solar Winds
in full at the Ancient Roman previously typified much of his Shitstorm are as potent as any in sparkly earworms. Exemplified by
Ziltoid The Omniscient
Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in material. It’s a beautiful and the DT catalogue. And there are the pulsing, infectious Cheap-
2017 with a full orchestra and sincere piece of work; tinged with few things more exhilarating than Trick-on-MDMA rush of Bend It
choir in tow. Not surprisingly, melancholy but ultimately, the sound of legendary drummer Like Bender!, it’s a riot of positive Terminal
many tears were shed. overwhelmingly uplifting. Gene Hoglan at full pelt. vibes and giant, euphoric tunes. Ki

Good Worth exploring Avoid Bend It Like
Bender!
Addicted

Hyperdrive!
Addicted

Planet Of The
Apes
Deconstruction

Ghost
Accelerated Deconstruction Casualties Of Devlab Ghost
Evolution HEVYDEVY, 2011 Cool HEVYDEVY, 2004

HEVYDEVY, 2003 Boasting an all-star cast featuring HEVYDEVY, 2014 Devin Townsend fans have been Grace
The first of two albums credited Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt, Ihsahn Joining forces with fellow well trained to expect the
Epicloud
to the Devin Townsend Band (the and Meshuggah guitarist Fredrik Canadian vocalist Ché Aimee unexpected over the years, but
other, Synchestra, is also great), Thordendal, Deconstruction was Dorval, Townsend conjured Devlab was probably a trip too
Accelerated Evolution seemed to always going to be one of Casualties Of Cool as a vehicle for far for some. An hour of True North
scratch a particular itch for its Townsend’s heavier records. It’s a batch of gentle but off-kilter amorphous ambience and Epicloud
creator. Superficially, this was also his most insane by some country rock songs that had been synapse-pranging noise, this
a thunderous, immaculately margin, as he plunged deep into piling up in his idea shed. mischievously experimental Mountaintop
produced alternative rock record, the warped world of avant-garde Propelled along by Johnny Cash’s detour will delight anyone that Casualties Of Cool
albeit with Townsend’s instantly extreme metal, with all the tooth- ageless boom-chicka-boom beat, enjoys getting shit-battered on
recognisable voice leading the rattling blastbeats, grotesque each song emerges, drifts jazz fags and staring at a lava Universal Flame
way, but a significant re-setting of orchestration and phlegm- serenely along and then morphs lamp for hours at a time. The
Z2 – Sky Blue
musical values was also dislodging growls that such into the next, the two singers other, presumably much larger
underway. With tunes and riffs things demand. There are real whispering sweetly over part of the Canadian’s fan base
at the forefront, the likes of Depth songs here too – Juular is an strummed acoustics and may prefer to listen to all the Stormbending
Charge and Slow Me Down are absolute belter and Sumeria is a persistent wash of ghostly records he’s made that have Transcendence
among his most powerful rock intermittently lovely – but ambience. Also notable for the actual songs on them.
songs, while the sprawling Deconstruction’s charm lies presence of Zappa alumnus Still, if nothing else, Devin Spirits Will
Deadhead and the tense, delicate primarily in its utter disregard for Morgan Ågren on drums, Townsend has at least provided Collide
Traveller kept the progressive fires the listener’s sanity. Or, indeed, Casualties Of Cool is a beautiful everyone with plenty to choose Empath
burning. An underrated gem. for Townsend’s. and strange anomaly. from. The nutter.

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