Devin Townsend : "Empath"

The 18th album from Heavy Devy, who claims to have sunk $ 170,000 of his own money into this album and claims if it tanks he will have to quit. So is this worth him hanging it up for ? this is over the top. I think I can handle it better than Dream Theater. It's over the top in more of a Meatloaf way than being a shred fest. There are big choral sections. Countless layers of vocals that make it feel like I am listening to a musical rather than a rock album. The drummer from Decrepit Birth might play on this album, but so far it seems like a waste as there is nothing really demanding in a metal way on the first two songs. The second song is a little too happy for me. There is a marginally heavier feel at times to "Evermore". It sounds like the new age version of contemporary christian music.  When I hear stuff like this it reminds me there needs to be a balance for the dangers of over production can be heard here.


 "Sprite" is like the Disney version of a rock opera. There is a little more quirk to it. Like a great deal of progressive rock, the songs are long and winding , with plenty of excess fat to be trimmed."Hear Me" has more metallic drumming. I would not say even with the blast tempo in play that is meaner , until Devin comes in with a more screamed vocal. This song is a mess. There are death metal growls, but it doesn't feel heavy because so much circus music is going on around it. "Why" is totally like something from a musical. So far the most interesting song is "Borderlands". It's oddly progressive. Not that heavy, it just flows well as a song even with all of the quirk it carries.

The sprawling "Singularity which is comprised of five songs that make it up ends the albums. It also features some of the album's heaviest moments on "There Be Monsters" , though I think the song before it is actually better. The ethereal choirs return for the fluffy cloud of sound that is "Curious Gods" . It gets to a Zappa lite level of prog. So more like Porcupine Tree. Things get even more proggy for "Silicon Scientists". The guitars get ridiculous. There is a robot voice where the vocals would be. I think we have had more than enough vocals at this point , so I am fine with it. When vocals come in they are like a synth pad of sound. The closer "Here Comes the Sun!" has a smoother vocal flow and get's kinda djenty, but it's well done . At this point in the album there are no more surprises, aside from a guitar solo that is tasteful in it's acrobatics.  I'll round this up to an 8, though don't feel like I need to listen to it again. It might be a good time for him to cash out and it it on a grandiose note. He should consider himself lucky that he had 170 grand to blow on this . It seems if he dialed back the choirs he could have saved a few bucks and it might have been a better album if he spent half that.

the Devin Townsend Project : "Transcendence"

Devin is far from his days in Strapping Young Lad and is now making metal for fragile flower like nerd men who think A Perfect Circle is a metal band. The album sounds pristine in many ways. Almost to clean to the point of having all the grit that makes metal produced out of it. Pro-tools is his friend. The layered vocals are great if Prog Power is your idea of metal. There are metal sounds on this album, but heading into the third song I can say it's not heavy.  From a song writing perspective "Failure" is alright. He sings great on it venturing up into his falsetto. There is a dark cloud coming in from the song's edges but the storm never really hits.  I guess this falls closer to prog metal than other sub-genres, though there is a strong under current of pop mixed into the highly orchestrated "Secret Sciences". The main problem with this song is it's lack of balls. The double bass toward the end doesn't change this.

So four or five songs in and I find myself expecting much less from his. "Higher" is like a post- "Empire" Queensryche ballad. It does build by the two minute mark into some that is more typical Townsend. The palm muted groove that comes out of this builds a little tension, but everything is still too clean and safe. The drumming is great and will wow Rush fans. I would have liked this as a teenager when Queensryche was one of my favorite bands. Now as an adult when I listen to heavy music I want it to actually be heavy. There is a djent like riff that brings a little weight but it's surrounded by tons of sterile fluff. My wife asked me if I was listening to Night Wish.

There is a better riff to "Stars" , but the over produced vocals continue to over power everything else and give it a more Dream Theater feel. The title track is just as over blown and would invoke Night Wish comparisons, even without the folk trappings and the fact female vocals are just one layer. This song is slightly less cumbersome and tolerable. There is a little more drive to "Offer Your Light" but it is repetitious and more straightforward than I would prefer. "From the Heart" reminds me of the melody to a Uriah Heap song. It much happier and lighter than I prefer my metal but a decent song. I had to check with the opening riff of "Transdermal Celebration" to make sure I hadn't clicked on "Momma I'm  Coming Home" by mistake. Overall the song is not as much of a ballad as Ozzy's big hit. It's not written in a way that would make it a radio song, but it is too melodic and light hearted to be metal. I'll give this album a 7. It's well made and performed it's just metal for pussies, so if you have one or are one you might love this.