Global Domination | Reviews | The Devin Townsend Project: Deconstruction

Recent updates

Recent discussions

Reviews

The Devin Townsend Project: Deconstruction

07/07/11 || Altmer

And here you are presented with the second Altmer coverage of the Canuck genius/idiot (whichever way you enjoy looking at it) called Devin Townsend. There’s something about Devin that just makes you fucken love him. Maybe it’s the fact that if you put him and Peter Rattatatagtren in a mental hospital together, it would produce pure insanity. Maybe it’s because his sense of humour is… out there, to say the least. Maybe it’s because he knows how to convey emotion very well. Or maybe, we’re all slaves to the grind that K likes to have us work under.

Or maybe I just like Devin Townsend. Your pick, you know. Yes, this one day, you get to pick that shit. Not tomorrow, though. Tomorrow is shit for choosing. My brain said so and I trust the guy.

Anyway. Devin Townsend. He’s basically been working on some new projects and material. For some reason or another he added the project because it’s a different idea from his earlier works – four albums that work together in unison, but all are different stylistically. I have heard the second one “Addicted!”, which was mildly interesting, but essentially the popcorn version of Devin’s solo work. It’s like he tried to put everything into a blender, mixed it down for simplicity and it turned out to be a very effective half-pop, half-metal hybrid that’s interesting to listen to for quite a while, but hasn’t completely stuck with me bar the odd song. “Ki”, also released in 2009, and the first album in the quadrilogy is apparently a very mellow album. And “Ghost” is reportedly New Agey flute music. Forgive me for not trying, but it seems like his ideas have been very hit-and-miss lately and I’m not into flute music. Yet.

This, however, whichever way you turn it: it’s a hit. “Deconstruction” is the closest thing since “Ziltoid” that he’s done that sounds remotely like the Devin we know from “Ocean Machine” or SYL. There are the riffs we know Devin to always use (dun, dun, dun), there’s his trademark vocal delivery, there’s lyrics that would make a mental ward proud (“I’m a vegematarian!”), and even the song titles are amazing (“The Mighty Masturbator”. Yes. That’s a title. I know.). You’d think that after he’d gone off weed and drugs, he’d become at least a little less over-the-top, but it’s not to be. It’s a record about discovering yourself and cheeseburgers. Tigers don’t change their stripes. And this is basically the tiger doing his trademark chase.

There’s a few special things about this album. For a first, everyone under the sun in the metal scene is playing on it. Joe Duplantier? Found. Mike Akerfeldt? Sure. Paul Masvidal? Present. Tommy Giles Rogers? No problem. Fredrik Thordendal? Of course. The list goes on for a neat little while, but basically it reads like a who is who of prog and death metal. Every death metal musician that has done something innovative over the past years can be found on this record. So if you’re a fan of good bands, there’s always the fun of listening to the record and trying to make out the cameos. They’re not even easy to spot, so put on your best headphones and search.

The other really special thing is that some tracks feature a full orchestra. Nothing new, this is hip and trendy among metal bands, but to have a full orchestra from Prague sing about cheeseburgers just gives the whole thing another dimension. It’s better than having them sing fake Latin chants or provide backing music to a Disney fairytale. If you’re gonna be ridiculous, be ridiculous, is the philosophy, and I can get behind this. Ridiculosity in style is always appreciated.

A person with the wit of Sherlock Holmes would now interject that I, The Ultimate Fourth Dimensional Reviewer and Music Hero, have said nothing whatsoever about the songs. Sure, I described style. I described some cool extra features. I even put the sound in perspective and compared it to their old releases. But there’s still a thing such as actual songs, and they need to be covered. So, dear Watson, you ask, are there good songs? Did Devin’s guitar skills amp out to the max? Would I, the Metal Hero, drop my pants and wank to this record?

Yes, I would, and I would splatter the wad all over you, dear reader. You’d enjoy it. Like the cocksucking pro you are. And that is why you read GD.

But, as a rule, yes, the songs are good. They’ve got the “it”. Just like you know when a chick’s a hot chick and you would like to make sweet luvin’, I know when Devin’s making good songs. His riffs, though being essentially recycled compost by now (he uses the same riffs on every album, I think) still sound excellent and the chug keeps the songs flowing in a more or less semi-linear sort of way. The choruses are strong. The 500 layered vocal lines work excellently too, and with the choral vocals it sort of sounds really amazing with everything playing out in canon and sounding neatly theatrical, but engaging at the same time. You might find it pretentious, but I am amused. Which is all that matters, of course. There’s nothing especially amazing about this album (except perhaps the amazing opening of “Stand”), but it has a great flow to it and it all sounds excellent. It’s real quality through and through, and after Devin’s recent patchy genre-switching it’s good to see him at the top of his game in a style that I can actually appreciate him in.

In short: if you liked Devin in the past, you will like this album. If you like over the top prog metal with a heavy edge, you will like this album. If you like amazing vocal versatility, you will like this album. If you have an off-kilter sense of humour, you will like this album. If you like good music, you will like this album.

If there’s one Devin Townsend Project album out of the four you need to buy, it’s this one. Don’t forget though – you can’t get cheeseburgers in hell if you’re a vegetarian. Satan knows all about it.

Information
Released: 2011
Label: HevyDevy Records
Website: www.hevydevy.com
Band
Devin Townsend: vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, programmings, everything except drums basically
Ryan van Poederooyen: drums on a bunch of songs
Dirk Verbeuren: drums on the rest of the songs
Everyone else, their mom, their dog, and their parakeet: guest appearances

Tracklist
01. Praise the Lowered
02. Stand
03. Juular
04. Planet of the Apes
05. Sumeria
06. The Mighty Masturbator
07. Pandemic
08. Deconstruction
09. Poltergeist

Reviews