Devin Townsend v. Do You Feel Like A Bit Of Fun?

[Buddyhunter1]

I wouldn't describe any of Devin's album as poppy.  If you want to say that Addicted and AE are the two albums with the catchiest choruses, okay, I'll give you that, but that still doesn't mean that they are all that similar.  For me, the big difference is that Addicted has that classic Devin wall of sound, while AE does not, sounding more streamlined and like it was intended for mainstream rock radio.  That has always bothered me about that record.  Not that I have a problem with an album being mainstream, but it simply sounded like Devin emasculated his own sound on that record (in the overall sound. not necessarily the heaviness); it's just not him.  I still like AE quite a bit, but I've never liked the sound of it.  The drums in particular are very different-sounding for him (not sure if it is the mixing or the way they are played), and that bothers me.

.........what.

[Ultimetalhead]

AE is similar to Addicted? What?

I'd say revisit the ones you already have, or get any or all of the other DTP CDs: Ki, Deconstruction and Ghost.

Accelerated Evolution is easily the most poppy of his albums that aren't called Addicted (although Epicloud is going to blast both of them out of the water, I believe). Plus, it has Deadhead, Suicide, and Away, so it must be heard.

I wouldn't describe any of Devin's album as poppy.  If you want to say that Addicted and AE are the two albums with the catchiest choruses, okay, I'll give you that, but that still doesn't mean that they are all that similar.  For me, the big difference is that Addicted has that classic Devin wall of sound, while AE does not, sounding more streamlined and like it was intended for mainstream rock radio.  That has always bothered me about that record.  Not that I have a problem with an album being mainstream, but it simply sounded like Devin emasculated his own sound on that record (in the overall sound. not necessarily the heaviness); it's just not him.  I still like AE quite a bit, but I've never liked the sound of it.  The drums in particular are very different-sounding for him (not sure if it is the mixing or the way they are played), and that bothers me.

Okay fine, they're not poppy in the traditional sense, but there's no denying that Addicted and AE are the easiest for newcomers to digest. They're the least dense albums (not including Ki or Ghost, but I wouldn't recommend those to newbies unless they were already into that sort of music) while still giving a taste of his all-encompassing awesomeness.

[AMindBesideItself]

I wouldn't describe any of Devin's album as poppy.  If you want to say that Addicted and AE are the two albums with the catchiest choruses, okay, I'll give you that, but that still doesn't mean that they are all that similar.  For me, the big difference is that Addicted has that classic Devin wall of sound, while AE does not, sounding more streamlined and like it was intended for mainstream rock radio.  That has always bothered me about that record.  Not that I have a problem with an album being mainstream, but it simply sounded like Devin emasculated his own sound on that record (in the overall sound. not necessarily the heaviness); it's just not him.  I still like AE quite a bit, but I've never liked the sound of it.  The drums in particular are very different-sounding for him (not sure if it is the mixing or the way they are played), and that bothers me.

.........what.

x2

[Ben_Jamin]

AE is similar to Addicted? What?

I'd say revisit the ones you already have, or get any or all of the other DTP CDs: Ki, Deconstruction and Ghost.

Accelerated Evolution is easily the most poppy of his albums that aren't called Addicted (although Epicloud is going to blast both of them out of the water, I believe). Plus, it has Deadhead, Suicide, and Away, so it must be heard.

I wouldn't describe any of Devin's album as poppy.  If you want to say that Addicted and AE are the two albums with the catchiest choruses, okay, I'll give you that, but that still doesn't mean that they are all that similar.  For me, the big difference is that Addicted has that classic Devin wall of sound, while AE does not, sounding more streamlined and like it was intended for mainstream rock radio.  That has always bothered me about that record.  Not that I have a problem with an album being mainstream, but it simply sounded like Devin emasculated his own sound on that record (in the overall sound. not necessarily the heaviness); it's just not him.  I still like AE quite a bit, but I've never liked the sound of it.  The drums in particular are very different-sounding for him (not sure if it is the mixing or the way they are played), and that bothers me.

I get what your saying. I have the same feeling but I think my problem is the mixing.

[MasterShakezula]

I know jack shit about DT, except for some random SYL tracks (a couple from the first one and the first few from Alien).  They're very well-crafted and produced, but not really my forte.  (TOO DENSE AND OVERWHELMING)

You people seem to know this guy inside and out; what are his most un-ballsy, tranquil, sparse albums?

[MondayMorningLunatic]

Excluding his ambient albums, Ki and Ghost

[Ultimetalhead]

Depends. If you want tranquil, pretty music, go with Ki or Ghost. If you still want teh metalz, get Addicted.

[KevShmev]

I wouldn't describe any of Devin's album as poppy.  If you want to say that Addicted and AE are the two albums with the catchiest choruses, okay, I'll give you that, but that still doesn't mean that they are all that similar.  For me, the big difference is that Addicted has that classic Devin wall of sound, while AE does not, sounding more streamlined and like it was intended for mainstream rock radio.  That has always bothered me about that record.  Not that I have a problem with an album being mainstream, but it simply sounded like Devin emasculated his own sound on that record (in the overall sound. not necessarily the heaviness); it's just not him.  I still like AE quite a bit, but I've never liked the sound of it.  The drums in particular are very different-sounding for him (not sure if it is the mixing or the way they are played), and that bothers me.

.........what.

AE does not have that classic Devin wall of sound.  That better?

Okay fine, they're not poppy in the traditional sense, but there's no denying that Addicted and AE are the easiest for newcomers to digest. They're the least dense albums (not including Ki or Ghost, but I wouldn't recommend those to newbies unless they were already into that sort of music) while still giving a taste of his all-encompassing awesomeness.

They might be the newest for newcomers to digest, but that still doesn't make them all that similar, relatively speaking.  But I agree that neither are as dense as many of his other albums. Terria, Deconstruction, etc. have so many layers to them, it takes numerous listens to really "get" it all.  Addicted is like the best of both words, still retaining the classic Devin wall of sound, but having plenty of catchiness to grab a newcomer's attention right away.

[Buddyhunter1]

I have no idea what your definition for "wall of sound" is, Accelerated Evolution has the most huge-sounding, layered wall of sound in pretty much everything he's ever done.

[KevShmev]

The 24-second mark of Supercrush is a great demonstration of it.  It sounds like there are 100 instruments smashing you in the fact at once.  That is Devin's wall of sound.

Like I said, AE is heavy as hell at times, but even the heaviest parts, it usually sounds like just two or three guitars playing something really heavy, as opposed to layers of guitars overdubbed to give it that wall of sound.  I am not saying AE has zero moments like that, but they are few and far between.  On albums like Addicted and Infinity, they are all over the place.

[MondayMorningLunatic]

I hated the production of AE for a long time. But it turned out I had a really shitty rip where the high mids were all boosted. Got a proper version and it's as thick and heavy as anything Dev has ever done.

I think Devin's ultimate sonic masterpiece is Terria. You can get lost in that album with all the different layers going on. And the drum sound is orgasmic. The recent records sound great but are maybe a bit too sterile.

[Elaitch]

I know jack shit about DT, except for some random SYL tracks (a couple from the first one and the first few from Alien).  They're very well-crafted and produced, but not really my forte. (TOO DENSE AND OVERWHELMING)

You people seem to know this guy inside and out; what are his most un-ballsy, tranquil, sparse albums?

Quite honestly, you might want to look elsewhere than to Devin Townsend. Because dense and overwhelming is pretty much his thing. Ki and Ghost are more or less the only exceptions.

[Adami]

I hated the production of AE for a long time. But it turned out I had a really shitty rip where the high mids were all boosted. Got a proper version and it's as thick and heavy as anything Dev has ever done.

I think Devin's ultimate sonic masterpiece is Terria. You can get lost in that album with all the different layers going on. And the drum sound is orgasmic. The recent records sound great but are maybe a bit too sterile.

The drums on Terria sound awful.

[lateralus88]

I knew Adami would chime in when I saw mention of Terria's drums, lol.

[Ultimetalhead]

I hated the production of AE for a long time. But it turned out I had a really shitty rip where the high mids were all boosted. Got a proper version and it's as thick and heavy as anything Dev has ever done.

I think Devin's ultimate sonic masterpiece is Terria. You can get lost in that album with all the different layers going on. And the drum sound is orgasmic. The recent records sound great but are maybe a bit too sterile.

The drums on Terria sound awful.

I've tried so hard to figure out the issue with Terria's drums, and I still can't. Can you elaborate again?

[MondayMorningLunatic]

Some people claim that the kick drum is too loud, or that there's some kind of "pumping" sound stemming from the drums. I don't hear any pumping, and I like a loud kick drum. You need that good solid foundation.

[Adami]

The kick drum is TOO loud. It needs to be loud, but it's all you hear. The snare is too quiet and sterile, as are the toms.



Seriously, all you'd have to do is lower the kick drum a bit and raise the rest of the drums a bit and you'd be set. But since Terria is considered the greatest album ever written by anybody ever....it's not allowed to have any flaws. Therefore EVERYTHING about it is perfect.


Kind of annoying. No reason why you can't love an album but still complain about certain things.

[MondayMorningLunatic]

If you don't like it, leave.

[Adami]

C ya.

[Buddyhunter1]

The drums on Terria aren't that great, even if they did sound better. I know they were going for a simplistic style, but Gene Holgan is NOT that kind of drummer.
Plus, they sound exactly like a drum machine on that album. Why Devin didn't just use one is anyone's guess.

[Adami]

The drums on Terria aren't that great, even if they did sound better. I know they were going for a simplistic style, but Gene Holgan is NOT that kind of drummer.
Plus, they sound exactly like a drum machine on that album. Why Devin didn't just use one is anyone's guess.

GET OUT! NO ONE DARE SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY TERRIA! IF YOU HAVE ANY OPINION THAT ISN'T POSITIVE YOU HAVE TO VACATE THIS THREAD!

[Ben_Jamin]

I know jack shit about DT, except for some random SYL tracks (a couple from the first one and the first few from Alien).  They're very well-crafted and produced, but not really my forte. (TOO DENSE AND OVERWHELMING)

You people seem to know this guy inside and out; what are his most un-ballsy, tranquil, sparse albums?

Quite honestly, you might want to look elsewhere than to Devin Townsend. Because dense and overwhelming is pretty much his thing. Ki and Ghost are more or less the only exceptions.

Ocean Machine isn't that dense. It's more laid back, then SYL. I think he'll enjoy OM, Ki, and Ghost.

[MondayMorningLunatic]

The drums on Terria aren't that great, even if they did sound better. I know they were going for a simplistic style, but Gene Holgan is NOT that kind of drummer.
Plus, they sound exactly like a drum machine on that album. Why Devin didn't just use one is anyone's guess.

GET OUT! NO ONE DARE SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY TERRIA! IF YOU HAVE ANY OPINION THAT ISN'T POSITIVE YOU HAVE TO VACATE THIS THREAD!

I was mocking people in the P/R thread who use that argument. They don't understand that you can fundamentally love your country while complaining about certain things.

[Adami]

The drums on Terria aren't that great, even if they did sound better. I know they were going for a simplistic style, but Gene Holgan is NOT that kind of drummer.
Plus, they sound exactly like a drum machine on that album. Why Devin didn't just use one is anyone's guess.

GET OUT! NO ONE DARE SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY TERRIA! IF YOU HAVE ANY OPINION THAT ISN'T POSITIVE YOU HAVE TO VACATE THIS THREAD!

I was mocking people in the P/R thread who use that argument. They don't understand that you can fundamentally love your country while complaining about certain things.

Oh. And I was mocking you. So by the transitive property, I was also mocking them.

[The King in Crimson]

The drums on Terria aren't that great, even if they did sound better. I know they were going for a simplistic style, but Gene Holgan is NOT that kind of drummer.
Plus, they sound exactly like a drum machine on that album. Why Devin didn't just use one is anyone's guess.

GET OUT! NO ONE DARE SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY TERRIA! IF YOU HAVE ANY OPINION THAT ISN'T POSITIVE YOU HAVE TO VACATE THIS THREAD!

I honestly don't care for the production on Terria at all.  The production is part/most of the reason it took so long for me to get into it.

Honestly, most of Devin's mixing tends to inhibit rather than help me enjoy his albums.

[MondayMorningLunatic]

His production is overbearing at first, but once you get into it (if you get into it) everything else will seem puny by comparison. It's like the black dick of production.

[Adami]

His production is overbearing at first, but once you get into it (if you get into it) everything else will seem puny by comparison. It's like the black dick of production.

And for AE, Synchestra, Addicted, Ki, Ghost, Deconstructed and even Ziltoid....I totally agree.

[crazyaga]

Like I said, AE is heavy as hell at times, but even the heaviest parts, it usually sounds like just two or three guitars playing something really heavy, as opposed to layers of guitars overdubbed to give it that wall of sound.  I am not saying AE has zero moments like that, but they are few and far between.  On albums like Addicted and Infinity, they are all over the place.

Accelerated Evolution has a jaw-dropping production. it has a HUGE wall of ambient sounds backing the guitars.

[lateralus88]

Sup

[Zantera]

What's in the VIP bundle? Meet and greet?

[ZKX-2099]

The drums on Terria are fine. The only problem on that album is the noise at the end of The Fluke.

Don't care for Humble either.

[MondayMorningLunatic]

There were some really cool songs that got left off of Terria, namely Notes From Africa and Universal. I agree that Humble is a waste, although the show-tuney part is kind of cool.

[Ultimetalhead]

Universal is a great song. I much prefer Notes From Africa as the closer to Synchestra though. I can't imagine how out of place it would have been on Terria. Granted, I'm sure it was rather different back then (the Love? reprise probably wasn't there either, and that part rules).

[MondayMorningLunatic]

Technically it isn't the closer to Synchestra because of Sunshine & Happiness. I think it would have fit in perfectly on Terria. Has that nice Earthy/tribal feel.

Oh, and duh. How did I forget about Sit In The Mountain? That's a great song.

[lateralus88]

What's in the VIP bundle? Meet and greet?

Devin Townsend Project VIP Bundle will include:
1x GA ticket to the show
Early access to show
A 20 min meet n greet with the whole band
A signed copy of the new "Epicloud" CD (before the September 18th release date!)
A black work shirt (embroidered with band logo & album title)
VIP Laminate (exclusive to the show)
Tour lanyard
Very exclusive etched 7” vinyl which is only available as part of the VIP bundle
Ziltoid Hand-puppet

Seeing how I already have a hand puppet, I'll just give that to one of my friends instead who isn't getting the VIP bundle.

Also, my best friend is drawing up some Devy fan art for me to get signed for her. This is what is done so far, check it: