Artist: DEVIN TOWNSEND
Album: ZILTOID THE OMNISCIENT (CD)

Year: 2007/ 2012
EAN/UPS: 5052205028285
Media type: CD

Straddling that fine line between the absurd and pure genius, Devin Townsend is nothing if not intriguing, whether it be with the brutal metal of Strapping Young Lad or the experimentation of his solo band, Townsend has definitely made his mark on the metal scene over the years. With Ziltoid The Omniscient, the Canadian musician has struck out on his own for the first time to present an alien journey into the human psyche. As always, Townsend remains true to his principles and delivers his latest opus without bowing to mainstream expectations!

There are more stories about Devin Townsend than one could tell in a whole month. Most of them varying in extremes and dealing with genius, technical skill and extrovert behaviour or occasionally in sharp contrast dealing with misunderstanding, contradiction and mistakes. Townsend came to notice in the early nineties where he amazed audiences alongside guitar virtuoso Steve Vai on his “Sex And Religion” album and tour. He was briefly touted as Rob Halford’s successor in Judas Priest. He’s jammed with former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted in his IR 8 project. He has also toured as a live guitarist with English band The Wildhearts. Townsend has also had a complete and original rock opera up his sleeve for a number of years, which we can only imagine what this must sound like. “Devin Townsend presents: Ziltoid The Omniscient” gives listener’s a vague idea of just that!
To put the artistic direction of “Ziltoid” into words is probably one of the biggest challenges for the music press in the weeks to come. For the listener, a sound cosmos opens up in which genre boundaries are deliberately crossed and various styles are lumped together. While the drums mercilessly mount on attack, the keyboards suggest a feeling of vastness and weightlessness. Crunching metal guitars and pounding rhythms lay the foundation while Townsend varies his vocals between sweetness and unfathomable coarseness over the top of this. Described by Townsend as “Infinity Metal”, he goes on to propose the following thesis, “’Ziltoid’ sounds as if an alien was playing in a metal band. There are songs on the album which could have been written by Strapping Young Lad as well as those that sound like the Devin Townsend Band, mixed with a narrative style similar to Andrew Lloyd Webber. The music illustrates a cheerful and complex story which is (if not profound) at least more seriously developed than one would initially suppose”.

To put this complex story into words seems impossible. In fact, “Ziltoid” is a puppet upon which almost any wish can be projected, every wish we carry inside us. Megalomaniac fantasies, the hope for beauty, strength and influence – all of which often stands in sharp contrast to reality. “Whether ‘Ziltoid The Omniscient’ or ‘Captain Spectacular’, the character is purely random”, says Townsend. “It’s just a vehicle for the idea to transfer imaginative self-assessments onto others.” It can apply equally to the factory worker as well as for the waiter in a coffee bar or the president of a country. And the moral of the story? “Regardless of who you are or what you do, you are existing, so just go to work!” Townsend plans various video clips in support of the album’s theme featuring a “Ziltoid” puppet as the pivotal point. Stay tuned for that.

“Ziltoid” is also solo album in the true sense. Neither Townsend’s Strapping Young Lad band mates or those from his solo band are involved this time around. “I finally had to make a real solo album”, explains the songwriter. “And I really mean solo, in the true sense of the word. Nobody was around. For four months I worked completely on my own. I recorded each instrumental track and I also programmed all the drums. Fredrik from Meshuggah sent me the computer software ‘Drumkit From Hell’ and I decided to do some crazy stuff with that. I was sound engineer and producer and I mixed every note in my cellar with a minimum of gear. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it all on my own.”

“Devin Townsend presents: Ziltoid The Omniscient” will be released as regular edition in a standard jewel case as well as special edition digi-pak, with extended booklet, two bonus tracks and multi-media section.

TRACKLIST CD1 :

01. ZTO
02. By Your Command
03. Ziltoidia Attaxx!
04. Solar Winds
05. Hyperdrive
06. N9
07. Planet Smasher
08. Omnidimensional Creator
09. Color Your World
10. The Greys
11. Tall Latte


LINE-UP:

Devin Townsend (Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals)