Devin Townsend is the Canadian madman or manic metal. I am still a newcomer to his world, having previously experienced a pair of Strapping Young Lad albums and a Devin Townsend Band outing. This one is different, more a singular voice than any type of band effort, and is truly a solo album in every sense of the word. Townsend wrote all the songs, performed all of the instruments, produced the album, and was the recordist for the while thing. In short, what you here is pure unadulterated Devin Townsend, and the end result is something that is spectacularly experimental with a heavy dose of absurdity. Both are equal parts of the mixture, and it is quite insane to listen to.Ziltoid the Omniscient is a concept album that centers on an alien named, what else, Ziltoid. He is a time traveling being that has come to Earth in search of the universe's greatest cup of coffee. Disappointed by the brew that meets his lips, he turns and attacks the planet in retaliation. Following the attack, Ziltoid sets out to become a great guitar hero, only to be faced by Captain Spectacular who seeks to expose Ziltoid's true nature, that of a nerd.
Yes, it only goes on from there, a truly absurdist narrative that could only be born from the mind of a crazed metal madman, driven insane by the cold of the north country. It is an album that can only be completely enjoyed as a whole, and while it may not always make much sense, it is a wild ride that you will not regret. It is not often you get such a true solo album as this, and while it does sort of have that aroma of a vaniy project that was undertaken only to please himself and tell the story of a coffee drinking, guitar playing alien, that does not take away the enjoyment that can be gleaned from the contents. Honestly, I may stick that "vanity project" label on it, but does it not make sense to have the artist making the music that entertains them, or pushes them to another level, or is the expression of their own pure unadulterated creativity rather than a label influenced mass of mush that may be good at first glance, but ultimately contains no substance or personal character? I thought so.This album is fascinating, the music is all first class, the singingis incredible, and the words, concept, and story execution is just plain weird. It is kind of like Tim Burton got his hands on some instruments and tried his hand at creating metal music, this is probably what it would sound like. The story is just really weird, not what you would expect to find in a metal concept album, and that is not a bad thing. It is always fun, and refreshing, to be confronted by an artist that is not afraid to appear a little silly, to let their twisted humor and odd sensibilities seep out of the chosen writing instrument and onto the blank page. Better still is that the music used to tell the story is so blazingly unique than a lot of what passes for metal out there.
The music of Ziltoid the Omniscient is varied, ranging from heavy thrash to atmospheric and open to everything in between. There are some gorgeous ethereal guitar melodies, crushing drums, and synth that floats between the two never allowing for a dull moment, there is always something to listen to. Then there is Townsend's voice, ranging from an aggressive growl to beautiful, melodic, and clean. The guy is a real talent and one that any metal fan should be listening to.
Bottomline. This is a great album. That combination of great music and absurd story had me hooked. I had no idea what to expect when I first got the album, rather I had an idea with Townsend, but Ziltoid threw me for a loop. This album is Townsend stretching free from the confines of a band and stepping into another realm, becoming the fourth dimensional being. If you are looking for something a little different and highly entertaining, this is an album you will want to spend some time with.
Highly Recommended.
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