Ki

devy-through-the-ages:

Lineup:
Devin Townsend - Guitar, Vocals, Bass
Jean Savoie - Bass
Dave Young - Keyboards
Duris Maxwell - Drums

Guest Musicians:
Ché Aimee Dorvall - Guest Vocals on Trainfire
Ryan Dahle - Guest Vocals on Gato

During his extended break, Devin continued to write music. In this time he wrote about 60 songs and found that they fit into 4 distinct categories. In 2009 he returned to the music industry with the announcement of The Devin Townsend Project, a planned series of 4 albums with each album having a different set musicians and showcasing a different side of Devin’s music. The first album was released in 2009 and was entitled Ki.
Joining Devin in the studio is former Devin Townsend Band and Strapping Young Lad keyboardist Dave Young. Also on the album is Jean Savoie on bass, who was playing with a Beatles tribute band when he was discovered by Devin. On Drums is Duris Maxwell, whose resume includes playing with Heart on the album Dreamboat Annie as well as playing with Jimi Hendrix once. Che Aimee Dorvall sings on the song Trainfire. She and Devin would later work together on the 2014 album, Casualties of Cool. Ryan Dahle sings on the track Gato.

The sound on this album is totally different than anything Devin had ever put out. The album has a very laid-back atmosphere. There are few “metal” moments on this record. The album has a tendency to build up to what you think will be an explosion of anger from Devin, but calms down immediately instead of releasing that anger. Devin’s signature wall-of-sound production style is absent from this record. Devin primarily uses a clean tone with a lot of reverb on this record and started using Open B and Open Bb tuning on his guitars.

The majority of the songs were written before entering the studio, such as Coast, which was the very first song Devin wrote for the DTP series. Songs like Ain’t Never Gonna Win and Winter came out of improvised jams between Devin, Duris, Dave, and Jean. Terminal was written in the studio by Devin and Dave. The climax of the album, the title track Ki, ends with a series of arpeggios that is the absolute best moment in music history, and if you don’t agree you are wrong. The song Quiet Riot is based of Cum on Feel the Noize by the band Quiet Riot(Originally written by Slade). Ki also contains lyrics from the song Soft from the first Ass-Sordid Demos compilations.

“Days alone, never felt like this
The lights of home, a year away
And it’s too late to fight it all, just drive.
And the streets glow and the night
The night is soft”

The majority of this album has never been played live aside from the Ki night of By a Thread. Ki and Disruptr where played several times by the DTP throughout 2010 and 2011. Quiet Riot, Coast, Lady Helen, Ki and Terminal are regularly featured in Devin’s acoustic shows. Immediately after finishing this record, Devin started on recording the next album in the DTP series, Addicted.

Tracklisting

  1. A Monday
  2. Coast
  3. Disruptr
  4. Gato
  5. Terminal
  6. Heaven’s End
  7. Ain’t Never Gonna Win
  8. Winter
  9. Trainfire
  10. Lady Helen
  11. Ki
  12. Quiet Riot
  13. Demon League

Full Album: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1DC7586106D40FAE

(via )

fuckyeahdevintownsend: ““I think it (“Fight”) is really beautiful. That’s my favourite part of writing with him, having another perspective and someone to have your back when you’re feeling awful. We’ve got to know each other a lot better now. We’re...
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fuckyeahdevintownsend:

“I think it (“Fight”) is really beautiful. That’s my favourite part of writing with him, having another perspective and someone to have your back when you’re feeling awful. We’ve got to know each other a lot better now. We’re good friends. He’s quite amazing. That song “Fight” was obviously like a “Chin up, man! You can either just give up or try to face it and get up over it.” That’s the kind of guy he is, which is really nice to have in my life. He’s a really strong person. He plays it down a lot. He’ll second-guess himself a little bit like “I’m just being crazy!” but he never is. He’s always on point. He knows where he’s going and he knows where he’s been. I look up to him so much as a person.” - Che` Aimee Dorval on Devin

(via fuckyeahdevintownsend)

Source: louderthanwar.com

Ziltoid the Omniscient

devy-through-the-ages:

Lineup:
Devin Townsend - Everything

Guest Musicians:
Dave Young - Backup Vocals
Brian Waddell - Backup Vocals
Fredrik Thordendal - Assistance with drum programming

During his extended break from the music industry, Devin shaved off his beard and his trademark Skillet hairdo. He also quit drinking, smoking, recreational drugs, and pornography. During this break he alone wrote and recorded a new album in his own home studio. He played all the instruments on the record except for drums, which were recorded using The Drumkit from Hell expansion on the EZDrummer software. The expansion uses drum sounds recorded from Meshuggah drummer Tomas Haake’s drumkit. Dave Young and Brian Waddell of the now-defunct Devin Townsend Band contribute some backup vocals on the album. Fredrik Thordendal of Meshuggah assisted Devin in programming drums for the record.

The album is a concept album/space opera about an alien named Ziltoid the Omniscient, who comes to Earth in search of the ultimate cup of coffeh(Black). He is disappointed by the coffee the Earthlings present, and he destroys the planet. A group of survivors, led by Captain Spectacular escape the Earth and are chased by Ziltoid throughout the galaxy. Eventually, Ziltoid has an existential crisis and goes to the Omnidimensional Creator to find out the true nature of his reality. He is revealed to be a puppet. As he faces this realization, we the listeners find out that this whole story has been a mere daydream of a coffee shop barista.

The character Ziltoid has become a mascot for Devin’s music. Similar to Iron Maiden’s Eddie, or Megadeth’s Vic Rattlehead. The character Ziltoid itself is a representation and a parody of Devin during his time with Strapping Young Lad. The puppet Devin uses for Ziltoid has the actual shaven remains of Devin’s Skullet.

The album’s sound is a blend of Devin’s two former bands. It features the aggression and technicality of SYL while still maintaining the prog metal stylings and softer passages similar to the DTB. Since Devin was on break when this album was released, there was no tour in support of it. When Devin began playing live again with the newly formed Devin Townsend Project, several songs from the album were featured in regular rotation in the setlists, including Color Your World, Hyperdrive, The Greys, and By Your Command. The entire album was performed live at the Tuska Open Air Festival in 2010. The song Hyperdrive(Which is another big fan favorite) was re-recorded for the 2009 DTP album Addicted, featuring Anneke van Giersbergen on lead vocals. 

The special edition of the album contains a bonus disc with 3 extra tracks. Don’t Know Why is a rant by Ziltoid himself. Traveling Salesman is a Johnny Cash-esque song that is very out of place on the album. Another Road is basically Devin warming up to a metronome, with some parts sounding similar to Canada off of Terria. The bonus disc is also a DVD with an instructional guitar vid from Devin, as well as several skits featuring Ziltoid.

Tracklisting:

  1. ZTO
  2. By Your Command
  3. Ziltoidia Attaxx!!!
  4. Solar Winds
  5. Hyperdrive
  6. N9
  7. Planet Smasher
  8. Omnidimensional Creator
  9. Color Your World
  10. The Greys
  11. Tall Latte
  12. Don’t Know Why(Bonus Track)
  13. Travelling Salesman(Bonus Track)
  14. Another Road(Bonus Track)

Full album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUcmBI1D4lg

It is also good to note that the booklet offers additional information about what is happening and portrays a different point of view on certain events. Always has me grinning stupidly, A+ recommended read.

(via )