The Devin Townsend Project – Deconstruction
By: Daniel Cordova (Ovacord)
Host of “Far Beyond Metal” on KSSU.com
The Strapping Young Lad ringleader has returned with his newest batch of of sonic madness, “Deconstruction.” This comes just two years after his triumphant comeback to the metal world with the hook-driven (and frankly addicting) “Addicted” and his homage to new age and atmospheric music, “Ki.” Heavy Devy fanboys, or the casual SYL fan, will not be disappointed with the symphonic, chaotic, unrelentingly heavy new album.
Most Townsend albums are expected to vary slightly in style but “Deconstruction” takes the listener to the strangest places within the mind of a genius both lyrically and musically. This is part three of a series of concept albums that narrates a character’s quest to find the meaning of life. In this chapter the character comes face to face with the devil and finds his purpose in life is to be “The Mighty Masturbator,” or so the song would imply. The album’s opener, “Praise the Lowered,” begins with a calm electronic jam reminiscent tracks of the aforementioned “Ki” before erupting into a epic signature Townsend wall of sound. The song then bleeds into a “Ziltoid The Omniscient” esque “Stand” which features guest vocals from a fairly well known metal vocalist named Mikael Åkerfeldt from a little band called Opeth (yes, you read that right). In fact, every track excluding the album’s finale, “Poltergeist,” features a friend of Devin’s to help out.
Guests include vocals Paul Kuhr (Novembre’s Doom), Mikael Ålerfeldt (Opeth, Bloodbath), Ishahn (Solo, ex-Emperor), Tommy Rogers (Between the Buried and Me, Tommy Giles), Joe Duplantier (Gorjira), Paul Masividal (Cynic), Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan), Floor Jansen (ReVamp, ex-After Forever), Oderus Urungus (GWAR), some drums by Dirk Verbeuren (Soilwork), a guitar solo from Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah), and Townsend’s alter-ego Ziltoid, Not since Ayreon’s “The Human Equation” has such an all-star group of metal musicians come together in such a great way.
Other awesome cuts would be the short but sweet Ishahn duet “Juular,” the Strapping Young Lad Alien-era “Poltergeist” which closes the album and, my person favorite, the bi-polar “Sumeria.”
I give this wild ride of an album a 9 out of 10.
DTP will be on tour with Obscura and Septic Flesh as support for Children of Bodom. The tour hits Slim’s in San Francisco on June 25th. See you there.
Sidenote: See this man live whether it be DTP, Solo acoustic, or in the unlikely event of a SYL reunion. He will ALWAYS entertain!
Those interested in a taste should peep this video posted by Devin himself
“Deconstruction” hits stores on June 21st, 2011.
Hear a handful of tracks on KSSU.com over summer.
KSSU The Blog 