THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND: ACCELERATED EVOLUTION

2003 was a good year for Devy fans. First, they got Strapping Young Lad's eponymous 3rd album, then Devin forms DTB and releases this killer disc. Accelerated Evolution is what you'd expect from Devin: soft, ethereal beauty mixed with crushing force and deep yet somewhat non-sequitor lyrics. Devin hired musicians he never worked with in an attempt to forge something truly separate from his SYl and early solo albums. Ironically, this album is his most formulaic.

The album opens with the bruising "Depth Charge." A killer riff and Devin's wall of sound production immedaitely grab your attention. Ryan Vanpoederooven has the unenviable task of filling in for Gene Hoglan, but his fills propel the song as much as Devin's riffs. "Storm" eases off the throttle and lets the softer aspect of Devin's incredible voice shine. The lyrics have all the rage of Depth Charge but they are delivered in a more haunting manner. "Random Analysis" has some great lyrics and sounds a bit like a combination of the fist two songs with it's alternate heaviness/dark ambience.

"Deadhead" shows off the emotion Devin can bring to his music when he tries. This is what Opeth might sound like if Devin was a guest muso. "Suicide" continues in the dark vein with some depressing lyrics that give way to a killer and all-too-rare guitar solo that demonstrates just how skilled Devin is at wringing emotion from his guitar. "Traveller" sounds too much like the first section of the album and it fails to grab me like the other songs. "Away" is a fantastic instrumental that further shows what a great guitarist the normally riff-happy Devin is. "Sunday Afternoon" and "Slow Me Down" close the album sounding too much like the first three songs. They are good tunes, but they lack the creative spark that draws myself and so many others to Devin.

Any fan of prog metal (or heavy metal in general) should check out anything with Devin's name on it, and AE is a very enjoyable listen. However, it doesn't keep you guessing like other Devin releases.

Grade: B