DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT: ADDICTED

If I remember correctly, this is Devin Townsend's 2nd album under his Project moniker, after "Ki". Now, "Ki" is an interesting album, the sound of DT at his heaviest but not reverb-iest. It's a different sound that made sense, a different sound I liked.

Although, I really don't know where he was going with this album exactly.

"Ki" has more of a grungier, down-tempo feel to it, whereas "Addicted" from the surface looked like a parody of pop-rock sellouts, but the title track proves otherwise, I think. It has a really strong Marilyn Manson-Rob Zombie kinda of groove to it, and Townsend's screams really give it this dirty, grungy sound to it, a sound that continues on into "Universe In A Ball". It's not a terrible sound, but maybe I don't like it at this point in time because it wasn't what I was expecting. Even the middle of the song dissuades expectations, almost going into a more industrial metal sound, a la Celldweller.

"Bend It Like Bender" then starts and now that catchy rock atmosphere is starting to form. But by now I'm also understanding that this particular album doesn't have a certain "identity" that Townsend's albums normally do. After all, singer Anneke has a huge part on this album, and her absence on the first two tracks puzzled me a bit, because the rest of the songs on the album really jell and flow together. "Supercrush" gives Anneke some room to flex her pipes, and I love her rendition of "Hyperdrive"

Now that the album is starting to make more sense, "Resolve" sounds like a parody of an 80's hair metal band, like a Motley Crue-ism. "In-Ah" is the album's signature ballad (beautifully done, by the way), and "The Way Home" sounds like it's best fit would've been on the Ziltoid album. "Numbered" starts off like DT's future "Deconstruction album (perhaps that's where the idea came from, just take the first 19 seconds of that song and make an hour long album based off that), and "Awake" follows suit with the duo of Townsend and Anneke singing in vast open reverbed soundscapes with hints of "Deconstruction's" brutal, darker side.

So apart from the first two songs, which really don't seem to fit the image of the album's theme (which I've been accustomed to from being a loyal fan and listener), the album's parody-like approach on pop-rock makes sense, lest the first two songs WERE supposed to parody guys like Manson and Zombie and whatnot. As a purely prog standout, though, this is not. Even though there are a few catchy tunes here, it's not DT's best work, despite Anneke singing beautifully, and getting tons of work as well. The disc, while brandishing a theme, still has a lack of cohesiveness, a lack of identity. It's still a good album to have if you're a fan, but if you're looking for DT's juiciest offerings, look elsewhere.