OCEAN MACHINE - BIOMECH

Devin Townsend. A true "misfit" in the realm of progressive metal (and I doubt it was ever his aim to be lumped into the genre, either). Many seem to dislike his inclusion for the lack of technically appeasing guitar solos or any intricate instrumental work, in my opinion he very much creates something similar to Pink Floyd in that the depth of the music is created by layers of sound rather than technically flashy instrument work. Then there are those who realize that you don't NEED instrumental wankery to be progressive. This is Devin Townsend. Emotionally progresive metal, layered with spacey atmospheric guitars, a solid rhythm section, and symphonic synths. Oh, and he happens to have one of the most distinct and powerful voices in music, period.

Onto the album then. Ocean Machine (Biomech) is Devin's debut work as a solo artist, and many of his fans still claim it to be his masterpiece. Personally, i've found his later album "Terria" to be just a tiny bit better, but OM is probably his most complete and distinct album. It does alot, works on many levels, the most obvious being the conscious level of enjoyment. From the powerful opener Seventh Wave, to the catchy middle of the album that includes brilliant tracks like Life, Night, Hide Nowhere and Voices In The Fan, to a last half with three longer pieces (that represent the best songs of the album in my opinion), Funeral, Bastard and The Death Of Music, and finally a brilliant closer Thing Beyond Things. I wasn't disappointed with one track. The album sort of slows down between Sister and Greetings, but it's a very minor bump in the road. The Death Of Music will amaze almost anyone patient enough to look past the repetitive electric drum beat throughout, and the length (over 12 minutes). Devin gives one of the more powerful vocal performances i've ever heard.

If you haven't heard this album for whatever reason, and consider yourself of progressive music that goes heavy on emotion and doesn't neccesarily HAVE to amaze you technically, then I suggest you check it out ASAP. Nevermind Dev's other works until you've heard this, it's the perfect introduction to a very talented and intelligent artist.