THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND: SYNCHESTRA

A little early to review this? No, I've been listening to it for the past month since it leaked. So sue me. I bought it already, I have the t-shirt, I've paid my dues to one of the best albums I've ever heard.

Indeed, it is definitely one of the best records I've ever heard and another brilliant Townsend record. Count another five star rating for Devin Townsend from me. This man just cannot be stopped in his brilliance. His sound has evolved from the more straightforward atmospheric metal found on Ocean Machine, to the sounds of divinity themselves on Infinity, to straight forward atmospheric SYL-lite, to the song of the earth, to straight forward heavy rock from heaven and now...finally, the culmination of all the sounds, all the sights and smells of Devy's crazy career, here on this record. It's all here, catchy hooks, brutal walls of sounds with screaming vocals, catchy poppy songs, pure prog metal, pure prog rock, beautiful melodies and segments, all of it, and it's all awesome.

Let It Roll opens with a wonderful acoustic guitar and nice vocals from Devy. A very nice relaxing intro. When the drums come in it's real inspirational, and the album's strongest point hits you for the first time: this is an album to cheer you up and set you right in life. This is in album you put on after something awful has happened, and by the end you are emotionally drained of anything except a fuzzy warm feeling. Hypergeek is exactly as the title suggests: insane and off-the-wall with some strange as hell sound samples. Not ambience, but just weird. There's an ok melody going on... until the double bass hits and there's a crushing guitar riff and now the album has begun. There's another inspirational section with an uplifting melody, then the song ends, fast and furious.

It leads into the first big standout of this album, Triumph. Not to say the first two songs weren't amazing; they were. But Triumph is where it all really kicks off and grabs you and doesn't let go. The vocal lines are infectious as hell, I was saying, "And they said it was this, and they said it was that" and "hooray for Doctor Young... hooray for earth born and son" or whatever the lyrics are for weeks. The "One word ...collective! Mankind...collective!" section is awesome. There's a shirt folk country interlude, a sublime guitar solo from Steve Vai, an amazing build up with some terrific Devy vocals, this song has it all. Awesome. Triumph leads into Babysong, which is a strange one. It's like a heavy metal lullaby. Bludgeoning yet precious. Lyrics are strange, but the whole song pulls itself off pretty well. Not the strongest offering on the album but no slouch. A formidable song.

Then comes Vampolka. This one is a really strange one, a joke by the band revolving around organ and trombone and sounds and a "surfs up" style guitar, I forgot what the song was that popularized it. It takes the melody of Vampira and twists it. Meh, ok, I'll listen to it. Vampira comes...the single of the album. Some good vocal work by Devy...pretty great, actually. The rest is simply ok. Overall, Babysong, Vampolka and Vampira are probably the three low points of the album, but the fact that they are contiguous is good so they don't destroy the flow of better songs. And...they really aren't all that bad, especially Babysong. Just not as good as the rest of the album. However, 99% of music out there isn't as good as this album, so that's not saying much.

Anyway, next is Mental Tan. It introduces a lovely melody and is quite pretty, but nothing happens. I really like it though. It goes into Gaia, which comes in full steam ahead, all band members pounding away. A lovely melody, lovely keyboard work to give a earthy-windy feel to the song, I really can't describe it. This is another big song on the album. Amazing stuff. It goes into Pixellate, which is the longest and biggest (Devy's wall of sound) song on the album. The different emotions and feels it goes through is amazing, and is overall a breathtaking song. That's three perfects in a row now...and Judgement doesn't disappoint either. It's probably the most powerful song on the album and has some truly colossal yells from Mr. Townsend. It brings that that lovely melody from Mental Tan at the perfect time, after a brutally badass yet really cool and pretty section with Townsend screaming.

Next is A Simple Lullaby, which is anything but simple or a lullaby. It's pretty simple in concept, and revolves around the same melody, but I find this song passes the quickest on the album. It's just a really interesting listen if you get engrossed in it. Fun to listen to. That's now five aces in a row. Can it continue? Yes! Sunset, while simple like Mental Tan, is no less pretty. In fact it's got some of the prettiest, most inspiring and genuinely happy moments on the album. Six in a row. Notes from Africa? Well...great melody? Check. Lovely layering? Check. Reference to SYL's 'Love?'? Check. Great vocals and lyrics? Check. Make that seven aces in a row. THAT'S HALF THE ALBUM. Unfortunately that spree is broken by the last song Sunshine and Happiness, which, as it suggests, is stupidly happy. It's a fun listen once or twice, but it offers no real depth. I usually stop the album after the rainforest at the end of Notes from Africa, cause S&H offers nothing to the album and even mars the experience.

What can I say? It feels weird giving a THIRD five star rating to one artist. King Crimson only has one (possibly two in the future), Yes has one, Porcupine Tree has two, Pain of Salvation one, Dredg one, Opeth NONE...I don't like to give out five star ratings. But to give this less is a travesty. This is a complete masterpiece of progressive music.

I'm almost afraid to review this and get it more attention, lest some conceited old- school proghead comes in and reviews it poorly because they don't enjoy the heavier sounds, the wall of sound, Devy's none-too-friendly vocals or something stupid like guitar tone. But I will, and be satisfied with the fact that those too close-minded to enjoy Townsend's work are missing an amazing bit of music, stuff to change your life ...temporarily at least.

FIVE OUT OF FIVE. PERFECT.

Yes, Devin Townsend has made another masterpiece after "Terria". I always thought that the incredible levels of quality of "Terria" were imposible to reach again. Maybe this album doesn't reach these levels, but it's very very close... And sometimes even surpases it.

But the main thing is that "Synchestra" is different of all the other Devin Townsend's works. While "Terria" is very much soft, melancholic and with a lot of ambient sounds and passages, "Synchestra" is very much direct, revitalizing and happy album. It's like taking the best of "Terria" and "Accelerated Evolution" and mixing it in a perfect way, with some pieces of all his other albums, included Strapping Young Lad's ones. And the result is an album that sounds completely fresh and original...

Here you have killer metal acts like Hypergeek (just amazing), Gaia (outstanding sound in rythm guitars) and Vampira (the best song of the album? The Devin's voice here simply rules!). But here are also very beautiful tracks in a melodic and ambient way like Mental Tan, Sunsent, A Simple Lullaby (this track is an evident tribute to "Terria") and Let it Roll (very catchy song perfect to open this album). And of course, the experimentation and new ideas of this masterhead of metal in songs like Triumph (incredible Steve Vai's solo at the end), The Baby Song (very interesting song with a killer ending), Vampolka (just amusing), Pixillate (this arabian feeling is great), Judgement (very complete track) or Notes From Africa (very original track with great choirs, with a wink to the SYL's song Love).

I wish also to say that the production in this album is outstanding. Every instrument sounds perfect. The bass and drums are powerful and sometimes even give us a little of virtuosity... The keyboards are implemented in a very good way to give different moods to the songs. The guitars have an amazing sound, while maybe I miss more solos... And what can I say about the Devin's voice? Yes, he is the best singer today in rock and metal. His work in this album is simply outstanding. The best Devin's singing I've heard to date.

Conclusion: if you like the music, buy this album. And in the case that you've never heard any Devin Townsend's album, I think "Synchestra" is a perfect point of entry in the career of this amazing musician... Because like the own Townsend said in an interview, I think that "Synchestra" is the end of an era in his music, and after this album the things maybe will be different... But if "Synchestra" is really the end of an era, is the most brilliant and powerful ending I can imagine.

I just can say that this is the most hilarious prog metal album released in that year (or maybe ever).Just because this "piece of art" Mr. Townsend is presenting us here is a type of Flower Kings-Spock's Beard-whatever-piece-of-prog-medley-made-up-to-sound-like-metal mix. I said already in a review for another album by him that he's favorite of piling up soundwalls and that's exactly what he's doing here. It's absolutely ridiculous because actually anything seems to fit together on here. Don't get me wrong, the album is absolutely rocking and has power (and therefore it's not astounding that it's that much popular as it seems to be), but seriously not any serious prog fan can be interested in such type of music. This record contains some rather nice hard rock music to run in the back without disturbing, but anything that has to do with progressive rock (as I understand the term), that's why I can't rate it here in this context (since we're dealing on this site with Prog) higher than with one star!

"Synchestra" is an album which takes time for one to discover, and I'm still exploring all the fine and subtle details of the album. Devin Townsend has succeeded with this album as he makes you think of the music, the layers, the lyrics everything about the album is a gradual experience. I must admit that a very short time ago I really did not like this album, but one day when I ventured another listen I discovered its charm.

The album seems to get heavier as it progresses. The opener "Let it Roll" is a nice acoustic song with a strong melody and vocals from Devin Townsend. The next song "Hypergeek" which begins with an up tempo acoustic section with birds chirping in the background and frogs croaking. It then without warning turns into a very heavy song with the original melody still present. This one song best characterises the album as it modulates in sound somewhat. However the second half of the album is very heavy and can get very tedious at times depending on one's mood. None the less the album is a great listen and can be very rewarding.

1. Let It Roll (4/5) 2. Hypergeek (4/5) 3. Triumph (4/5) 4. The Baby Song (3.5/5) 5. Vampolka (3.5/5) 6. Vampira (3.5/5) 7. Mental Tan (3/5) 8. Gaia (4/5) 9. Pixillate (3/5) 10. Judgement (3/5) 11. A Simple Lullaby (3/5) 12. Sunset (3/5) 13. Notes From Africa (3/5) 14. Sunshine And Happiness [Secret Track] (4/5) Total = 48.5 divided by 14 (number of songs) = 3.464 = 3 stars Good, but non-essential

Overall a great album, and although I'm giving it three stars I really believe it is a sensational album. The limited edition of the album comes with a DVD with lots of special features and some live songs with lots of head banging. The packaging is also different, and impression. There is also a special surprise at the end of the album which any Devin Townsend fan would enjoy. For this reason I highly recommend the limited edition to fans of him. For everyone else, it may not be pretty to start with but I assure you it grows.

A very strong, musically thematic, and thoroughly enjoyable release, filled with DT's signature variety of spacey-metal, this time with a fair amount of acoustic beauty thrown in for fun. "Let It Roll" is a delightful surprise opening, while "Vampolka/pira" will positively tickle then destroy the listener. Successive songs are almost all good, with an emphasis on moods and textures-- there are very few standout melodies on this one. While "Synchestra" is undeniably an amazing release, it does contain the worst DT song ever recorded (in my humble opinion): "Baby Song", a hideously noisy and uninteresting blunder. Can't wrote solid gold every time, right? Additionally, taken as a whole "Synchestra" sounds somewhat repetitive, and won't leave many memories until after the 4th or 5th run through; however, like every DT release the listener will find much to appreciate and enjoy, and I recommend this to any and all interested in DT music after they've listened to "Ziltoid" or "Terria"-- his much stronger releases.

Songwriting 3 Instrumental Performances 3 Lyrics/Vocals 4 Style/Emotion/Replay 3

Let it Roll: What a great way to start an album. Beautiful vocal arrangements combined with lush acoustic instruments. Near the end some ambient noise layers fade in, reminding us that this is indeed - a Devin Townsend album.

Hypergeek: This song begins with - a sample of a frog. Some birds join in, and the polyphonic acoustic guitars and piano melodies really fit. Halfway through the track the mood suddenly changes, exploding into a typical driving Townsend song.

Triumph: This track is pretty much a typical Townsend song, executed flawlessly. But it also contains a solo by Steve Vai - and it really blends in amazingly. When I heard about Vai performing on a Townsend album I was a little worried if that would work - but it does. After 3 minutes or so the mood of the song changes, adding banjos and piano melodies that soften up the mood of the song, and at 3:45 weirdness takes over, culminating in Vai's beautiful solo. It's not quirky or anything - just beautiful.

Babysong: Devin's use of 3/4 rhythms (waltzes) always puts a smile on my face. You could even dance to this, if he didn't vary the mood so much. Here Devin really goes crazy with layering, there must be more than a dozen of independent instruments collaborating here. In some parts they are synchronized though, and here the song reminds of the Ocean Machine album. Near the end the waltz is beefed up with some serious blastbeats, followed by a really crazy vocal dominated part with oriental harmonic structure. Weird as a really WEIRD thing!

Vampolka: This is indeed a polka ... in the context of the album this is as weirds as his quirky song Ants from the Infinity album.

Vampira: This is a pretty normal track in Devin's terms. It's great though - A driving metal song with some cool growling vocals by Devin. But don't worry, they totally fit the song's mood. Throughout the song there's a hammond organ beefing up the mix, and some strange background vocals which really manage to create a transsilvanian setting.

Mental Tan: This is just a segue - really cool and mellow.

Gaia: One of the (many) highlights of the album. Here the album title really applies - all the good aspects of the various Devin Townsend albums are combined in this track.

Pixillate: Just as good as Gaia, but much more unusual and experimental. You'll have to listen for yourself ...

Judgement: A very nice song - together with Gaia and Pixillate it forms the core of the album. It's a very solid core ...

A Simple Lullaby: This reminds me of Terria - it starts a bit derivative, but on the whole it still is a very good track. After 2 1/2 minutes there's considerable variation, and after 4 minutes it's like a completely different song.

Sunset: This starts as a plain rock song, but only for 45 seconds. Beautiful piano arpeggios and vocal melodies which are joined by more and more independent instruments.

Notes from Africa: A very happy track, with driving guitar riffs and funky bass lines. Devin's insane vocals stand out here.

Untitled (Hidden Track): A nice hidden track - but nothing special.

The band-oriented feel of Accelerated Evolution hits its peak here as it combines with the full force of Devin's abstract creativity.

Short of Terria, Synchestra is Devin's masterpiece. It's progressive and off-the-wall at times, mellow and straightforward at others. It's got atmospheric ambiance. It's got crushing metal. It's got heart-wrenching singing and throat-biting screaming. It's got wicked drumming, it's got wicked guitar work (yes, some from Steve Vai), and the production and mastering is absolutely splendid. What we have here is, in a way, Terria mark 2, without plagiarizing the first at all. What's best about this album, though, is that Devin does not shut himself in a box in any way. He clears his slate of all usual compositional tendencies and makes a totally new album.

The difference is instant. Instead of an explosion of wildness or weirdness, we have the gentle acoustic Let It Roll. That segues into Hypergeek, which still does not kick into gear. At least, not at first. It builds layer by layer for the first half, and then rips into crazy metal mode for the second, without featuring any real vocals except as background instruments. Some crazy picking and a few blast beats later, the first song proper enters the stage, Triumph. This track builds slowly over crescendoing drums, turning a metal piece into something much different with a highly harmonized chorus--almost creepily harmonized, as they're singing about mankind being a collective. Some banjos and bluegrass enter in the middle, and a rather pretty guitar piece from Steve Vai ends it.

The cynical Baby Song plays next, revisiting some themes from Infinity and Strapping Young Lad's Love?. Carrying the mood, Vampolka plays like a creepy mobile for a baby, preparing the listener for the first real stand alone track on the album, Vampira. This plays like a single from Hell, with way over the top verse vocals and wonderfully long chorus screams. Of note is the official video for the song, performed by a dancing Devin Townsend in a tacky Satan suit. Never seen anyone knee-kick and scream their head off at the same time. Certainly something to experience. Mental Tan slows down the pacing, calming the listener after the adrenaline-pumping Vampira.

Gaia is the album's other single sort of track, featuring much more mellow vocals and a nice chugging riff in the background. While I like this track, it's not particularly remarkable. The next one is, though. Pixillate features some of the album's heaviest moments, also introducing a riff that will play out through the next couple songs as they flow into each other. Judgment is also very heavy, with some nice screaming and some crazy vibrato. The end references Mental Tan, as well, right before it becomes A Simple Lullaby. At first, this track was my least favorite. But then I listened to it loud on a good sound system, and I realized that Devin was right when he said it was about 500,000 screaming and cheering. With a good system, this is probably Devin's most impressive song ever, making for a terrific climax.

Sliding off that climax is the quick instrumental Sunset, a cheerful and mellow song. Then we hit Notes from Africa, a complicated and many-layered tribal sort of piece. The vocal melodies are all odd but fit together really nicely. The drumming is absolutely out of this world, though. My hands have never once held still through listening to that whole song. The music fades out, part by part, until all that's left are jungle noises. After a few minutes of quiet, the bonus track, Sunshine and Happiness, enters. This is probably the most cheerful and happy song not only that Devin has written but that is present in the realm of metal ever. Almost impossible not to grin while listening.

In all, a powerful, moving, fully developed album with some sort of deep concept. I would highly recommend this to any fan of metal, progressive metal, or good music in general, though the small amounts of screaming can be turnoffs for many.

'Synchestra' - Devin Townsend (9/10)

There has not been another album in the progressive metal world that I think comes closer to the realm of world music than Devin Townsend's Synchestra. There is a great feeling of unity on this record, as if all the denizens of the world have come together to hold hands and bask under the warmth of the sun. It sounds strange, but only a simile or abstract metaphor could even begin to describe the warm power that Devin Townsend's music has. Maybe it's the pure originality, maybe it's even the unique way in which the music is produced. The fact remains however, that 'Synchestra' is one of his best works, second only to 'Terria' in terms of brilliance.

This is really what Devin Townsend's music should sound like. The production is perfect, and theres a fair balance of childishness and seriousness in order to make a piece of art that is enjoyable and fun yet credible and intelligent at the same time. This is not the sort of prog music you would ever see Dream Theater making. There are different layers that make this music progressive. While Devin Townsend may very well be one of the most talented rock guitarists out there on the music scene today, unlike your typical Petrucci or Yngwie, he doesn't flaunt his powers. Instead, the majority of his work is pretty laid back in terms of technicality, except for the occasional solo, where he'll go all out and truly make a statement about his virtuosic talent as a musician, and put his contemporaries to shame!

The two cornerstones of this album are 'Triumph' and 'Notes From Africa.' The later is where the 'world music' aspect of 'Synchestra' really comes together. The heavy overdubbing typical of Townsend's work really comes into play here, and gives a feeling of global cohesion. It's a feeling I have yet to find on any other record.

The only possible shortcoming this album has is it's bonus track 'Sunshine And Happiness' but it's become increasingly clear that the bonus track is meant as nothing more than a light hearted joke. Therefore, taken as it is, there is nothing wrong with this album at all. This is album that has the uncanny ability to lift your mood no matter what. It has a really warm, positive feeling to it.

Fantastic. A true testament to the body of talent that is Devin Townsend.

Synchestra is the second release from The Devin Townsend Band, as well as Devy's seventh release as a solo artist assuming you count both his ambient albums, Devlab and Hummer, as studio releases, which I do. Synchestra is by far the most upbeat and light-hearted release to date by Devin, although given that Strapping Young Lad's Alien came out earlier that year makes total sense that this release seems pretty jovial. Actually, to be quite honest, when I first heard about Ki, I thought it would sound something like this album.

Out of all the DT albums I have, this one probably took the longest to grow on me. While The Devin Townsend Band is supposed to be cheerful in and of itself, this still stands out pretty well. Given that Devin sounds pissed off (or at least slightly irate or unnerved) on most of his work, this work is almost as if Devin swallowed a few ecstasy pills before writing down and recording the music on Synchestra. There are a few headbanging moments to be found here and there, yes, but there's plenty of lush keyboards and some almost folksy feel to many of the songs. There is even a tribal element, which is most noticeable on Notes from Africa (one of my favorite DT tracks). The one sound that I sometimes wish Devin would use more in his slow and mid-tempo songs are also found on the album in healthy quantities: acoustic instrumentation. And yet at the same time, this album also features a combination of many of the elements on all previous DT albums. That is understandable, given that he disbanded Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band the following year and began a long, musical exile that led to a period of recovery and self-redemption which is starting to be revealed to the general public. In other words, after this album, Devy changed his outlook and work as a musician. Time will tell if that is for better or for worse, but I can definitely say for sure that the first era of his solo output is of excellent quality. And Synchestra is the culmination of all that hard work.

For newcomers, this is honestly the best place to start. It gives you a little taste of everything Devy has done up to this point without overburdening you with humongous walls of sound and heaviness on every song (although it pop up from time to time). I have no problem giving this excellent release 4 stars. Parts of the second half tend to make my mind wander, but it doesn't hurt the high quality of Synchestra all that much for me.

Branching out into new territory a great sign for things to come

Synchestra is Devin Townsend's 7th studio album and it is no surprise that once again Heavy Devy is branching out into some unreserved new territory as he does on all his albums. This is no Ziltoid, which is a couple of albums away, and it certainly aint no Terria. In fact it is a rock opera with a vampiric theme underpinning it. My overall reaction was that Synchestra has the catchy tunes of Terria though nowhere near as technical, and has hints of the dark humour of Ziltoid in places. There are some outstanding songs on this that really stay in the cranium well after the CD has ended, Vampira, and there are throwaway tracks, Babysong, that are as forgettable as some of the material on Accelerated Evolution. However, the really great moments are mind-blowingly brilliant which tends to make up for some of the solemn melancholy moments that are like smoke in the air and disappear.

The whole album seems to flow lucidly from track to track and indeed the album as a whole is masterfully produced and realised, at least on a conceptual level. Musically, it is as flawless as Devvy gets and that has become an unexpected factor on his albums. The Hammond sounds great and the lead guitar breaks are killer, and there are some incredible wall of sound moments where the crescendo rises and Devvy really goes into full flight on vocals, belting out massive growls and literally shouting his voice raw. These moments are juxtaposed by subtle gentle vocals and a minimalist acoustic arrangement such as the opening track. Devin tries to get spiritual with nature on Gaia, but this is a mismatch for me, not cohesively linking to the overall concept.

The highlight for me begins at the polka, which is as quirky as anything I have heard, almost sounding like the polkas on Weird Al Yankovic's albums. The satirical nature of Vampolka is enhanced by the speed of the melody that simply rips past in minutes, and this prepares us for the real deal, which is the showstopper of the album, the brilliant Vampira. I had heard this on a live clip of a Vampire Rock show starring some great rock stars, and of course it is a melodic standout and perhaps one of Devin's best compositions. The guitars on this are crunching and the heavy power riffing is accompanied by caustic gravel vocals that are dark and menacing throughout, reminding me of the style Devin does with Ziltoid, ala Planet Smasher. The moments where Devin sings in his clear vocal to heavy metal riffs are also wonderful, and this is where he tends to shine. The standout track Notes From Africa is well structured and memorable to close the album before a weird ghost track. I have to mention Triumph too with a lead break from the mindbending Steve Vai as a track you should hear for certain. Devin has a great band to back him up as usual, the other lead guitarist is so good I had to research him to see what else he had done. Well I was delighted to discover Brian Waddell was also on the Devlab album, as part of the Devin Townsend band of course, and he appears on Accelerated Evolution and the latest Addicted album, playing bass and doing gang vocals if you don't mind.

Devin decided to go solo with Hummer after Synchestra. A pity really as the band sounds so good here. The best thing about this split is that Devin was really able to branch out into some incredible experimental territory and he produced Ziltoid The Omniscient, the masterpiece of dark metal humour. Synchestra is sandwiched between two of Devin's worst albums so it really looks like a standout in his repertoire, although having heard most of his albums it is fair to say that it isn't up to the masterpeice standard of some of his other works. In any case Synchestra is a great album and worth listening to whether you are into metal or not. It is entertaining and one of Devin's great achievements as the unsurpassed 'Mad Scientist of Metal'.

Another Great Outing for Devy

Synchestra and Accelerated Evolution, in retrospect, have the poor fortune of being placed between Devin Townsend's career defining works, Terria and Ziltoid. Both are extremely solid, fully developed examples of Devy's wall of sound mash of extreme metal, pop, new age, and zaniness. Where AE was heavy both in sound and emotional content, Synchestra is a little more mature and eclectic. AE has higher highs and lower lows. As I owned AE first, Synchestra gets lumped in my mind with its predecessor. But as I listen for this review, there are so many grand moments that I believe I'll do a track by track.

1. Let it Roll - Gently beginning with a strummed guitar and simple melody, Devin eases us in for what's going to be quite a ride. "Come on in, don't be a stranger." As the song builds, so does the excitement. It feels like we're in for another masterpiece.

2. Hypergeek - And it comes. Croaking frogs accompany and proggy, on-top-of the beat intro that is pure glee. At almost exactly 1:00 we get a blast beat crash that then integrates in the previously introduced themes. This is going to be good.

3. Triumph - This song contains almost all of Devy's career in a single song, the first full composition on the album. It starts with a throbbing fuzz guitar and a naked vocal that follows a signature melody. The song builds perfectally, with a banjo!! Break, multiple themes, and climaxing in a solo by none other than Steve Vai, the guitar god that launched Devy's career. Interestingly, he is extremely restrained here, going for texture rather than flash. In fact, it's one of my favorite solos of Vai's career, and I've followed him long before I knew of Devy.

4. Babysong - a sing-song silly lullaby that serves its purpose as a relief in the intensity of the epic preceeding it. It features some nice Devy mega-tracking and melody. The second reprises some ideas from "Terria" and builds to an intense conclusion. A perfect album song.

5. Vampolka - A short humorous intro to the single that follows. Quirky but it works.

6. Vampira - Of all of Devy's hamming it up, this song is one of the few that's right on the edge of not working for me. The songwriting is very solid, the performance perfect, but the theme of the song is actually too straight to justify the mugging that Devin does. The video's ultra-camp shows just how cheesy it was intended to be. Solid fun, but not too memorable. It's here that I'm losing the ecstatic glow that had built during the first three songs.

7. Mental Tan - Another short transition piece, this time airy and atmospheric. The ending is almost orchestral.

8. Gaia - This is the poppy single from the album, following in the tradition of "Life" from Ocean Machine and "Christeen" from Infinity. It's a solid, pleasant listen and Devy's still playing it live now in 2010. Great bridge section, nice effects in the multi-track wash. It's not "Storm" or "Life" but it's better than "Traveller" and "The Fluke."

9. Pixillate - This is probably the highlight of the entire album. Opening with a raw bass riff and Devin moaning in a middle eastern tonality, the song slowly develops into an exotic grinder that is unique in the Devy catalog. Along with the Vai solo, this is the only place on Synchestra which I get the tingles I've come to expect from Devin Townsend albums. As hard as putting together a DT's greatest hits album would be, this would be on it.

10. Judgment - This song features some strong vocal performances, and the typical Devy intensity, but the song itself isn't that memorable. There's nothing wrong with it, but we've heard Devy do this many times before.

11. A Simple Lullaby - Unfortunately, more of the same. No lyrics, though vocals do act as one of the instruments. There are a few nice pieces of composition, (dramatic stops, a few composed lines) but the track is way overlong. Hate to use the word filler, but this is soundtrack music.

12. Sunset - This is another instrumental, much shorter, whose title fits it perfectly. A nice musical sketch that says what it needs to and moves on.

13. Notes from Africa - Starts with the best riff of the album, some snappy bass, and immediately my head starts bopping where I'd been nodding before. The song has a little melodic skip up and a background vocal riff that distinguish the song from all the others. There are odd time breaks, anthemic chants, a great send off.

My overall feeling is that this album needed a little fat trimming. Simply cutting tracks 10 and 11 would have left the album still at 50 minutes and a much tighter piece of work. I think that album would have been a masterpiece that would have left me salivating for more. As it is, I'm exhausted by the end, and lost attention a few times.

This album, like Accelerated Evolution before it, starts brilliantly and loses steam. But there are some brilliant moments and it never truly disappoints. Easy 4/5 star rating.

I must admit I haven't heard a lot from Devin Townsend as yet. I have "Ocean Machine", "Terria", "Addicted" and this one. "Ziltoid" is on the way though. As others have mentioned this is a fairly upbeat album overall and I must admit i'd rather have more darkness and anger from Devin. Of course those kinds of albums are easy to find with his STRAPPING YOUNG LAD project. Still a pretty solid album album overall and well worth 4 stars in my book.

"Let It Roll" has this laid back guitar to start as reserved vocals join in. Drums after 2 minutes as the sound becomes fuller. I should mention that a lot of these tracks blend into one another. "Hypergeek" opens with more laid back guitar as frogs and a rooster can be heard in the backgound. Birds too. Haha. It all stops then it kicks in hard. "Triumph" starts to build after a minute. Some guest guitar from Steve Vai. Devin is screaming after 2 1/2 minutes. Piano before 3 1/2 minutes then it settles as it turns into a hoe-down mode then it kicks in again. "The Baby Song" is not the best track by a long shot. It's much better though after 2 1/2 minutes when it becomes more intense.

"Vampolka" is funny and uptempo with pulsating sounds. It's polka time ! "Vampira" kicks ass and is taking names. A great vocal performance too. "Mental Tan" opens with background synths that create atmosphere as keys join in and guitar. Spacey vocals here too. "Gaia" is a great tune with the heavy riffing as reserved vocals join in. Nice. A scream before 2 1/2 minutes signals an instrumental section. "Pixillate" is the longest track at almost 8 1/2 minutes. A killer intro really of bass and vocal expressions then it kicks in at a minute. "Judgment" is heavy as Devin comes screaming in before 2 minutes. It settles in after 4 minutes. "A Simple Lullaby" has this loud atmosphere then it gets heavier before 2 minutes. He's screaming 5 1/2 minutes in.

"Sunset" has vocals around a minute and piano too. Cool tune. "Notes From Africa" sounds amazing to start. Love the drum work and vocal melodies.Vocals come in screaming 2 1/2 minutes in and a minute later as well.Nature sounds come in around 5 1/2 minutes to the end after the music has stopped. "Sunshine And Happiness" is a bonus track that is an upbeat little rocker that sounds like a nod to eighties Metal. All in good fun.

A very good album in my opinion but so far "Ocean Machine" and "Terria" stand alone for me as his best.

It's hard to believe that I only finally got into Devin Townsend a month ago. I had seen his name often enough but assumed that he was someone like Neil Morse: an American or possibly a Briton who had made a name for himself in a prog band and had decided to go solo. Then I saw a review of "Ziltoid the Omniscient" and thought it was so crazy that I had to get it. By coincidence, I ordered "Ziltoid" around the same time as Ayreon's "The Human Equation", without knowing that Devin appeared as a guest on that album. I received Ayreon first and was deeply impressed with Devin's performance. Two days later, "Ziltoid" came to my mailbox at work, and as I rode the train home I read the Wikipedia article about Devin. I was so surprised to learn that he is a year my junior and grew up in the city across the river from my house. My childhood home in Surrey, Canada was perched on a slope overlooking the Fraser River and from my living room window I looked out at the City of New Westminster every morning. I went to college over there and spent much time in New West. Knowing that Devin and I shared the same cultural climate (we studied the same curriculum, watched the same TV shows, lived through the same local changes and events, etc.) made me feel that I really wanted to hear what this boy from the neighbourhood across the river was doing.

Now a month has passed and I have seven albums with five more on order. I have really been enjoying becoming acquainted with Devin's music, but this album here was an easy one to love because it is exactly what I have been listening to lately: progressive metal. Not all of Devin's albums lean so far to the progressive side as this one. But he has done a spectacular job here with the Devin Townsend Band.

The opening track is such a simple beautiful acoustic tune with Devin's clean and sweet vocal sound. It switches to a slow but progressive metal sound, gearing us up for what is to come. "Hyper Geek" has a fantastic beginning with acoustic strings and countryside animal sounds. It suddenly breaks into full on blasting metal and then breaks into a very melodic and heavy prog metal piece before rapidly dissolving into "Triumph". This is a fabulous piece of music with several changes (one part suddenly drops into a country bumpkin hill billy ho- down). At times I am reminded of more melodic Dream Theater or Symphony X and surprisingly even SUM 41 a bit when they were doing a Metallica rip off with added commercial melodies many years ago. Keyboards and even piano add some wonderful melodies here. The song's final stretch features a Steve Vai solo.

"Baby Song" is a bit too cute and sweet at first ("Why don't you have a baby? Why don't you have a child?") but then becomes stronger as melodic prog metal before getting more complex and then simpler but darker. The middle of the song is the most interesting for its instrumental melodies.

"Vampolka" is a humorous addition with a punk polka feel to it, and "Vampira" is a brilliant traditional metal / early thrash piece with a killer riff after the chorus that sounds like it could have come from Judas Priest's "Painkiller" album.

"Mental Tan" is a pretty piece that offers a suggestion of an orchestra near the end. How sweet that would have been had it received a more prominent role. "Gaia" emerges out of "Mental Tan" and proves to be more of a straightforward lighter metal song with a catchy instrumental section in the middle.

"Pixillate" is the next killer track for me with a Middle eastern flavour and some great prog metal. It's dark and moody and heavy. Brilliant! After that "Judgement" and "A Simple Lullaby" feature more slow progressive metal, great heavy melodies, and some special moments. But perhaps because I am already on overload up to here with good music, I feel these songs are the weaker part of the album. My mind wanders during these two tracks except for when some change in the music brings me back temporarily.

"Sunset" has a great melodic 80's rock sound and a very positive vibe. There's more of that sweet piano again. It really shows how Devin can write beautiful music with a rock band but it is short though, and soon we are into the last track on the album, "Notes from Africa" which is actually only a five-minute song with a few minutes of jungle sounds after (which I highly suspect were recorded in the Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver). One thing I noticed in this song were the lines "Oh, what a feeling / Oh, what a feeding" which reference the Strapping Young Lad song "Love?" from the album "Alien". As I have come to learn, Devin often self-references.

An unlisted track on the CD sneaks in at end. "Sunshine and Happiness" is a cheery rock and roll / pop punk tune which doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album, which is probably why it wasn't listed on the CD. It's a fun tune but really different from the tone set by the rest of the album.

So far, this album really stands out in my Devin Townsend collection, along with "Ki" which is also very different. So many sides to Devin's music and vocal style are captured here. Do check it out!

By far, the most cohesive of all Devin Townsend's albums, and also the most diverse, sonically and musically.

This by far is the trickiest album of Devin's by far to pigeonhole into a certain theme or story. It starts off with beautiful acoustic themes, with "Let It Roll" almost channeling a historic American folktune, while "Hypergeek" transitions from the acoustic to a child-like arpeggio that layers the guitars and drums and reverb to crescendo into "Triumph".

There's definitely a lot of references to childhood melodies, as evidenced by "Babysong" and "A Simple Lullaby", which are self-explanatory: long, reverb filled soundscapes with hypnotic, entrancing melodies that sway with waltz like motives. And frankly, it's very calming considering this album was recorded after making "Alien" with Strapping Young Lad", an album he prepared for by purposely not taking the medicine required to treat his bipolar disorder. So in a sense, this album is supposed to be the exact opposite of it, and it really feels it.

That's not to say this album is lacking in heat, though. The cheesy "Vampolka", despite being cheesy, is a fun minute and a half of surf guitar and polka, segueing into the much heavier counterpart "Vampira", grooving and chugging along like the theme to a bad "Twilight"spinoff series.

Although there are interludes like "Mental Tan" to bring you back down to earth, and "Gaia" which channels "Accelerated Evolution's penchant for catchy songs with reverb out the wazzoo and wonderfully heavy melodies, you can tell there's still a conflict with Devin's angrier half that just finished "Alien" with SYL, and that anger is very prevalent in "Vampira", the Middle-Eastern tinged "Pixillate" (my favorite off the album), and the end of "A Simple Lullaby". The whole album is a huge tug of war between Devin's bipolarity, the album in his entire discography where this conflict is most prevalent. "Judgement" is another bombastic piece, but the happy mood here, much like the rest of the album, is occasionally displace by outbursts of anger and hate, especially at the end of "A Simple Lullaby" (where the main theme is interrupted by Townsend's "Ready, Steady, Aim, Fire!" line).

Overall, though, it's a much happier album than most of Townsend's other records, while still maintaining some heavy outbursts, catchy reverb songs and plenty of proggy goodness. Definitely the first album I'd recommend to a non-Devin fan. This entire album is a summary of his multi-faceted musical style in a nutshell. An absolutely brilliant masterpiece of insanity, progressiveness and just good ol fashioned metal.

There are only two albums that were released under Devin's moniker 'The Devin Townsend Band', those were 'Accelerated Evolution' (released in 2003) and this album 'Synchestra' (released in 2006). I'm not sure the reasoning behind Devin deciding to use this moniker, but I have a few theories. As far as Devin's solo albums released during this period, he was entering an experimental, ambient and electronic stage with his release of 'Devlab' and 'The Hummer'. Fans weren't really sure what he was doing with these solo albums and he had mixed reactions from his fans. So, in order to distinguish his experimental side from his heavier side, he may have decided to use 'The Devin Townsend Band' to help guide his fans to his more usual style and let them know that not everything he does was going to be experimental. Another theory is that he used the same line-up in both DTB albums.

'Synchestra' was sandwiched between the experimental, ambient albums. The other DTB project, 'Accelerated Evolution' was more listener friendly than the usual DT solo albums that had come before, and, even though it was still a great album, it didn't have as much of a progressive edge as the previous albums and wasn't quite as heavy. This album, at least in the beginning, seems to be following that same path as it starts with the very mellow 'Let it Roll' with an acoustic guitar and lovely melody sung by Devin. As it continues, an threatening drone comes up from underneath the acoustics, and for a short time, the band kicks in so as to not totally shock you for 'Hypergeek'. Once again, you get another short track, with more acoustic guitars and an almost pastoral feel. Some nice vocal effects come in, but the track suddenly goes on a complete left turn at the minute mark as the wall of sound, Devin's emotional yelling, heavy guitar and synths take over. But don't despair, as is usual with DT's music, it's heavy and thick, but you can hear everything.

'Triumph' flows from that previous track with a tense guitar churning and Devin's vocals that stir up excitement for what is coming. Of course, things get emotional and strong as the passion in his vocals and music increase. His vocals are mostly clean, but he still has bursts of anger that come through. The song isn't all thick and heavy however, as it has many lighter sections and the instrumentation features a lot of keyboard and synth to help lighten things up. And it is very progressive, so there are all kinds of surprises, fun and excellent music here. With all of these changes in tone, meter and sound, everything just flows together so well. You hear so many other bands try this and things just end up sounding choppy, but with Devon, it is so smooth, almost like an orchestra. To top it all off, you get a guitar solo from Steve Vai on this one too. 'Baby Song' has some sarcastic lyrics and a heavy 6 / 8 rhythm. As it continues, it gets more complex and heavier. Again, meters change as it goes on and settles in to different moods and such, but once it gets heavy, it pretty much stays there.

Three shorter songs follow. 'Vampolka' is a polka sounding track, tubas and organ included. This flows into 'Vampira' which starts off with a heavy guitar riff and Devin's frantic vocals. This has a more accessible sound to it with a very catchy melody and theme. There is a bit more screaming and yelling here too, but I love Devin's emotion that he puts behind it. 'Mental Tan' works as a cooling off track after the last crazy rocker. It has a nice, floating feel to it with the melodic guitar and supporting keys and wordless vocals. This leads into 'Gaia' with a sudden increase in intensity and a track driven by a heavy guitar riff and a fast tempo, but with clean vocals despite the heaviness of the track, but with those bursts of emotion. This one is a more straightforward rocker, but great nonetheless.

'Pixilate' starts off with a heavy bass line and middle East inspired vocals. The drums come in and the music continues to churn along. It gets heavier and more orchestral feeling as it goes on, even though the instruments are still your standard rock instruments. DT's wall of sound just has that orchestral quality to it. Deborah Tyzio adds her vocals to this track to contrast some of Devon's emotional and angry vocals that pop up from time to time. Things calm a bit in the middle as that mid-East theme comes back into play. A nice synth solo builds up the intensity again. 'Judgement' starts off as a softer track, but is underlayed by the heavy churning guitar that becomes more prominent, and then Devon's yelling/screaming comes out more on this track than the previous ones on this album. This one gets quite thick and heavy as it continues with a few places where the wall breaks down a bit. You feel like you are buried by a flood of music and emotion. This flows into 'A Simple Lullaby'. This track utilizes layers of guitars to create a melodic wall which is underlayed by what seem like crowd noises. After a while, the drums come in with the guitar laden melody. The band 'Blue Oyster Cult' used to talk about an orchestra of guitars, but this is the sound that I always imagined an orchestra of guitars would make. Vocals come in later, but they are down deep in the wall of sound and just become part of the overall musical effect. The song might be a simple lullaby and in theme, it might be a lullaby, but it is quite loud with all of these layers of sound.

'Sunrise' is a more basic sound, the wall of sound stripped away and a nice melodic guitar line with plenty of keys and this song flows quite nicely. It is a short intermezzo and then another heavy riff brings in the track 'Notes from Africa'. This one features a funky bass behind the other layers of sound. Regular vocals finally come back for the first time since 'Judgement' and the sound is a bit more straightforward for this one, but it is once again a very catchy rhythm and memorable melody. The song is driven by contrasting vocal layers later. The music fades off at 5 minutes and you are left with peaceful sounds of water and birds. The last track is hidden behind this track and is called 'Sunshine and Happiness' with vocals by guitarist Brian Waddell and keyboardist Dave Young. It's a nice surprise and a fun rocking track, which could have worked well as a single, short and fun.

This album is another great DT album with a lot of styles that have been give the Devon Townsend treatment. It may be just a tad more accessible than some of his albums, at least that's what they say, but I find it just as satisfying and great as most of his other albums. The overall feel is heavy, but it is definitely Devin, with lots of emotion, surprises and stylistic changes throughout. It's another great effort from Townsend and in the end, that is a wonderful thing.

"Synchestra" is the seventh full-length studio album by Canadian artist Devin Townsend. It´s the second and last album released under the The Devin Townsend Band monicker. The album was released through HevyDevy Records (Townsend´s own label) in January 2006. Townsend had an incredibly busy touring and recording schedule in the years from 2000-2007, and since the duo release of the third Strapping Young Lad album "S.Y.L." in February 2003 and the release of his fifth solo album "Accelerated Evolution" (although also released under the The Devin Townsend Band monicker like "Synchestra") in March 2003, Townsend released the "Devlab" solo album in December 2004 (his sixth solo album), and the fourth Strapping Young Lad album "Alien" in March 2005. "Synchestra" was just the first of three 2006 releases from Townsend, the other two being the fifth and final Strapping Young Lad album "The New Black" from July 2006 and his eigth solo album "The Hummer" from November 2006. This was all done in between heavy touring and it´s no wonder that Townsend needed a break after the release of "Ziltoid the Omniscient" in May 2007.

Coming off the heels of some of Townsend´s/Strapping Young Lad´s most popular and successful releases (excluding "Devlab" which is a bit out of number in this context), "Synchestra" was always going to have a hard time living up to the quality of that output, and instead of writing and recording something in a similar style Townsend did what he has often done and still does, namely made a left turn and ventured into new musical territory.

It is not for nothing that the album is titled "Synchestra", because this is the first Townsend release, which (at least in part) can be described as symphonic (although no classical orchestra is used. Everything is programmed og played on keyboars/synths). Not symphonic in an epic Euro power metal style or as in symphonic metal, but there are parts on "Synchestra", which are arguably strongly influenced by classical music composition, and there are also some pretty epic symphonic parts featured on the album. The album also features elements from pop, country, folk, polka, middle eastern music, and of course Townsend´s heavy riffs and the heavy drumming by Ryan Van Poederooyen. "Synchestra" features several guest/session musicians. One is Townsend´s former employer Steve Vai, who plays a guitar solo on "Triumph".

"Synchestra" is an album which works as one long song, as most tracks seque into each other and have some sort of relation to each other (some themes are reoccurring). Most tracks can be listened to individually, but they work best in the context of the full album. It´s not an album which is instantly catchy like "Accelerated Evolution" was, so most listeners will probably need som patience to get to know the album, and to learn all the details of the music. While some parts are easily accessible, the whole work is a bit more diffecult to get into (it´s certainly progressive in any way possible). At least that´s how I felt about "Synchestra". It took quite a few spins for me to understand what is was Townsend wanted to convey.

"Synchestra" features a powerful, multi-layered, and detailed sound production, which suits the material perfectly. It´s not Townsend´s most heavy release, and therefore the sound production isn´t as focused on the heavy riffs and drumming as on "Accelerated Evolution". When the heavy parts do occur, they are still satisfyingly heavy and sharp though, so "Synchestra" is still a pretty heavy album when it´s called for. "Synchestra" may not have the immediate catchiness and appeal as the last couple of Townsend releases, but it´s still arguably a high quality release, and it´s quite the bold release too, but knowing Townsend that´s actually no surprise. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)