DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT: ADDICTED

This second installment of the ambitious tetralogy that Devin created after a short break is a fresh collection of songs, which take some pop, and hard rock elements that we found in albums like Ocean Machine and Accelerated Evolution, but in a bit more commercial and straightforward direction.

And with the perspective that we have eight years after the release of Addicted!, I think that this album is one of the most important works of this prodigious Canadian artist, because later albums like Epicloud and Sky Blue took a similar direction in terms of production, style and character. And of course the contribution of Anneke van Giersbergen showed itself as a vital contribution for Devin. This woman's voice fits perfectly in the sound of Devin Townsend, and the success of Addicted! supposed the start a very fruitful collaboration.

The album starts with Addicted!, a song with a catchy riff and the typical Devin's wall of sound, but this time with cool electronic elements. The melodies and lyrics in the verses are a variation of the last track of the album, Awake, and here we clearly hear that Devin's intention was to create a more conventional and commercial album than Ki, but maintaining the trademark elements of his style. And Anneke sings so damn good here!

Universe in a Ball starts with powerful drums and a menacing riff, and the great vocal melodies they remind me to Ocean Machine. Fine track, but not a highlight. Quite the opposite as Bend it Like Bender, a very surprising song that is an outstanding mixture of pop-rock, disco and extreme metal. Just incredible and another sample of the unmatched talent of this musician!

But Supercrush! is even better! The initial riff is breathtaking and the Anneke verses a real wonder. Devin shows off again with his incredible voice in the chorus, and the atonal instrumental interlude is very original and unique. A real classic! And also a classic is Hyperdrive, a song included in Ziltoid the Omniscient but this time with the Anneke voices. I prefer the original song, but this cover is also very good and it fits perfectly with the mood of the album.

Resolve! is another powerful exterme-hard rock song with very good vocals from Anneke, which strenght is very adequate before Ih-Ah!, the ballad of the album. And what a wonderful one! Intimate but not corny at all, and with beautiful vocals from Devin. I think that his voice was in top-form here, and Ih-Ah! is a good proof of that.

The Way Home contains a very good instrumental work (the drumming is awesome) and a surprising tenor interpretation from Devin, while Resolve is a vehicle for Anneke, who offers her better singing in the whole album in this good song.

And finally, Awake! is my favorite track of Addicted! Is a progressive hard rock hit with amazing growls and even more incredible high-pitched vocals from Devin, with a mysterious ending, which anticipated the next album Deconstruction, both musically and lyrically. What a great way of end this album!

Conclusion: Ki brought us the most experimental, dark and diverse side of Devin. But Addicted!, on the contrary, is pure delight and power, luminous, fresh and catchy. In my opinion is not so innovative as Ki or Deconstruction, and of course it does not reach the level of masterpieces like Terria or Synchestra. But it is an excellent record anyway, and a very important one for Devin's career because its success strongly influenced his style in later releases.

And Anneke was so a great addition! Thank you, Devin. This girl is pure magic.

Best Tracks: Bend it Like Bender!, Supercrush!, Ih-Ah!, Awake!

My rating: ****

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