.
Screw the mainstream
if you really want to get your rocks off you have to go to the underground.
That's just what we plan to do with this series, take some of the best
emerging bands that are out blowing away hardcore fans on the underground
music scene.
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The Devin Townsend Band
– Accelerated Evolution
The Hobo Review
The
Devin Townsend Band – Accelerated Evolution
Label: Inside
Out Music America
Rating: 
Devin Townsend strikes again. The relentless
machine of music has managed to release albums from both Strapping Young
Lad and The Devin Townsend Band within the space of some three months,
and to top it all of, Devin will be soon launching a tour for Strapping
Young Lad of which the Devin Townsend Band is listed as the supporting
act! Devin commented in Guitar World two months ago – “That’s gonna be
insane”.
And indeed the man is. Still he embraces
the challenge as he has every other – head on with a broad smile, which
is enough to cast considerable doubt on the man sanity. The slightly more
poppier and palatable “side project” still features many of SYL’s trademark
features – namely the distinctive guitar style, engulfing percussion, and
of course – Devy’s vocals. It is however the focus and atmosphere of the
project which changes.
No longer does Devy draw inspiration from
apocalyptic death-metal, but rather chooses to tone down the aggression,
and increase the atmosphere – with the handy use of the keyboards. Described
by Ian Hardy as “Heavier than Terria, lighter that Physicist, not nearly
as off the wall as Infinity, Accelerated Evolution picks up where Ocean
Machine left off, drowning us in a majestic not-quite-pop-metal romp”.
The result is a melodic, chaotic, heavy-yet-calm,
collected and focused hybrid of experimental pop metal, spawned from the
ingeniously insane Canadian. The nine epic tracks of the album focus on
ideals of love, peace and mind, in direct contrast to Devy’s latest brutal
Strapping Young Lad release.
Devy’s fifth solo album forces me to pose
the question – is there anything musical the man will not tackle? And will
he ever stop? The tracks feature heavy elements from the persona of Townsend,
represented in Depth Charge and Random Analysis. Contrasting this however
are song like Traveller and Away which emit a warm, vibrant sense of peace
harking back to the days of Steve Vai’s Sex and Religion.
The album features both a conventional
and unconventional vocal style, the latter making itself obvious in the
emotional ballad Deadhead and less so on Storm. The Canadian erratic emissary
of explosive energy also makes a big impact on Sunday Afternoon, bringing
the listener a sense of closure on the album.
This innovative atmospheric metal album
gives fans, and the world, yet another glimpse at the workings of the constantly
evolving, diverging and hyperactive mind of a man whom - I will go as far
to say – has single handedly accelerated music beyond boundaries. The hardest
working madman in metal has earnt the title ‘musical genius’ from my behalf,
and many others.
The Devin Townsend Band should not be passed
off as a ‘half hearted side project’ as indeed many side projects are.
The album however, provides enough musicianship, energy, and focus to stand
as one of Devin’s greatest achievements. (As Kevin well agrees) This is
not just another side project.
Listen
to samples and Purchase this CD online
Visit
the official website
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