The Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud Review

Having only heard snippets of Strapping Young Lad, I had an idea in my head that “Epicloud” by the Devin Townsend Project was going to be a very different beast to what it actually is, my expectations were that of a heavy, dark and vicious album filled with fury and loathing at the world around us and the society we live in, but within the opening seconds of “Effervescent”, all my preconceptions are shattered and instead I find myself amazed and somewhat confused as to what it is exactly this album has in store for me as a critic and as a first time listener of Devin’s work.

The choir sings a soulful acapella that builds up slowly and acts as a perfect yet subtle introduction to an album that I can only expect to contain more surprises, instantly I am soothed slowly into the soft intro and almost angelic voice of Anneke Van Giersbergen in “True North”, the soft underlying musical melody soon builds and soon Devin himself is singing in response to Anneke, with a full band performing such a well-constructed basis for the vocals it’s not long before we find Devin asking “Where Do We Go From Here?” (it is here I must add that I had to research “The Devin Townsend Project” and discovered that the 4 albums he planned under this name had now become 5 with “Epicloud” so I can only assume that he is questioning where will he go from this album, what will the future hold for this project and what possible path can his music take next?.)  The track itself has an almost anthemic  feel to it, and it’s hard to take everything in upon first listen as there is so much hidden within it, the track ends with “Effervescent” making a return slightly so it ends as it begins, however the album is far from over.

 “Lucky Animals” is instantly memorable and is carried by a tribal drum beat and a simplistic riff that simply makes the track bounce and is an obvious choice for a single as it screams radio friendly. “Liberation” is very much a song that insists you let your troubles melt away, if only for 3 minutes or so and “rock”. The last minute or so is made for the live environment, developed solely for the purpose of throwing your fist in the air and enjoying the tribal therapy of it all.

“Where We Belong?” is almost ballad like for the most part, a strong chorus and soft verses but gets an intense build up towards the end and leads straight into “Save our Now” showing that this is no ordinary album, but instead a musical journey, not meant to be listened to in parts but as a whole, “Save Our Now” remains somewhat soft with a somewhat dance music style to it, the soft side of things however soon cease (at least for the time being) as we dive head first into “Kingdom” (a re-recorded track from a previous Devin Townsend Album, “Physicist”). It becomes clear why the album is called “Epicloud”, this track has become the embodiment of such a title, epic and loud and it too could very well be a single aimed at listeners who like Devin’s heavier material.

 “Divine” is the albums U-turn as I find myself listening to Devin sing a soft melody over a soft guitar chord progression, a love song in every sense of the word but by no means clichéd, the track fades and I am now being re-introduced to Anneke in the track “Grace” and it retains the soft and gentle feel of its predecessor, this however only lasts for 1 minute or so before we are introduced a thunderous double kick drum beat that shows off the skills of Ryan Van Poederooyen, Devin adds his 2 cents by offsetting Anneke’s vocals incredibly. The question that Devin poised in “True North” of “Where Do We Go from Here?” is answered almost in his vocalization of “I know the way”.

“More!” is for all names sake “Epic”, a rocky, fast paced track with more well written vocal lines and even distribution between both Devin and Anneke. A track that is about as heavy as the album gets, and within reason of the rest of the track listing, “Lessons” is somewhat of a link between songs and bridges the gap beautiful between “More!” and “Hold On” as this track itself is another anthemic soul mover.

“Angel” is where I find myself saddened at the fact that the album is coming to an end, and it embodies everything the album set out to be, Different, different from anything that Devin has done before, and I imagine will do again, the album is a prime example of how going outside of your comfort zone can result in something truly awe inspiring. It stands as a testament to the greatness of Devin Townsend and the musicians he has drafted in as part of this project. For those of you however who enjoy just single tracks, this album is best understood and listened to in its entirety, exactly how Devin has envisioned it. “Angel” ends with the “Effervescent” chorus sung by the Choir that introduced us to the journey and is the only possible way to end an album as well written as this, ending it as it began.