Warthur By and large I don't really enjoy Devin Townsend's material - which isn't to say it's bad, but it isn't really my thing. The major exception is Ziltoid the Omniscient, a prog metal alien invasion epic so ridiculously over the top that it can't help but win you over. An impressive multi-instrumentalist accomplishment by Townsend, the album sounds fantastic for a record assembled and completed by one performer; in particular, thanks to secret technology obtained from Meshuggah Townsend is able to program his drum machine brilliantly, creating a sound which is truly indistinguishable from a very technically accomplished human drummer.

As well as having a silly plot and over-the-top proggy song structures, the album also shows a clear love for heavy metal in all its forms - see, for instance, some of the vocals in Ziltoidia Attaxx!!!, which are clearly meant to be a homage to Rob Halford's legendary vocal performance on Judas Priests' Painkiller. Packed with little details like that, the album is a great listen for all fans of metal, particularly if - like Ziltoid - you are secretly a nerd.

Warthur Devin Townsend is shaping up to be another one of those prog metal acts which I just don't get. I can appreciate the technicality of Terria, for instance, and I admit the task he poses himself of combining the prog rock approach and musical motifs of Yes with his own musical style represents an interesting challenge. But still, the album seems somehow fake and insincere to me, and I can't connect to it on an emotional level; nor can I get much of a handle on the atmosphere Townsend is trying to attain with the album. It just seems rather boring and irritatingly New Agey to me.

Warthur Biomech was originally credited to Ocean Machine, a moniker for Devin Townsend's solo projects before he just applied his own name to them. Whatever name is applied to it, it's an intriguing brand of metal which unlike many prog metal releases focuses not on references to prog bands of the past but rather concentrates on presenting this light, shimmering wall of guitar which reminds me at points of the work of shoegaze bands such as My Bloody Valentine. Personally, I find the album gets a bit wearing after the first few minutes and lacks the variation or wit of later works by Townsend, but it's an interesting enough listen and by no means an embarrassing start to a solo career.

Phonebook Eater 8/10

Ghost is one of the very best mellower albums by a metal musician.

Devin Townsend’s newest project finds itself to an end with the final chapter “Ghost”, one of the best albums by the musician and the calmest he’s ever been. The four albums of the project wanted, as Devin said, to represent each “side” of him. If “Ki” is also a mellower effort, “Addicted” is a heavy but very straight-forward one, and “Deconstruction” is as wild Avant-Gardish and chaotic as Devin had never been before. But “Ghost” wanted to represent Townsend’s softer, peaceful side, and what a beautiful sight it is.

There are, of course, no traces of any kind of metal: “Ghost” is influenced by genres such as New Age and a lot of Ambient music too. I dare to say that some vocal melodies are a little reminiscent of Ambient Pop and Dream Pop. If there are any guitars, they are always clean; if they are any drums, they’ll mostly be played with jazz brushes, and always laid back completely. The key instruments I hear are the big chunk of synthesizers, flutes, some very light loops here and there, electronics, and the guitars of course. But the vocals I hear are the most magical addition: I always liked Townsend’s cleans, but here, they are special, and perfectly go along with the enchanting female vocals. The production is crystal clear, as it was definitely intended to be for creating the atmosphere Devin wanted to capture so much.

“Ghost” is one of the most peaceful and quiet albums you’ll ever hear. It is a soothing journey that most fans of the musician wouldn’t expect. The atmosphere this album creates, as a matter of fact, is absolutely priceless: You feel like you’re on an island, by yourself, without technology, without surrounding people, just nature. This feeling Devin attempted to create has very much succeeded, and like no other album that has attempted to do so. It’s great to hear also how even though maintaining pretty much the same concept throughout the album, there is in the music great amount of variation: some melodies are sad, some are ethereal, some are cheerful, some are melancholy. With these handful of moods, I’m happy to say that Devin created out of them a wonderful rainbow of sounds.

There is clear distinction between the first and second half of the album: while the first is more emotive, melodic, and straight-forward, the second half is more Ambient driven, with less vocals, less clear melodies, just pure atmosphere. The delights can be found practically anywhere, from the opener “Fly”, setting a very proper mood for the rest of the album. “Feather” is a very melancholic, multi part piece, where the Ambience is something indescribable. The title track and “Black Berry” are somewhat more cheerful and happy, especially the latter, thanks to it’s great banjo addition. Then, there are more Ambient focused songs, like “Infinite Ocean”, “Texada”, even though the term Ambient can be used on this one very widely, “Moonsoon”, and the final track “As You Are”.

An album I thought was going to hate, but I actually ended up falling in love with; a definite must listen for any Devin Townsend, despite being different from every other recording he’s done. But it you’re a fan of this man, there is no way you can know him without listening to his peaceful other side. One of the great highlights of the year, an album that would be remembered hopefully in the future, as one of the very best calm albums by a metal musician.

Any Colour You Like Tonight, tonight / Soothe your mind.

Now, I fully understand that this isn't really a an exciting experimental album. It's not, and I won't pretend it is. But it is the most beautiful album I've heard in a while, that's really all you need to know.

Well, not quite. Ghost obviously means a lot to Devin, because you can hear every emotion, every thought pattern, every memory, every human pulse and it's all genuine. That's really the essence of this album, yes it's laid back, yes it has poppy hooks and ambient passages and all that, but this is music from the heart. I challenge anybody who knows Devin's discography to present an album which is as emotionally dynamic as this. I can think of all but one, Terria, and there's a good reason why that's also a masterpiece. As I have eluded to already, Ghost is the last album in the Devin Townsend Project's quadrant. It takes the lucid tones and ethereal vibes from Ki, mixes them with the pop hooks of Addicted and then plays off against the chaotic nature of Deconstruction. It is generously paced as if one was recovering from the previous three semesters of adventure.

Sure, there aren't any mind blowing solos, or time signature mashing; but the crispness of the production and the glassy instrumentation is simply not of this world. Perhaps that's a reason why it's called Ghost, or perhaps sometimes the most beautiful things are those which you can't explain or 'perform', but feel. You don't hear Devin (and the band) playing here, you feel them. It is that connection which every artist strives for, therefore it would be pointless to let cumbersome definitions and categories get in the way of emotion. True, a progressive masterpiece this is not, it's a musical masterpiece instead. At the risk of sounding too much like a new-age sensitive chap, it's not all brilliant. Some of the ambient sections are overlong and aimless, but given the general atmosphere, it's quite easy to let the extraneous sounds just wash over you. A fitting way to end the project indeed.