Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omniscient

This is Devin Townsend's first pure solo album. He wrote all the songs, played all the instruments and did all the production work. It's a concept album about Ziltoid, a 4th dimensional alien from the planet Ziltoidia 9. The storyline on Ziltoid The Omniscient is bizarre and funny as Ziltoid comes to Earth searching for coffee so he can travel through time and become a rock star.

I'm a big fan of the Devin Townsend Bank and Strapping Young Lad, and Townsend has said he's stepping away from touring and playing with those bands to concentrate on making solo albums. That's a shame, but if this album is any indication, Townsend will continue to make creative and interesting music on his own.

Ziltoid The Omniscient is over the top and theatrical, with narration between many of the songs telling the story of Ziltoid. The music is very diverse and experimental, just as you'd expect from Devin Townsend. It ranges from slow and atmospheric to fast and thrashy. Townsend also showcases many different vocal styles from spoken word to melodic singing to screaming. It's an epic tour de force that's highly entertaining from a lyrical perspective and outstanding from a musical perspective.