Guest Review: DJ H-Bomb on Devin Townsend
Artist: Devin Townsend Project
Album: Free Online LIVE EP http://www.insideoutmusic.com/specials/DTP/
Released: February 15th, 2011
Labels: HevyDevy, Century Media, InsideOut
While we wait for Devin Townsend Project, aka DTP, (fronted by Devin Townsend of Devin Townsend Band, Strapping Young Lad, Ocean Machine, Punky Brüster, Steve Vai) to simultaneously release their two (yes two) double albums Ghost and Deconstruction, we can fill our ears with Townsend’s famous vibrato found in a FREE Live EP released by Century Media. The EP opens with Supercrush! from the most recent release Addicted. I’m not sure if I am smiling ear to ear by Townsend’s perfect pitch, the sampling piped in from his Apple computer, or his constant insults directed to the crowd. We are only 7 seconds into Supercrush! when Townsend taunts his crowd, “Come on you lazy pricks…Very good…that’s 4% less lazy. But I love you anyway!” Townsend’s vibrato and pitch correctness that he intersperses with his shrill screams and growls is unmatched by any other. Nobody should be able to do this live. The song builds to the last chorus and Townsend gives the crowd another obscene ribbing that not even Q could play on his safe harbor show, “You feel bad about yourself? Just look at me and then fucking eat shit!” Now this is KMNR material through and through. The last palm mute rings and Townsend makes another suggestion to the crowd. “Kiss my grits!” Incredible…
Kingdom is up next. Again, Townsends clean vocals soar. His heavy vocals are a bit coarse and sound like they experienced a bit of tour damage…or is it just that he isn’t fully warmed up? Who cares, this is a take on his old material that die hards like me can’t live without.
Truth…an oldie from Infinity is up next. A nasty word or two wouldn’t keep me from playing this one on the air after 10pm.
OM is up next. Townsend offers us more advice during the drum intro. “Some nasty shit in the world. Isn’t there? You know what? Just be who you are. Don’t be afraid to be a fuckin’ cheeseball baby. And then continue to fucking crush it” And crush it he does with the powerbacked DTB project band. There is no cheese in this tune…only this review.
“ZILTOID!” Townsend brings us song 2 from Ziltoid the Omnicient. By Your Command sounds like a bear to play live and DTP delivers. Townsends heavy vocals sound much tighter with an unmatched intensity now and his melodic vocals are still pitch perfect and give me an earful…I guess he just wasn’t quite warm for Kingdom. The rhythm section punishes us for 3-½ minutes before Townsend asks the crowd to break out their lighters. “One lighter!!!” The crowd responds with more lighters “…looks like the electric light parade. You know…Disneyland…real metal.” The shred(dish) section begins as Captain Ziltoid summons the humans’ finest cup of coffee with the help of piped in samples from the album version of By Your Command.
Captain Ziltoid: Commander
Commander: Yes Captain Ziltoid
Captain Ziltoid: Have the humans delivered their ultimate cup of coffee?
Commander: I have it right here sir.
Captain Ziltoid: …yes….(sips) FETID! HOW DARE THEY PRESENT THIS TO ME? FOUL! THEY HIDE THEIR FINEST BEAN! PREPARE THE ATTACK!
This release will require safe harbor (and a dump button for some tracks) but it is magnificent! It is easy to feel like you were at the show while you listen to this album…just close your eyes and imagine that a bald version of The Food Network’s quirky Alton Brown is screaming obscenities at you through a SM58 at 110dB while he shreds with a custom series flying-V Peavey guitar. Did you get it? Good let’s move on.
If you don’t want to risk a naughty word on air, at least download it for the price of a Tweet or Facebook shout-out! This album was a bargain but it only makes me want the 2 upcoming double albums more. Devin Townsend has done it again.