DEVIN TOWNSEND – Devin Townsend Presents: Ziltoid The Omniscient

In pursuit of fuel (coffee) for his travels in the fourth dimension (time), Ziltoid The Omniscient (alien) comes to Earth. In five minutes he has to be made the ultimate cup of coffee (black) or all will face the consequences (attack).

The Music

Luckily, this highly bizarre creature is nothing but another piece of the increasingly intriguing mind of Devin Townsend. Devin Townsend Presents: Ziltoid The Omniscient, originally a puppet show, represents Devin Townsend’s true effort as a solo artist. He has created the character, the plot, and the music, plus played all instruments, sang all vocals, and produced the whole thing in his apartment… all of this during a self-declared hiatus. What did you do during your last vacation, by the way?

Style-wise, this album is quite diversified, but perhaps best described as intensive, Atmospheric Metal with a Theatrical Progressive twist, if that makes any sense to you… Townsend uses his unique wall-of-sound concept, creating music with simply immense impact. Adding a dash of humor and a tint of darkness, he ends up with something that is either going to make you grin or grumble. And, at the same time, he conjures up moments with a sort of hypnotizing serenity, like in “Solar Winds” (where Captain Spectacular actually sets out to fight Ziltoid).

The Band

Handling it all on his own, Devin Townsend proves himself a worthy multi-instrumentalist (as if he needed to), sans the drums, which are programmed. It must feel good being in total control of your product, and at the same time to fulfil the desire to manage everything by yourself. His performance is as intense and flawless as usual, and that’s really all you can say about it.

The Verdict

Devin Townsend Presents: Ziltoid The Omniscient is entertaining, but perhaps not for everybody. For those who appreciate Devin Townsend it’s simply a must.