Broken Starting with some atmospherics and moving into a choir of deep male voices this is quite an interesting piece that essentially works as an intro to Bones. When you look at it from a title perspective that makes perfect sense - Broken, Bones
Bones This is another piece of beauty, with a melancholy feel. Dorval puts down a beautiful vocal, and really we have another example of why this is such an essential album in the Townsend catalog.
Deathscope We have a return of the Tennessee Three beat with a lot of atmospherics, a touch of country/blues guitar and we're off. There are a lot of effects punctuating this track, and the first sign of any kind of aggression in Devin's vocals. A long fade out
Bones is one of the most gorgeous songs Devin has ever written. And Che's voice performance is off the charts.
The Field Opening with some atmospherics and a nice guitar pattern comes out of that with Che's beautiful voice singing to us from there. One feels that if her voice appeals to you and the mellow vibe of the album does also then this is an album to get.
The Bridge Starting off with a pan pipes type sound and feel this moves into a meditation of sounds. Very relaxing and peaceful, but certainly not boring. About halfway through we have a burst of Devin that then mellows back out to the strum of an acoustic guitar with Kat Epple adding her lovely wind instrument effects. This section also brings in a vocal with words and DEvin puts on his beautiful voice for us, which to some degree is often used sparingly. A rousing choir chorus of sorts and we're on the lead out.
Pure This piece of music works as a musical coda and leads us out gently to contemplate. Great album.
Epicloud Studio album by Devin Townsend Project Released September 18, 2012[1] Recorded March 2012 – May 2012 Genre Progressive rock, progressive metal Length 49:52 Label HevyDevy Producer Devin Townsend Devin Townsend Project chronology By a Thread – Live in London 2011 (2012) Epicloud (2012) Z² (2014) Devin Townsend chronology By a Thread – Live in London 2011 (2012) Epicloud (2012) The Retinal Circus (2013) Epicloud is the fifteenth studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the fifth album in the Devin Townsend Project series. The album was released on September 18, 2012, in North America, and September 24, 2012, in Europe, through his independent record label HevyDevy Records and InsideOut Music.[6] In an interview with Soundwave TV, Townsend discussed how Epicloud was conceived: "In this sort of process of writing that I've discovered that I guess I'm capable of now, with a sober frame of mind, part of that is just not second-guessing it, so if I write something like that, I just do it, and just finish it." He continued, "Over the past couple of years, I thought, 'OK, I've gotta write this next 'Ziltoid' thing; I'm inspired to make this epic space opera and, like, really overdo it, and make it really dark.' And so I sat down to write, but every time I went to write, I'd write some poppy hard rock thing. And I was like, 'OK, we'll get that one out of the way and then I'll write 'Ziltoid'.' And I got it out of the way and I'd go write 'Ziltoid'. And I'd write another one. So I'm thinking, 'OK, it's pretty obvious to me that I've got this that wants to come out before that.'" Regarding the musical direction of Epicloud, Townsend told Noisecreep, "Over the course of the full record, there's sort of new age-y stuff, jazzy stuff, really heavy stuff. We basically cover the gamut. Epicloud is the first record that I felt confident enough to include all those things on one record so it goes between melodic hard rock to schizophrenic heavy metal to country to really ambient stuff and it's all in one place. I'm using a gospel choir, a string section and a horn section for this one as well." When discussing the name of the album, Townsend said the title is a double entendre. The first meaning was inspired by the many plane journeys he and the band took whilst on tour, when Townsend noted how cool he thought it was that they were above the clouds, 'epi-cloud', while the second comes from the musical content of the album itself, 'epic-loud'.[7] On the topic of his decision to re-record "Kingdom", a song from his Physicist album, which came out in 2000 on Townsend's label HevyDevy Records, Townsend said, "We re-did 'Kingdom' because it's a live set staple, and so much better now than the Physicist recording."[8] Devin Townsend – guitars, vocals, keyboards Anneke van Giersbergen – vocals Ryan Van Poederooyen – drums Brian Waddell – bass Dave Young – guitars,[9] additional keyboards 1. "Effervescent!" 0:44 2. "True North" 3:53 3. "Lucky Animals" 3:21 4. "Liberation" Townsend, Ryan Van Poederooyen 3:21 5. "Where We Belong" 4:27 6. "Save Our Now" (based on a structure written by Rob Swire) 4:08 7. "Kingdom" 5:29 8. "Divine" 3:17 9. "Grace" Townsend, Van Poederooyen 6:09 10. "More!" 4:05 11. "Lessons" 1:07 12. "Hold On" 3:57 13. "Angel" 5:54 14. "Epicloud" (vinyl bonus track) 6:07 15. "Cry Forever" (iTunes bonus track) 4:00 16. "Take My Ego" (iTunes bonus track) 6:22 Epiclouder 1. "Believe" (demo) 4:05 2. "Happy Birthday" (demo) 4:36 3. "Quietus" (demo) 5:34 4. "Heatwave" (demo) 3:36 5. "Love Tonight" (demo) 4:49 6. "The Mind WASP" (demo) 4:40 7. "Woah No!" (demo) 4:11 8. "Love and Marriage" (demo) 4:02 9. "Socialization" (demo) 7:18 10. "Little Pig" (demo) 4:53 ------------------------------- I love this album and it often makes my best albums lists, not that I'm very good at that, my lists would change every day. This album is the one where i finally got it and loved it, and it gave me the ability to listen to the other albums with an eye on where Townsend was going. I think the songs are quite brilliant and although some don't like the style, I i think the production is sensational. Let me know what your feelings about this album are.... Where does it sit in your collection? What do you like or dislike about it? Tomorrow we will hit the first couple of songs
I had to really weigh this because I've said before that I think Addicted! nudges out as my favorite Devin album. Scratch it. Just take it out completely. Reading this track listing again, I've got to say that Epicloud is ahead of the pack for me (at least until he does something more amazing). There's something about the range of styles and a sense of sincerity and enthusiasm that runs through the album that makes it work. There are great songs, and this is also a great album as a constructed whole (granted, I haven't listened to the "Epicloud" track from the vinyl version in ages and I've never heard the iTunes bonus tracks, so they may bung the whole thing up). If the previous Devin Townsend Project albums were a journey, this feels like the point of arrival. It consolidates everything that had gone before and does so beautifully. "10/10 - essential listening" as far as I'm concerned!
yea i understand that addicted was great, i mean really great, but this nudges it out of the way for me. I haven't heard the itune stuff either ... to be honest i was in a hurry when i knocked this out and if i had noticed the itune stuff i would have wiped it. i know it isn't everyone's point of view, but for me if i can't hold it in my hand it doesn't exist and i ignore any streaming/download stuff completely. another thing that got me was how good the second disc is ... i would have been happy with it as an album ...i need a relisten but i never heard the stuff as demos, just another good album for free ... essentially
At first blush, there were tracks on the second disc I preferred to things on the first. Go figure, right?
Easy song and album guide Devin Townsend, Who? Devin Townsend Album thread Ocean Machine: Biomech 1997 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 Seventh wave Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Life Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Night Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Hide nowhere Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Sister Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 3AM Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 Voices in the fan Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 Greetings Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Regulator Devin Townsend Album thread track 10 Funeral Devin Townsend Album thread track 11 Bastard Devin Townsend Album thread track 12 The death of music Devin Townsend Album thread Funeral/Bastard/The death of music live 2015 Devin Townsend Album thread track 13 Things beyond things Devin Townsend Album thread Infinity 1998 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 Truth Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Christeen Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Bad devil Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 War Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 Soul driven (Cadillac) Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 Ants Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 (Wild) Colonial boy Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 (Life is all) Dynamics Devin Townsend Album thread track 10 Unity Devin Townsend Album thread track 11 Noisy pink bubbles Devin Townsend Album thread The Physicist 2000 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 Namaste Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Victim Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Material Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Kingdom Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Death Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 Devoid Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 The Complex Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 Irish Maiden Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Jupiter Devin Townsend Album thread track 10 Planet Rain Devin Townsend Album thread track 11 Forgotten Devin Townsend Album thread Terria 2001 - Devin Townsend Album thread Full Album (for clean run through) Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 Olives Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Mountain Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Earth Day Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Deep Peace Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Canada Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 Down and under Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 The Fluke Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 Nobody's here Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Tiny tears Devin Townsend Album thread track 10 Stagnant Devin Townsend Album thread Hidden track - 11 - Humble Devin Townsend Album thread Limited bonus track - 12 - Universal Devin Townsend Album thread Accelerated Evolution 2003 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 Depth charge Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Storm Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Random Analysis Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Deadhead Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Suicide Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 Traveler Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 Away Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 Sunday afternoon Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Slow me down Devin Townsend Album thread Devlab 2004 - Devin Townsend Album thread Devlab pts 1-10 Devin Townsend Album thread Synchestra 2006 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 Let It Roll Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Hypergeek Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Triumph Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Baby Song Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Vampolka Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 Vampira Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 Mental Tan Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 Gaia Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Pixelate Devin Townsend Album thread track 10 Judgement Devin Townsend Album thread track 11 A Simple Lullaby Devin Townsend Album thread track 12 Sunset Devin Townsend Album thread track 13 Notes From Africa Devin Townsend Album thread track 14 Sunshine And Happiness (hidden track) Devin Townsend Album thread The Hummer 2006 - Devin Townsend Album thread The Hummer Album Devin Townsend Album thread Ziltoid The Omniscient 2007 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 ZTO Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 By Your Command Devin Townsend Album thread By your Command live at Plovdiv Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Ziltoidia Attaxx Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Solar Winds Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Hyperdrive Devin Townsend Album thread Hyperdrive live by a thread 2011 Devin Townsend Album thread Hyperdrive live the retinal circus tour Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 N9 Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 Planet Smasher Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 Omnidimensional Creator Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Color your World Devin Townsend Album thread track 10 The Greys Devin Townsend Album thread track 11 Tall Latte Devin Townsend Album thread Devin interview 2009 (part 1) Devin Townsend Album thread Ki 2009 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 A Monday Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Coast Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Disruptr Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Gato Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Terminal Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 Heaven Send Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 Ain't Never Gonna Win Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 Winter Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Train Fire Devin Townsend Album thread track 10 Lady Helen Devin Townsend Album thread track 11 Ki Devin Townsend Album thread track 12 Quiet Riot Devin Townsend Album thread track 13 Demon League Devin Townsend Album thread Addicted 2009 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 Addicted Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Universe In A Ball Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Bend It Like Bender Devin Townsend Album thread Bend It Like Bender live 2012 Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Supercrush Devin Townsend Album thread Supercrush live 2011 Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Hyperdrive Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 Resolve Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 Ih Ah Devin Townsend Album thread Ih Ah live 2012 Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 The Way Home Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Numbered Devin Townsend Album thread track 10 Awake!!! Devin Townsend Album thread Deconstruction 2011 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 Praise The Lowered Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Stand Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Juular Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Planet Of The Apes Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Sumeria Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 The Mighty M@$t@bator Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 Pandemic Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 Deconstruction Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Poltergeist Devin Townsend Album thread Ghost 2011 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 Fly Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Heart Baby Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Feather Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 Kaiwaii Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Ghost Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 Blackberry Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 Monsoon Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 Dark Matters Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Texada Devin Townsend Album thread track 10 Seams Devin Townsend Album thread track 11 Infinite Ocean Devin Townsend Album thread track 12 As You Were Devin Townsend Album thread Epicloud 2012 - Devin Townsend Album thread Casualties of Cool 2014 - Devin Townsend Album thread track 1 Daddy Devin Townsend Album thread track 2 Mountaintop Devin Townsend Album thread track 3 Flight Devin Townsend Album thread track 4 The Code Devin Townsend Album thread track 5 Moon Devin Townsend Album thread track 6 Pier Devin Townsend Album thread track 7 Ether Devin Townsend Album thread track 8 Hejda Devin Townsend Album thread track 9 Forgive Me Devin Townsend Album thread track 10 Broken Devin Townsend Album thread track 11 Bones Devin Townsend Album thread track 12 Deathscope Devin Townsend Album thread track 13 The Field Devin Townsend Album thread track 14 Pure Devin Townsend Album thread From Ass Sordid Demos - Man - Devin Townsend Album thread Ocean Machine Live In Plovdiv - Devin Townsend Album thread Devin Townsend Album thread
I love Epicloud. Kingdom and Grace get the most love, and for good reason as both kick copious amounts of ass, but the bonus track Take My Ego and Save Our Now are probably my two favorites. That intro to Save Our Now is glorious; Anneke's voice makes you feel like you are floating over the clouds. The bonus disc is really good as well.
Effervescent and True North I have these songs together because they are really inseparable. We are lead in by a brilliant Gospel choir type arrangement and a close listen will show how good Townsend is with harmony and melody arrangement. Then we have Anneke leading off True North beautifully. We start feeling that Devin has gone almost full pop, but then as the song progresses we are met with a series of structural changes that are rarely hear in music. This song goes on a road of its own accord and is uniquely structured. This song as a duo must contain almost every genre and follows such a unique path it is quite amazing. When I first heard this I had so many reactions as the song progressed .... Oh he's trying this now, oh he has decided to do a full on pop song, wow I never saw that coming, wow what a way to resolve the song. This is a magnificent piece of writing.
Lucky Animals In comparison this song is more of a pop/rock song with a typical kind of structure. This isn't a favourite and has a sort of throwaway feel about it, but it is very catchy, it's fun and so well played and written, one can't help but like it.
Liberation This is an awesome rock song. I never would have thought that this type of song would come from Devin. (It doesn't sound eighties at all, so don't misinterpret what i'm saying here) This could well have been the rock/metal anthem of the eighties is it had been released in 1985. It's one of the best anthemic, good time rock n roll party songs ever written. Absolutely brilliant, and that is highlighted by what surrounds it.
Where We Belong Pulsating along with an acoustic guitar over some atmospherics and Devin using his sweet voice and punching in on the chorus. Another song that really shows Devin's ability to write and put across great melodies.
Save Our Now Another great use of melody this time from the instruments and then a song that could essentially be seen as a pop song and it comes across very well. Hard to see why this couldn't have been a hit on the contemporary charts.
Kingdom This is one of the greatest rock song ever written. It is a bombastic raver of a song. Great drums, great vocals, great arrangement, just a totally wild ride for anyone who wants to take it.
Divine From the explosive kingdom to the mellow and beautiful Divine. This is a beautiful love song, with such delicacy, it could actually break.
Grace Lead in by Anneke, this song is so dynamic it hurts. Starting so beautifully and then the chorus kicks in like an explosion. A fantastically arranged piece of work and one of Devin's major achievements for me.
Angel Anneke really becomes part of the sound of the band on this album. Always contributes nicely, but with this album she is part of the band. We go out with another great track.
I don't even know where to begin commenting on some of these tracks. There's power and just aching beauty about the whole damn album. Hard to single anything out specifically along those lines.