Suprise, Suprise!

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

I went back to my local record store just to look around and check to see if they had any cool new stuff (like the Blind Guardian live album, which they DIDN'T). Mars Volta was playing in the store. Pretty cool, I thought. I'm not usually that big on punk or post-punk, but this stuff was very energetic and dynamic.
Anyways, I went to my favourite section...METAL.
I looked at everything from Anthrax to Bathory. From Shadows Fall to Mayhem. From Emperor to Opeth.
When I went there awhile ago, they had one Devin Townsend solo CD...ACCELERATED EVOLUTION, and I grabbed it. I listened...I loved...I reviewed. I went back to order TERRIA and they got it for me. It's still growing on me.
Well, when I went back, they had both those CD's in stock...and...

PHYSICIST!!!

I grabbed it and bought it! This is excellent...for awhile I thought I would be stuck with only two Devin Townsend CD's for quite awhile. This is great! I'll listen to it and review here!

Good to talk to all you guys! I can never thank you enough for your help in getting me into this wonderful music. Thanks to Devin, obviously, for the great music to give to us. Hopefully I will be able to see you with Strapping Young Lad, Samael, and Cathedral in August!

 

[Alex78]

fine...get Ocean Machine next

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

aweosme man. listen to the devster talk about the album in the media section...as wacky as infinity is, i truly believe this is the hardest dev album to get into, thats why so many people say it's his weakest....but, it was my favorite for a long long time. songs like kingdom are among the best he has ever done. definitely play this one over and over and over, im serious. haha now you have to digest physicst AND terria together?!!! good luck. i bought physicist ocean machine and infinity at the smae time....i was busy for years, lol.

 

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

Ha haaaaaaaa!!!

Yeah, well, suprisingly, this one wasn't as jarring as TERRIA, for some reason. Some of the people on this board said that this was essentially a Strapping Young Lad album with Devin in complete control, and that's what it sounds like.
At least, from the Strapping Young Lad that I've heard. PHYSICIST is very fast and heavy and most of the time...overwhelming. It just hits you in the face, but this is a smack in the face that I like! Excellent tracks.
Songs like "Death" really go for the jugular. In fact the only track on the CD that has that signature Devin Townsend stamp to it, in my opinion, was the final track, "Planet Rain," which happens to be my favourite track.

The only problem I've had with these CD's, and it's not a big problem, is that Devin ends the CD's with a really crappy ghost track at the very end. I know he's just messin' around, but my goodness! Mabye ACCELERATED EVOLUTION was the easiest to digest because it lacked a bonus track.

Anyway...this is what I've come to love about this band...they can go from SYL-style speed metal to lush pop-metal to experimental wackiness.

 

[Demonspell]

I was surprised when I saw that my local record store had multiple copies of all the Devy albums...Physicist may be his least diverse effort, but it does have a shitload of energy...

 

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

I'm thinking that I'm single-handedly increasing the catalog of Devin Townsend in my local record store...

AND I'M DAMN PROUD OF IT!!!

 

[Colonial Boy]

I cant remember the last time I listened to Physicist. It just didnt grab me like his other works. I also hate the song "Death". Am I the only one who does? The riff in "The Complex" is great though and "Material" , "Kingdom" and "Irish Maiden" are very good if a little short. My fav tracks are "Jupiter" and "Planet Rain".
Everyone seems to hate "Jupiter" but I feel it gives the cd more range and "Planet Rain" sounds like something on Terria but slighly darker. "Victim" "Devoid" and "Death" do my head and strike me as filler material in as they arnt particularly inspiring and "Namaste" isnt that special IMO.
The production isnt as bad as some people make out but its a little hard to hear the guitars due to the high speed drumming and drowning synths and I suspect most of the songs are very easy to play. Even so its a hell of a lot better than most bands could produce.
I'll give it 7/10

 

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

Yeah...I couldn't imagine any mainstream band making an album like this...

Sorry, Devin. I know you like commercial music, but they can't hold a candle to you!

 

[oldlyonfreak]

I heard somewhere that Dev was not totally satisfied with the fizzy mix...
He wanted to remix some the fizzy songs as bonus tracks

Yeah...I couldn't imagine any mainstream band making an album like this...

Sorry, Devin. I know you like commercial music, but they can't hold a candle to you!