Accelerated Evolution | |||||
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File:Devin Townsend Accelerated Evolution cover.jpg The cover of the special-edition release of Accelerated Evolution, which contained the electronica EP Project EKO. | |||||
Studio album by The Devin Townsend Band | |||||
Released | March 31, 2003 | ||||
Recorded | September to November 2002 at The Armoury, Merchland and Hipposonic studios, Vancouver, BC | ||||
Genre | Progressive metal, hard rock, alternative rock | ||||
Length | 54:30 | ||||
Label | HevyDevy | ||||
Producer | Devin Townsend | ||||
The Devin Townsend Band chronology | |||||
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Devin Townsend chronology | |||||
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All copyrights belong to Devin Townsend 1) Depth Charge 0:00 2) Storm 6:04 3) Random Analysis 10:43 4) Deadhead 16:42 5) Suicide 24:47 6) Traveller 31:32 7). Jul 13, 2012 Check out Accelerated Evolution by The Devin Townsend Band on Amazon Music. Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on Amazon.com.
Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Blabbermouth.net | [2] |
Blistering | [3] |
BW&BK | [4] |
Chronicles of Chaos | [5] |
KNAC.com | [6] |
Metal Maniacs | favorable[7] |
Powerplay | [8] |
Rock Sound | [9] |
Sputnikmusic | [10] |
Accelerated Evolution is the sixth studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, released in 2003. The album, written and produced by Townsend, was a mix of musical styles from alternative and hard rock to progressive metal.[1] Townsend, the lead vocalist and guitarist, assembled a group of Vancouver musicians to perform with him on the album: guitarist Brian Waddell, drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen, bassist Mike Young, and keyboardist Dave Young. This lineup, the Devin Townsend Band, was Townsend's first dedicated lineup for his solo material, and was created as a counterpart to Townsend's extreme metal project Strapping Young Lad.
Accelerated Evolution was written and recorded at the same time as Strapping Young Lad's self-titled album, with Townsend dividing his energy between the two. Accelerated Evolution was recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia from September to November 2002, and was released on Townsend's independent label, HevyDevy Records, in March 2003. The album was well received by critics[11] for its blend of genres and influences, its musical accessibility, and its large-scale rock production style.
- 7Personnel
Background
During the creation of his early solo albums Infinity (1998) and Physicist (2000), Devin Townsend went through personal struggles that affected his writing ability. These struggles were resolved on Terria (2001), which Townsend described as 'a really healing record'. After Terria, Townsend felt a newfound enthusiasm for his music, saying, 'Bring it on. I'm going to be so fucking sensitive but so intense, and be unafraid to be either.'[12] In 2002, Townsend began work on his next two albums. He reunited his extreme metal project Strapping Young Lad, which had been on hiatus for four years,[13] and began writing the band's new release, Strapping Young Lad (SYL).
At the same time, Townsend formed a new, permanent band 'on par with Strapping' to record and tour for his solo releases.[12] The Devin Townsend Band consisted of Brian Waddell on guitar, Ryan Van Poederooyen on drums, and brothers Mike Young and Dave Young on bass and keyboards, respectively. Townsend performed guitar, vocals, and production, as he did in Strapping Young Lad. Townsend chose members of local bands who 'hadn't had the same experiences' and could give a fresh perspective on 'all those emotions' that were present in his solo material. He found it 'refreshing' to play with people who appreciated his solo material more than Strapping Young Lad's.[12] Notable was the absence of drummer Gene Hoglan of Strapping Young Lad,[5] who had played on Townsend's previous three solo albums.
Townsend wrote and produced the band's first album at the same time he was working on SYL,[12] spending half the week on one and half on the other.[14] The album was engineered and mixed by Townsend and Shaun Thingvold, who has worked on many of Townsend's and Strapping Young Lad's albums. It had the working title Relationships,[11] but was renamed Accelerated Evolution, a nod to the frantic pace of putting a new band together in under a year.[12]
Music
Accelerated Evolution was written as 'the polar opposite' of SYL.[6] The album blended aspects of different genres, including alternative rock, hard rock, and progressive metal,[1][not in citation given] with elements of 'heaviness, ambience, humor, and experimentalism'.[6] The album has been described as more melodic and more rock-based than SYL or Physicist, yet 'more song-oriented' than Terria,[5] with influences by John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, and Rush.[7] Songs such as 'Storm', 'Suicide', and 'Sunday Afternoon' were compared to Townsend's Infinity, but were noted as 'less frantic and more mature'.[5] Townsend wrote the album to be 'commercially viable', making his existing style more concise and accessible but without going so far as to write 'pop songs'.[12] Townsend utilized clean vocals much more than in his previous albums,[6] and produced and mixed the album in his trademark 'wall of sound' style, blending 'layers upon layers of guitars, keyboards, and vocals'.[6]
All tracks written by Devin Townsend, with additional arrangements by Brian Waddell, Ryan Van Poederooyen, Dave Young, and Mike Young.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Devin Townsend.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | 'Depth Charge' | 6:04 |
2. | 'Storm' | 4:39 |
3. | 'Random Analysis' | 5:59 |
4. | 'Deadhead' | 8:05 |
5. | 'Suicide' | 6:45 |
6. | 'Traveller' | 4:13 |
7. | 'Away' | 7:49 |
8. | 'Sunday Afternoon' | 6:20 |
9. | 'Slow Me Down' | 4:35 |
Total length: | 54:30 |
Inside Out Music's special edition of Accelerated Evolution included Project EKO, an electronica EP by Townsend.
Project EKO | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
1. | 'Locate' | 6:59 |
2. | 'Echo' | 5:29 |
3. | 'Assignable' | 5:20 |
17:08 |
Release
Accelerated Evolution was released in March 2003 on Townsend's independent label, HevyDevy Records. It is distributed in Canada by HevyDevy, in Japan by Sony, and in Europe and North America by InsideOut. The album art was created by Travis Smith, who also did the art for Terria and SYL. InsideOut also released a special edition of the album which contained a 3-track EP called Project EKO, Townsend's first foray into electronica.[15] The album reached number 135 on the French albums chart[16] and number 249 on the Japanese albums chart.[17]
Prior to the formation of the Devin Townsend Band, Townsend had represented his solo releases live with the Strapping Young Lad lineup; the band would play one set of Strapping Young Lad songs and one set of Devin Townsend songs.[18] After the release of Accelerated Evolution, Townsend began touring with The Devin Townsend Band, at times separately from Strapping Young Lad[19] and at times sharing the bill.[20] After playing two release shows in Vancouver in July 2003,[21] The Devin Townsend Band toured Canada with Strapping Young Lad and Zimmers Hole in October 2003.[22] This was followed by a North American tour with progressive metal band Symphony X through November and December 2003.[22][23]
Critical reception
Accelerated Evolution was well received by critics.[11] Mike G. of Metal Maniacs called Accelerated Evolution 'the album of the year', praising it for 'the hard-to-accomplish trick of being extreme yet accessible, simultaneously heavy 'n' rockin' yet majestic and beautiful.'[7] William Hughes of Sputnikmusic called it 'amazing', saying the album 'has elements that will appeal to fans of all different genres, from progressive to metal.'[10] Alex Henderson of Allmusic called the album 'excellent', and praised Townsend's ability to blend genres and influences: 'The Canadian rocker provides enough downtuned guitars to put this CD in the alt rock category. And yet Accelerated Evolution has a big sound that suggests the pop-metal, arena rock and hard rock of the '70s and '80s – big melodies, big harmonies, big guitars, big vocals, big production.'[1] Chris Hawkins of KNAC.com said, 'Like always, what Devin manages to do is take the most infectious rhythm, place his stamp upon it, and thus create something completely original.'[6] Xander Hoose of Chronicles of Chaos compared the album favorably to SYL, noting that 'there is more variation, and the songs are more memorable and layered than their one-dimensional SYL counterparts.' Hoose added, 'For those who thought Terria was going too much in the wrong direction, Accelerated Evolution will probably come as a relief.'[5]
Chart performance
Chart | Weeks | Peak position |
---|---|---|
SNEP (France)[16] | 1 | 135 |
Oricon (Japan)[17] | 1 | 249 |
Personnel
- Devin Townsend – guitar, vocals, ambience
- Ryan Van Poederooyen – drums
- Mike Young – bass
- Brian Waddell – guitar
- Dave Young – keyboards
Production
- Devin Townsend – production, audio engineering, mixing
- Shaun Thingvold – engineering, mixing
- Goran Finnberg – mastering
- Misha Rajaratnam, Dan Kearley, Carla Levis, Scott Cooke, Jay Van Poederooyen, Lori Bridger, Chris Guy – assistance
Artwork
- Omer Cordell – photography (credited as Omer Shaked)
- Travis Smith – graphics, layout
References
- ↑ 1.01.11.21.3Henderson, Alex. 'Accelerated Evolution: Review.' Allmusic.
- ↑Daley, Tony (April 27, 2003). 'The Devin Townsend Band – Accelerated Evolution.' Blabbermouth.net.
- ↑Truong, Kev (May 2003). 'Review: Devin Townsend Band – Accelerated Evolution.' Blistering.
- ↑Begai, Carl. 'The Devin Townsend Band – Accelerated Evolution.' Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles.
- ↑ 5.05.15.25.35.4Hoose, Xander (May 21, 2003). 'Devin Townsend Band – Accelerated Evolution.' Chronicles of Chaos.
- ↑ 6.06.16.26.36.46.5Hawkins, Chris (May 6, 2003). 'Reviews – Devin Townsend Accelerated Evolution.' KNAC.com.
- ↑ 7.07.17.2G., Mike (September 2003). 'The Devin Townsend Band: No Holds Barred.' Metal Maniacs.
- ↑Corne, Mat (May 2003). 'Devin Townsend: Accelerated Evolution.' Powerplay (44).
- ↑Dominic, James (May 2003). 'The Devin Townsend Band: Accelerated Evolution.' Rock Sound.
- ↑ 10.010.1Hughes, Mike (November 29, 2007). 'Devin Townsend: Accelerated Evolution.' Sputnikmusic.
- ↑ 11.011.111.2Sharpe-Young, Garry (2005). New Wave of American Heavy Metal. pp. 115. New Plymouth: Zonda Books Limited. ISBN 0-9582684-0-1.
- ↑ 12.012.112.212.312.412.5Popoff, Martin (Winter–Spring 2003). 'Strapping Young Lad.' Lollipop Magazine (61).
- ↑Gramlich, Chris (February 2003). 'The Reluctant Return of Strapping Young Lad'. Exclaim!. Retrieved 2008-04-28.Italic or bold markup not allowed in:
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(help)<templatestyles src='Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css'></templatestyles> - ↑'Lord of the Wasteland'; Lehtinen, Arto (June 16, 2005). 'Interview With Gene Hoglan'. Metal-Rules.com.Italic or bold markup not allowed in:
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(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)<templatestyles src='Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css'></templatestyles> - ↑'Justin' (October 2, 2003). 'Devin Townsend interview.' Metal Storm.
- ↑ 16.016.1(French) 'The Devin Townsend Band – Accelerated Evolution.' Les Charts. Retrieved May 27, 2009.
- ↑ 17.017.1(Japanese) 'アクセルレイティッド・エヴォルーション/デヴィン・タウンゼンド.' Oricon. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
- ↑Gibson, Doug (June 26, 2005). 'Interview with Strapping Young Lad's Jed Simon.' Metal Underground.
- ↑Turner, Tracy. 'Devin Townsend Biography'. HevyDevy Records.Italic or bold markup not allowed in:
|publisher=
(help)<templatestyles src='Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css'></templatestyles> - ↑Kee, Chris (May 2003). 'Live Review: Strapping Young Lad/Devin Townsend Band/Zimmers Hole.' Powerplay (44).
- ↑Blabbermouth.net (July 21, 2003). 'The Devin Townsend Band: Live Videos Posted Online.' Retrieved May 27, 2009.
- ↑ 22.022.1RVP Drums. 'Tour Dates.' Retrieved May 27, 2009.
- ↑Blabbermouth.net (August 14, 2003). 'Symphony X to Tour with the Devin Townsend Band.' Retrieved May 27, 2009.
External links
Hevydevy Records
- Accelerated Evolution (HevyDevy Records)
- Accelerated Evolution (InsideOut Music)
Retrieved from 'https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Accelerated_Evolution&oldid=3034271'
Ocean Machine: Biomech | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 21, 1997 | |||
Recorded | September 1996 – December 1996 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 73:52 | |||
Label |
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Producer | Devin Townsend | |||
Devin Townsend chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
MetalStorm | [2] |
Sputnikmusic | [3] |
Sea Of Tranquility | [4] |
Ocean Machine: Biomech is the second studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, originally released as Biomech under the name Ocean Machine. The album was released in July 1997 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.
Background[edit]
Material for Ocean Machine: Biomech had been around since the time Devin Townsend was touring with Steve Vai in support of Sex & Religion, with some tracks, such as 'Funeral', 'Regulator' and 'The Death of Music', stretching back to Townsend's days with Noisescapes. The album's basic tracks of guitar, bass and drums were recorded in The Factory Studios in Vancouver during the same time Rob Halford recorded there the Voyeurs album of his band Two. Due to Townsend's discontent with the sound, in September 1996 he took the recorded material with producer Daniel Bergstrand to Málaga, Spain to re-record the guitars, drums and re-amp the bass. Torrential rains were storming the seacoast of Spain at that time, which prevented them from taking any decent recording of the drums. As a result, the sample for the snare drum on the album is actually taken straight from the beginning of Sad but True by Metallica. Due to Townsend's constant dispute with the studio owner, who kept kicking him out of the studio every afternoon to party with his friends, one of them actually being then rising movie star Antonio Banderas, Townsend then refused to pay the studio bill, which resulted in him being denied access to the master tape by the studio owner. Frustrated by that, Townsend eventually decided to sneak in the studio with Bergstrand at 3 A.M. in the morning to make a copy of the master tape, accidentally leaving out the song Ocean Machines there, thus the song exists only in demo quality.[5][6]
Music[edit]
Ocean Machine: Biomech featured a mix of hard rock, ambient, and progressive metal.[7] The album was the follow-up to the critically acclaimed[8]City by Townsend's extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad. Townsend viewed Strapping Young Lad as a 'little project' that he considered a 'parody' and not the intended focus of his music, but lamented that Ocean Machine, which he described as 'the music that was really close to me,' was largely dismissed upon its release.[9]
Many of the tracks on the album have become live staples during Devin's career; however, 'The Death of Music' did not make its live debut until April 2015.[10]
The album is specifically referenced in the demo 'Ocean Machines' from Ass-Sordid Demos and 'Resolve' from Addicted. 'Sister' is sampled in the ambience ending 'Traveller' on Accelerated Evolution. 'Voices in the Fan' is recalled in 'Colour Your World' on Ziltoid the Omniscient. A riff in 'Regulator' forms the basis of 'Om' from the Infinity/Christeen + 4 Demos EP. 'Bastard' is referenced in 'Rain City' on Sky Blue. 'The Death of Music' reuses the chorus of bonus track 'Japan' from the first SYL album Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing (also released as a bonus on No Sleep 'till Bedtime).
Release[edit]
Ocean Machine: Biomech was released in July 1997. When Townsend was unable to get the album picked up by a record label, he founded his own independent record label, HevyDevy Records, to release his solo material.[9] On its original Japanese release, the album was entitled Biomech and 'Ocean Machine' was listed as the artist name; the album was later reissued worldwide with a compound title under Townsend's name. The album was distributed in Canada by HevyDevy, in Europe and America by InsideOut, and in Japan by Sony.
The album sold 12,000 copies in Japan in its first week of release.[11] Although musically straying from Townsend's extreme metal work in Strapping Young Lad, Ocean Machine: Biomech was met with favorable reviews. Metal Hammer praised it as a 'concept album akin to the sensuality and escapism of Pink Floyd, [as] Devin lyrically and musically explores real and not particularly uplifting topics such as death, isolation, and depression.'[12] Noise Level Critical wrote that 'anyone who heard the [Steve] Vai album Sex & Religion will know that Townsend's voice is top-notch, with the ability to go from aggressive bark, to high-pitched wail, to soft emotional whisper in the space of one song.'[13]
On 17 March 2017 a complete live playthrough was made at Hammersmith Apollo, followed on September 22, 2017 by a live performance in the Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, recorded and featured on the band's third live album, released on July 6, 2018 via Inside Out Music.
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Devin Townsend.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | 'Seventh Wave' | 6:50 |
2. | 'Life' | 4:31 |
3. | 'Night' | 4:45 |
4. | 'Hide Nowhere' | 5:00 |
5. | 'Sister' | 2:48 |
6. | '3 A.M.' | 1:56 |
7. | 'Voices in the Fan' | 4:39 |
8. | 'Greetings' | 2:53 |
9. | 'Regulator' | 5:06 |
10. | 'Funeral' | 8:06 |
11. | 'Bastard'
| 10:17 |
12. | 'The Death of Music' | 12:15 |
13. | 'Thing Beyond Things' | 4:47 |
Total length: | 73:53 |
Personnel[edit]
The Devin Townsend Band - Accelerated Evolution (full Album ...
- Devin Townsend – vocals, guitar, keyboards, production, mixing, editing
- JR Harder – bass
- Marty Chapman – drums
- Chris Valagao – backing vocals
- John Morgan – keyboards, samples, engineering
- Matteo Caratozzolo – editing
- Tim Oberthier – engineering
- Sheldon Zaharko – engineering
- Daniel Bergstrand – recording, mixing
- Victor Morden – mixing assistance
- Masa Noda – photography
- Daniel Collins – artwork
References[edit]
- ^'Allmusic review'.
- ^Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine: Biomech
- ^Banick, Kyle (January 18, 2006). 'Devin Townsend – Ocean Machine: Biomech Review.' Sputnikmusic.
- ^Ocean Machine review
- ^https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-devin-townsend-ocean-machine
- ^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2vpT_8zKp4
- ^G., Mike (September 2003). 'The Devin Townsend Band: No Holds Barred.' Metal Maniacs.
- ^See Strapping Young Lad and Devin Townsend for a thorough discussion of the album's acclaim.
- ^ abJimzilla (Summer 2003). 'Strapping Young Lad: Devin Townsend.' Throat Culture.
- ^Setlist.fm. ([1])
- ^Far Beyond Metal: Strapping Young Lad 1997 news archive
- ^Metal Hammer (Hevydevy Records: Ocean Machine reviewsArchived 2007-08-06 at the Wayback Machine).
- ^Noise Level Critical. (Hevydevy Records: Ocean Machine reviewsArchived 2007-08-06 at the Wayback Machine)
External links[edit]
- Ocean Machine: Biomech (HevyDevy Records)
- Ocean Machine: Biomech (InsideOut Music)
See Full List On Discogs.com
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ocean_Machine:_Biomech&oldid=961557645'