DEVIN TOWNSEND
''Z2, DISC ONE''
OCTOBER 28 2014
116:58
DISC ONE (56:36)
1 Rejoice 04:16
2 Fallout 04:30
3 Midnight Sun 04:58
4 A New Reign 04:52
5 Universal Flame 04:40
6 Warrior 03:31
7 Sky Blue 03:52
8 Silent Militia 04:28
9 Rain City 07:45
10 Forever 03:45
11 Before We Die 08:24
12 The Ones Who Love 01:30
DISC TWO (60:22)
1 Z² 03:59
2 From Sleep Awake 03:00
3 Ziltoidian Empire 06:25
4 War Princess 08:17
5 Deathray 04:43
6 March of the Poozers 06:24
7 Wandering Eye 03:40
8 Earth 07:38
9 Ziltoid Goes Home 06:20
10 Through the Wormhole 03:43
11 Dimension Z 06:09
Devin Townsend – vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming
Dave Young – guitars, keyboards
Brian Waddell – bass
Ryan Van Poederooyen – drums
Mike St-Jean – keyboards, programming
Morgan Ågren – additional percussion
Kat Epple – flute
Anneke van Giersbergen – vocals
Chris Jericho – vocals (as "Captain Spectacular")
Dominique Lenore Persi – vocals (as "War Princess")
Mark Cimino – vocals (as "Poozer")
Chris Devitt – vocals (as "Planet Smasher")
Bill Courage – narrator
Randy Slaugh – orchestrations, string arranging
Florian Magnus Maier – orchestrations
Eric Severinson – choir and orchestra conducting
Prague Philharmonic Orchestra – orchestra
REVIEW
by James Christopher Monger
To call Z², the seemingly hundredth collection of original material from musical polymath/heavy metal overachiever Devin Townsend, ambitious is to do it a disservice. Comprised of two completely different albums, Sky Blue and Dark Matters, Townsend (operating under the Devin Townsend Project moniker) has crafted a gonzo batch of progressive hard rock confections that flirt with nearly every genre imaginable, from icy electronica and shoegaze to fantasy metal and art rock, before settling into something that sounds vaguely like a mash-up of ELO, Janelle Monae, Evanescence, and King Crimson. Of the two, the soaring Sky Blue feels the most cohesive, despite lacking the rigid sci-fi narrative of its sister album. Offering a bevy of signature Townsend licks and crafty melodies, as well as the near constant presence of the otherworldly Anneke van Giersbergen, whose distinctive voice lends the whole affair some considerable gravitas, the 12-track set is a pop-driven, anthem-heavy gem with highlights arriving via the triumphant "Rejoice" and "Fallout," the decidedly Enya-esque "Forever," the chilly electro-pop-kissed title cut, and the epic Therion-meets-Avenged Sevenfold closer "Before We Die," all of which manage to skillfully toe the line between style and substance. Billed as a sequel to Townsend's 2007 sci-fi rock opera Ziltoid the Omniscient, Dark Matters is more problematic, as it goes all in, narrative-wise, spending as much time engaging in cartoon-like voice-overs and character development as it does unveiling a near constant stream of immaculately crafted, over-the-top progressive metal architecture with which to move the relatively thin story forward. This is for hardcore fans only. Both albums will undoubtedly please Townsend devotees, as between the two, they cater to both sides of the remarkably talented musician's persona, but when the smoke clears it will be the aptly titled Sky Blue that shines the brightest.
REVIEW BY WIKIPEDIA
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
''Z2, DISC ONE''
OCTOBER 28 2014
116:58
DISC ONE (56:36)
1 Rejoice 04:16
2 Fallout 04:30
3 Midnight Sun 04:58
4 A New Reign 04:52
5 Universal Flame 04:40
6 Warrior 03:31
7 Sky Blue 03:52
8 Silent Militia 04:28
9 Rain City 07:45
10 Forever 03:45
11 Before We Die 08:24
12 The Ones Who Love 01:30
DISC TWO (60:22)
1 Z² 03:59
2 From Sleep Awake 03:00
3 Ziltoidian Empire 06:25
4 War Princess 08:17
5 Deathray 04:43
6 March of the Poozers 06:24
7 Wandering Eye 03:40
8 Earth 07:38
9 Ziltoid Goes Home 06:20
10 Through the Wormhole 03:43
11 Dimension Z 06:09
Devin Townsend – vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming
Dave Young – guitars, keyboards
Brian Waddell – bass
Ryan Van Poederooyen – drums
Mike St-Jean – keyboards, programming
Morgan Ågren – additional percussion
Kat Epple – flute
Anneke van Giersbergen – vocals
Chris Jericho – vocals (as "Captain Spectacular")
Dominique Lenore Persi – vocals (as "War Princess")
Mark Cimino – vocals (as "Poozer")
Chris Devitt – vocals (as "Planet Smasher")
Bill Courage – narrator
Randy Slaugh – orchestrations, string arranging
Florian Magnus Maier – orchestrations
Eric Severinson – choir and orchestra conducting
Prague Philharmonic Orchestra – orchestra
REVIEW
by James Christopher Monger
To call Z², the seemingly hundredth collection of original material from musical polymath/heavy metal overachiever Devin Townsend, ambitious is to do it a disservice. Comprised of two completely different albums, Sky Blue and Dark Matters, Townsend (operating under the Devin Townsend Project moniker) has crafted a gonzo batch of progressive hard rock confections that flirt with nearly every genre imaginable, from icy electronica and shoegaze to fantasy metal and art rock, before settling into something that sounds vaguely like a mash-up of ELO, Janelle Monae, Evanescence, and King Crimson. Of the two, the soaring Sky Blue feels the most cohesive, despite lacking the rigid sci-fi narrative of its sister album. Offering a bevy of signature Townsend licks and crafty melodies, as well as the near constant presence of the otherworldly Anneke van Giersbergen, whose distinctive voice lends the whole affair some considerable gravitas, the 12-track set is a pop-driven, anthem-heavy gem with highlights arriving via the triumphant "Rejoice" and "Fallout," the decidedly Enya-esque "Forever," the chilly electro-pop-kissed title cut, and the epic Therion-meets-Avenged Sevenfold closer "Before We Die," all of which manage to skillfully toe the line between style and substance. Billed as a sequel to Townsend's 2007 sci-fi rock opera Ziltoid the Omniscient, Dark Matters is more problematic, as it goes all in, narrative-wise, spending as much time engaging in cartoon-like voice-overs and character development as it does unveiling a near constant stream of immaculately crafted, over-the-top progressive metal architecture with which to move the relatively thin story forward. This is for hardcore fans only. Both albums will undoubtedly please Townsend devotees, as between the two, they cater to both sides of the remarkably talented musician's persona, but when the smoke clears it will be the aptly titled Sky Blue that shines the brightest.
REVIEW BY WIKIPEDIA
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
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