Album Review - Devin Townsend's Epicloud (10 Years Later)

Happy 10 years Epicloud!

5 years ago, I did a review on this album to celebrate it’s half-decade existence on this planet. Just a couple days ago, it has now been a decade since it emerged from the mind of one of the most brilliant yet mad Canadians to have ever been born on this planet Earth. Epicloud is particularly important to me, as it was the album that finally got me to appreciate the work of Devin Townsend, but that is also ironic since it actually wasn’t the first record of his I would buy (That would be Ocean Machine). Regardless, Epicloud is an awe-inspiring release, and to celebrate it’s decade anniversary I feel that the “Looser” style of reviews was more than appropriate for this post!

So, before I go on to the actual review, I think it’s best to hear what Devin was thinking about at the time. As he says on his website:

“Epicloud is what I believe the result of all of these albums are to this point. Truly, more pedestrian and less art than the others in many ways, it nonetheless flies in the face of expectation and I believe, (hopefully) that will end up defining it. I believe that yes, there will be some people that cry foul and think that this album is too simple, but in my mind, it’s past due to sacrifice some of that ‘expectation’ into the furnace of rock. I wrote this record for others, while writing for myself. In the face of negativity. In terms of my connection to all the previous records, Epicloud is an example of a sober mind on autopilot and being willing to accept what came from that. If it’s a little more simple that what came before, then honestly…so be it. Epicloud is a naked album. It has much less covering than some of the prior records, yet ironically is almost entirely hidden in other ways. It’s a ‘spiritual’ record in the sense that it has a gospel choir on it, (singing about love and beauty), but it is also absolutely unaffiliated with religion. It was not intended to even be a record in the beginning, (let alone part of the DTP), but while writing for the next Ziltoid record I realized that I needed a break from all the ‘thinking’. (It took me by surprise when it started appearing more than anyone). I have always wanted to make an accessible record, and perhaps the fear of doing so and being seen as ‘simple’ has been a bigger hang-up than I recognized. Epicloud is a pure statement for me in that sense. I love it and I didn’t second guess it. However…the story doesn’t end here: Underlining Epicloud is a sense that things may have been moving too quickly, that the quest for gains that propel the project to bigger and more elaborate things may be counterproductive (or at the very least, frightening). But at this point, time will tell, (and I honestly have a good feeling). In some ways, Epicloud mirrors ‘The New Black’. The ‘Empty Suit’ in the record I think is meant to imply that as immense and emotional as Epicloud is… me, as an artist , is actually hard to find on it. It’s a kind of distillation of all the elements of what I’ve done before in one place. The ‘Wall of sound’, the ‘Big echo-ing Lydian chords’ the ‘multitrack vocal harmonies’…all that stuff that if I continue to do, will be completely played-out. It was important to me to put it all in one place before that happens though, and wrap it around structures and songs that lend themselves to a sort of ‘size’. I studied pop songs, I tried ‘time tested’ chord formulas… all that. I tried to get big, current rock sounds. -Consciously trying to make a statement about excess that on one level may be a bit ironic, yet on another…was the only way to truly make honest, important personal statements about LOVE. It seems that in a ‘quest for silence’ I believe I’ve found a level of output, excess and entitlement that is absurdly loud. Epicloud is almost a deliberate reflection of it all in what I perceive is an ‘acceptable’ and totally excessive way. I am still figuring out the record, to be honest, but really… I love it and it really breaks my heart if I listen to it in the right frame of mind. Totally tears me up with a kind of punishing beauty. I have found it almost as intense in its aftermath as Alien was, yet in a completely opposite way.”

That’s a lot to take in, but it also reflects on what Epicloud is. It’s emotional, it’s bombastic, it’s heavy, and in an odd way.....almost opens your third-eye. Due to his bipolar nature, Devin’s music has always gone the odd & strange path, yet there’s also a kind of clarity in it all. A kind of clarity that, once you find it, makes everything in a song make sense. Epicloud also acts as an another evolutionary step in not only the then Devin Townsend Project, but in HevyDevy’s own musical career. There’s this vibrant energy & message of going out into the world & enjoying life, and to reflect this you have powerful choirs, instrumentation from across the board that lifts your spirit up high, and clear yet incredibly heavy & emotional singing from Devin himself. Even some of the demos from the 2nd CD still carry this (More on that later)! So, I can simply describe Epicloud as the living embodiment of what a dear friend of mine calls Soul Metal. The kind of Heavy Metal that’s just filled to the top with positive energy, given a big dollop of hope, sprinkled with love, and a big cherry of good feelings placed right on top! It’s the kind of Heavy Metal that sees you on the ground, picks you up, and says “It’s going to be okay”. It’s the kind of Heavy Metal that perfectly counterbalances all of the negativity of the world, and replaces it with something nice. Enough said!

As to what I think is the best track on Epicloud.....that’s difficult to say. I believe that virtually every song on this album is wonderful. From beginning to end, there isn’t a single note of music that sucks. Now, my favorite tracks would have to go to the duo of Lucky Animals & the closer Angel. It’s funny that I like Lucky Animals, as Devin himself said on a few occasions that he doesn’t like it (He said in Paris back in December of 2012 that it was the most irritating song he ever wrote). It’s definitely goofy for sure, but it’s got that vibrant positivity that’s so prevalent all over Epicloud, and even though it’s not a tune he likes, you can tell that HevyDevy is having fun on it. Over on the other side of the spectrum, we got the song that concludes this experience. Angel comes across like something directly from the Heavens: singing that sounds like it came from an angelic choir, instrumentation that’s loud & bombastic, and Devin is just pouring his heart out as the song plays. There is a bit of whiplash towards the end, as it turns into nice choir singing with soft piano playing. For a moment it does disrupt the flow from before, but that quickly goes away when you realize it works so well with everything else. As a way to close out Epicloud, this was a great way to do it. 

Lucky Animals

Angel

But then there’s the 2nd CD. Titled Epiclouder, this is included in the bonus edition of Epicloud, and contains demos that didn’t make it onto the main album proper. For starters, there’s the Country stylings of Heatwave, and it’s just as goofy as Lucky Animals was. The lyrical content is incredibly silly, yet there’s a surprising amount of heart behind them, and the singing & instrumentation matches the overall feeling of the track. Right after it is the wonderful ode to love in the form of Love Tonight. Though the lyrics are perhaps more on the simplistic side for something of HevyDevy’s artistic caliber, and the instrumentation matches this as well, there’s still a heavy amount of positive emotion in the entire thing. There’s a constant rhythm that keeps everything together, and while it’s kinda same-y along the entire time, there’s still a nice quality to it.

Heatwave
       
Love Tonight

So, for as much praise I’ve been giving Epicloud, I do have to talk about it’s faults, and thankfully there are only 2 points in this regard. For starters, the demo tracks aren’t quite as awesome as I once thought. They aren’t awful by any means, but outside of Heatwave & Love Tonight, they aren’t the strongest Devin has ever made, and they are definitely worthy of being called Demos. Considering that there are 10 demo tracks over all, that’s a little bit of a problem.

The other point, and maybe the most major, is that Epicloud.....has been eclipsed by other records since it came out. Not in terms of quality, because this album is a titan in that regard! I mean in terms of epicness. Again, Epicloud is heavy & emotional, but the releases since 2012 increase this. Z2, Transcendance, and Empath from 3 years ago became increasingly heavier, more emotional, and trippier in some cases. Even the 2nd release in the Devolution Series (Galactic Quarantine) is a heavier & more emotional record than Epicloud. Like I said a moment ago, HevyDevy’s 2012 release is definitely a soul-stirring experience that’s filled with all sorts of emotions, but the output since then has overtaken this one.

At the end of the day, Epicloud is get a 10 out of 10. It still stands up after a decade on this Earth, and even though there are some albums afterward this record’s release that did amp up the “Epic” factor, This release still is a behemoth of emotion & badassery. After a decade of existence, it still is an important release to me, as it finally connected me to one of the most unique musicians that are out there.

So, that was my review for one of the best albums that Devin Townsend ever produced. Epicloud still stands as a testament to one of the most creative minds in all of music.....Heavy Metal or otherwise. With that said, October is not far away, and I’m taking a look at somebody that definitely fits the season. See you soon!

***
If you’d like to listen to this album (And the bonus demo CD), then click on the link below:

Epicloud

Epiclouder

Also, that quote I used is the exact same one from my original review 5 years ago. If you’d like to read it, then click on the link below:

Album Review - Devin Townsend’s Epicloud (Original)

 

My 5 Favorite Non-Metal Albums

Welcome back to 8 years everybody!

So, I began the celebrations with the 5 lowest viewed posts. A strange post if there ever was one (Considering some of the stuff I put up here, that’s saying something), but this strangeness hasn’t stop yet! Like I hinted at last week, I’ll be talking about some of my favorite non-metal albums. Even before now, there’s always been songs that don’t cause furious headbanging in me, and even a rare album that isn’t made of chrome. In recent years however, I’ve brought into my library (Or re-brought in some cases) far more records that are typically not what I listen to. The 5 releases I have here are just a small handful of what I’ve been turned on to, as there are actually many more albums like this that I like. So, with that out of the way, here are 5 non-metal albums.....I actually like. Let’s begin!

1) New Radicals - Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too (Song / Album)

I’ve talked about this album twice back in June (And once in August) during my look back into the 90s, so I won’t repeat that much here. I will say that this is perhaps the most un-metal out of all the other records on this list, and is also some of the softest music I have ever listened to. Emotionally, this album is definitely loud & heavy, but instrumentally the music is some of the softest 90s rock that has ever been released. It can definitely get intense at times, but the New Radicals are definitely on the easier side of listening experiences. If you want to find out what made the 1990s so good, then Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too will be of assistance.  

2) E Nomine - Das Testament (Song / Album)

An album I looked at back in April, I originally found this group back in 2020 by accident if you can believe it. I confess it was only a few isolated songs at first, so I admit there wasn’t a massive attachment at the time. It wasn’t until a little bit after Christmas last year that I picked up E Nomine’s first album. Well, a “Digitally Remastered” re-release from 2002 to be honest. Regardless, I love how unique Das Testament was & still is. Like I said in the review, I was blown away at how opposing musical styles could come together, and combine into something that shouldn’t work, but somehow does. Das Testament, and by extent all of E Nomine’s content, may be firmly in the obscure territory, but it’s that obscurity that makes it all the work seeking out!

3) Devin Townsend - Casualties Of Cool (Song / Album)

Of all the albums on here, this was the one that helped me begin to seek out music that wasn’t on the metallic side of the fence for a second time. Rather ironic, as Devin Townsend is one of the most metal musicians out there. However, that hasn’t stopped him from exploring other non-metal venues, as demonstrated by his lo-fi & ambient outings. However, it was his journey into the realm of Country & Blues Rock (With some Ambient on the side) that got my attention for whatever reason. Much like Das Testament, Casualties Of Cool is a strange album, but not in the way that you think. Where as Das Testament was weird in terms of musical styles, Casualties Of Coll is weird due to it’s emotional impact. The journey through this record is odd & trippy, filled with all sorts of alien-like imagery, yet there’s a strange clarity to it all if you manage to find & connect with it. I can understand why some would turn their noses at Casualties Of Cool on account of it’s weirdness, but this is one album that really does encourage the listener to sit down & give it a try.  

4) Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door (Song / Album)

For years, my Dad tried his ass off to get me to like Led Zeppelin, and for an equal amount of time I fought him on it. Since the early days of my childhood, I couldn’t stand it when they were on the radio or when Dad played them at home. I couldn’t stand the few songs that seemed to play over & over, but he always insisted that they were something special. Cut to Christmas of 2017, and in a sense I finally managed to get into the band with what would be their final album together. In Through The Out Door came out at a rough time for the band, on account of Robert Plant’s son dying 2 years prior, not to mention the various drug issues that everybody was suffering from (Read here for my review). This led to a record that is perhaps the one album in Led Zeppelin’s career that sounds like them the least, and that’s the reason I like ITTOD so much. Like I said in my review, I respect the hell out of Led Zeppelin at this point in my life, as they’re one of the most important building blocks of Heavy Metal. In Through The Out Door to this day is the lone record from the band I still find myself desiring to listen to whenever I think of these legends, and it’s renewed appreciation by my generation & the newest generation (And even some of the older generation who scoffed at it during it’s original run) makes me smile.

5) John Denver And The Muppets - A Christmas Together (Song / Album)

If I designed this as my top 5 favorite non-metal albums, I would have put this at my number 1. Much like The Black Album, I’ve had the soothing voices of John Denver and the colorful antics of the Muppets since my childhood. Whenever the vibrant green of the Christmas Tree entered our home, my parents would always get this album playing as we decorated. It would bring in so much warmth, it would feel like a cozy fireplace was in front of us, and the gentleness of the season would really kick in. Now that I’m a little over 35 years old, it hits harder than ever before. When I was a kid, A Christmas Together was the calling of me & my folks to come together in love and joy, but now it acts as a gateway into a more innocent time for me. A time where I wasn’t so cynical, a time where I still had plenty of wonder in my eyes, and a time where we all weren’t so angry or hateful. If I ever have a family, you can bet that I will play this for my significant other & our kids if we have any.

And those were my 5 favorite non-metal albums. As metallic as my bones & soul are, it’s nice to be able to supplement that from time to time. I’m not the only one in the regard, as I have a feeling that many of you are like this also. So, I’ll see you all towards the end of the month for a little more fun. Until then, take care!

Top 5 Lowest Viewed Posts

Happy 8 Years fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

2022 marks 8 years since I started this blog, and as goofy as this will sound, but that fact makes me feel old. 8 years of making posts on Heavy Metal, Anime, and a variety of other things. In prior years, I listed the 5 most viewed posts at that time. This year, I’m going in the exact opposite direction. For 2022, I want to show off some of my posts that.....maybe don’t have the biggest amount of views. For every review I made that got a large amount of views, there are way more that had just a sprinkle of people that looked at them. So, I thought it would be a fun twist this year, so let’s take a look at 5 of my lowest viewed posts. Let’s begin!

(Quick note: All of the posts here must have up to a max of 10 views, and I labeled the years from which each post came from so you can look them up later)

5) Album Review: Kreator’s Scenarios Of Violence (Currently at 10 views)(2021)

And here is the threshold by which I came up with this list, and from my 3rd look at metal compilations no less! Looked at considerably less than the first time I examined a Kreator compilation (That honor goes to Voices Of Transgression, which currently sits at 89 views as I type this), it’s weird to me that it has a perfect count of only 10 views. My biggest guess as to why it hasn’t been looked at much is perhaps because the previously mentioned compilation is possibly more well-known than Scenarios Of Violence, and perhaps has a better selection of tracks to listen to. Whatever the case, if you are curious in anyway, I suggest that you read my review on it. There may be something you like!

4) Album Review: Ozzy Osbourne’s Ordinary Man (Currently at 9 views)(2021)

Ordinary Man certainly left people divided back in late February of 2020. While for a lot of music critics it was a darling of a release, fans were the ones that were more mixed on it. Like I said in my review, I loved it as if it was an 8 out of 10, but to be truthful it’s more along the lines of a 6 to 6.5. I think it’s this divisive nature that ultimately let to my look at it not getting many views, which is a shame since Ordinary Man isn’t a bad album! Flawed for sure, but not the hideous abomination some individuals consider it to be. At the time some thought it was going to be his last release, but the Blizzard Of Ozz has something coming out soon, so maybe it’s a good time to revisit Ordinary Man?

3) Metal Overview: Paradise Lost (Part 3) (Currently at 7 views)(2020)
This one kinda surprised me. Part 1 at the time of me typing this has 18 views, and part 2 has 9. It is a shame that Paradise Lost’s most modern material didn’t get looked at much on my site. Despite the flaws on some of the records, the boys from Halifax did a great job pumping out albums from 2012 to 2020. Obsidian from 2020 in particular is easily the best album from this time, despite being the darkest release they’ve ever done. Again, it still surprises me that part 3 of my look at the band had the lowest amount of looks, but given the darker substance of some of the material, I might understand why in that regard.

2) The Top 5 Anime I’m Looking Forward To (Currently at 5 views)(2015)
To be perfectly honest, this was kind of a bullshit post anyways. To add to the honesty, I don’t think I watched a single show in this list that I made (Apart from maybe paying casual attention to 1 or 2 of them). I thought it was a good idea at the time to talk about what shows I was interested in, but ultimately I never followed through.

1) Album Review: Judas Priest’s Ram It Down (Currently at 3 views)(2022)

And we end this list on a fairly recent review. I made this back in May, and I realized in hindsight that Gay Pride month is in June, not the one before it. However, what baffles me is how little viewers have read this one. In a sense I’m not surprised, given the reputation Ram It Down has. While not 100% flawed, it came out right after Turbo, and most of us know the nature of that album. I suspect that some of the listeners of that record assumed that Ram It Down would end up being another Turbo, and while I think they’re wrong in that regard, I at least understand why they think that.

And these were my top 5 lowest viewed posts. Again, this was a super weird list to make, but it was a strangely fun one at the same time. However, the weirdness doesn’t stop here! Join me next week, when I’ll show off some of the albums I like that are......*Gasp*.......not Metal! See you then!