Ziltoid the Omniscient
Is it cheating to start out the review of a Strapping Young Lad related release by stating that Devin Townsend is a tormented genius? Is it cliché at this point to refer to him as the maestro and the madman? Ok then, I’ll cast aside whatever metaphors I can and stick to the facts. Devin Townsend is a Canadian metal vocalist and multi instrumentalist who loves putting out experimental albums that rip through musical boundaries. His vocal delivery varies from operatic to raspy screams but somehow it always soars, it always exceeds expectations. Finally his lyrics lean either on the side of self conscious irony or incoherent rants about his most private thoughts.
Ziltoid the Omniscient mixes a lot of both; while some parts loosely follow a silly science fiction narrative other parts descent into arguments of philosophy and existence. But for now let’s focus on the main plot. One day an alien tyrant named Ziltoid the Omniscient lands on earth demanding the universes greatest cup of coffee. Dissatisfied with what the earth has to offer him, he retaliates with full scale war. Humanities only hope falls into the hands of Captain Spectacular and his mission to find a new planet for the last few remaining humans.
Everything about the CD so far sounds like cheap laughs and maybe a good parody of concept albums such as Kilroy Was Here by STYX. On the other hand Devin Townsend has an ease for composing songs that are simultaneously fast, heavy and hauntingly beautiful. For example “Solar Winds” provides some ambient metal that would make Pelican jealous and “Hyperdrive” sounds fresher than anything any new bands have put out this year. Latter on realities collide and the plot dissolves into a self referential art record that even quotes lyrics and themes from past albums. There’s a moment in which Ziltoid the Omniscient almost touches the brilliance of Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions. In other words Ziltoid is a silly rubber monster, but through the masks eyeholes you can clearly see Devin himself. And while some unexpectedly moving lyrics show up near the end (“Color your World” and “The Greys”) Devin turns around and says ‘just kidding’ on “Tall Latte” (the final track).
My verdict is that yes, this album is both funny and full of artistic value. Its sound is both thundering and exquisitely complex, an amazing feat given the fact that Devin Townsend recorded all the instruments himself. And in the end I don’t think this album is for everyone, its heaviness is bound to give a few people a stomach ache and its cheesy dialog segments will make serious critics cringe. But for metal fans who want to have a little fun while expanding their minds this should do quite nicely.
