t'o ricordi quando scriveva sti pezzi?
Translation: Do you remember when he wrote songs like these?
well, my favourite songs are different but… i pretty much agree on everything. the clarity of vision that drove devin in those times was amazing and it drove him to places as different as an ocean and a metropolis can be, always with a majestic grandeur that takes the breath away.
the drums are a bit too metal for my taste but there were many problems during the recordings, leading to the switching of the original snare with a sample… from metallica’s “sad but true”; yup, the “shotgun snare”. the drums of “ocean machine” don’t sound overly natural but it works, let’s leave it at that.
for me the absolute highlight of the album remains “bastard”, a song that swings with the waves and wraps you in a sense of peaceful melancholia but still has the anger of a storm. then comes “night” with its lovely pop-metal flavour, then i would probably have to choose between “regulator” and “the death of music”… but i won’t, consider it a tie.
the open tuning of devin’s guitar contributes to the unique sound of this album, the foundation for what townsend built in the following years with masterpieces such as “city”, “terria” or “infinity”.
Yes I remember them and I really miss them.
Honestly I stopped following his projects since 2012 and I listened to Epicloud only because my best friend Andrea (the anthropologist) wanted to.... yes also in "preparation" to the Retinal Circus @London.
Note: I'm so glad to introduce to you a "classic" chat between me and my favore drummer in the world <3 Mr. heavydrum! Classic means a huge monologue of mine about "how much is beautiful <namealbum>" and a synthetic note in the end by the drummer. Let's understand who is the introvert and who is not :P
Note: I'm so glad to introduce to you a "classic" chat between me and my favore drummer in the world <3 Mr. heavydrum! Classic means a huge monologue of mine about "how much is beautiful <namealbum>" and a synthetic note in the end by the drummer. Let's understand who is the introvert and who is not :P
Today it is the "World Ocean Day" so let's talk about Ocean Machine.
I can follow all the sounds of this album.
I discovered it around 2003 after the release of Strapping Young Lad and like a good obsessive compulsive person I started to listen to everything with the voice of Devin Townsend, yes...of course...also "Sex&Religion", to date the only Steve Vai album that I like.
The sound is warm, a great difference from the nowadays Townsend projects. The drum is heavy but always connected with the rest of the sounds; the last one is compact and it moves like a wave, bringing with it a lot of images.
The biggest element that, in my opinion, Devin lost through the time it is his personal sound: from the first notes of Ocean you can exactly recognize him.
After 2005 something happened, he did good albums till 2011 (Ziltoid, Ki, Addicted, Ghost) like a falling star his works started to lose energy, personality, heat and light.
But hey, we always love him, always.
He was one of our best friend during our young.
Ain't true?
I really miss the soul of his previous works, like Ocean.
Ocean is a tsunami of emotions, you can see the backing of the water and after few minute you are annihilate by Seventh Wave, Life!, 3a.m., Sister and Death of Music.
From some interviews it seems that he wrote Oceans when he was just 17... it/he has such a mature sound with heavy and in the same time "jumping" elements, I find it very ordinate and with a backbone, great work for a young guy.
The atmosphere is unmistakably 90s with synth and effect sample, but also some dynamic drum&bass are typical of that period.
Top 3
3
Seventh Wave
I'll wait for the ocean to rise up
And greet me as it rose up before
(I'll know the year)
Because you're never alone
...Even when you're alone
You're never alone...
Watch the seventh wave
2
Life
My life is all that I've known
And it's all that keeps me here
My time is all that I own
So I won't let it slip away...
How long can this life go on
Who we are what we are...
I'll see you on the other side
1
3 A.M.
Time will be on my side
No looking back this time
All that I've known is gone
Time to be moving on...
* A special bonus for the live version of "The Death of Music" and "Regulator" which is the sound muse of Addicted.
well, my favourite songs are different but… i pretty much agree on everything. the clarity of vision that drove devin in those times was amazing and it drove him to places as different as an ocean and a metropolis can be, always with a majestic grandeur that takes the breath away.
the drums are a bit too metal for my taste but there were many problems during the recordings, leading to the switching of the original snare with a sample… from metallica’s “sad but true”; yup, the “shotgun snare”. the drums of “ocean machine” don’t sound overly natural but it works, let’s leave it at that.
for me the absolute highlight of the album remains “bastard”, a song that swings with the waves and wraps you in a sense of peaceful melancholia but still has the anger of a storm. then comes “night” with its lovely pop-metal flavour, then i would probably have to choose between “regulator” and “the death of music”… but i won’t, consider it a tie.
the open tuning of devin’s guitar contributes to the unique sound of this album, the foundation for what townsend built in the following years with masterpieces such as “city”, “terria” or “infinity”.
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