DEVIN TOWNSEND — Ghost (review)

Album · 2011 · Non-Metal

4.5/5 · 2011-08-16
Diogenes

I love the Devin Townsend Project. Not the music necessarily (the first two albums have been sorta hit or miss for me), but rather the idea behind it; it’s Townsend’s way of kicking himself in the ass to further explore all corners of his incredibly creative brain. Dev’s music has always been unique in that each album has a different mood and style than the last, but his Project takes that concept to new extremes. Ghost is by far the softest, most peaceful album that he’s put out, and the furthest removed from the metal genre, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Not even close, my friends!

First, to please you genre freaks…I’m not sure if I would call Ghost an ambient album. It’s not one of those packs that you get for free that’s full of spacey synth noises to help you relax (although some of the songs on here could be used like that). There are ambient elements, but that’s not all that Ghost is. I like to think of this more as an expansion on the atmospheric and airy parts of Townsend’s sound; if that must include ambience, then so be it. But by listening to this, you can tell right away that this isn’t some unknown Russian artist with his keyboard or some sap hired by the Discovery Channel to make their programs more interesting. It’s definitely Devin Townsend, but I guarantee you haven’t heard him like this before.

What we have on Ghost is a collection of flutes, synths, and the occasional acoustic guitars coming together with Devin’s wonderful clean vocals to form an album of incredible cohesion and emotion. This isn’t the first time that he’s experimented with foreign influences to add a special flavor to his music, but it is the first time that he’s done so in a genuinely uplifting manner. I use that word carefully, mind you; Ghost is not happy in a bombastic or energetic manner. Think of it as a walk through your local forest or nature preserve right after a good rainfall. The sun is peeking out of the clouds, there’s not a soul around, the water droplets are still fresh on the leaves, and the air is abundant with that fresh spring smells that lets you know that you’re alive. That’s more or less the feeling I’m getting listening to Ghost; undoubtedly upbeat, but in a more serene and blissful manner.

There isn’t a boatload of guest appearance on Ghost like there is on Deconstruction. However, on an album like this, less is truly more; the vocals by Katrina Natale build upon and ultimately make the peaceful atmosphere what it is. What better way to convey this sort of thing than to have a gorgeous female voice humming along with the synths and woodwind instruments? I can’t think of any. Her voice contrasts yet compliments Devin’s in a truly unique way.

The tracks on Ghost are arranged in a way that has the calmer songs both up front and behind, as both an introduction and conclusion for the more upbeat ones in the middle. Kawaii, the title track, Blackberry, and Texada are the more “interesting” tracks and the catchiest on the album, with banjos making an appearance and vocal harmonies that spread the merry feeling like a virus. But that’s not to say that the other tracks aren’t worth listening to! Fly is an amazing opener and As You Were is an amazing closer. Infinite Ocean is exactly what it sounds like: a never ending musical voyage over quiet waters. Feather is my personal favorite, with Devin giving an astounding vocal performance and telling quite the heartfelt tale. There’s a myriad of content on Ghost that, true to the Devin Townsend trend, differs just enough to stay interesting, but is all awesome in its own way.

Whoever says that this is a boring album is missing the point. It’s long, yes, but this isn’t music that you listen to while you’re shooting people on Xbox Live or rock out to when you have nothing better to do. It’s thinking music. Try it when you’re out driving at night or while you’re reading a book. You MUST have the right mindset when listening to Ghost, or you will be bored halfway through Feather. If you think of Ghost not as “an ambient album by Devin Townsend,” but instead as a relaxing musical journey through your thoughts and desires, then you’ll see what a beauty this album really is.

Ghost succeeds in every place that it tries to and in some places that it doesn’t. While most people will flock to Deconstruction as the wild and crazy side of their lovable Devin, I feel that Ghost tells us all that we need to know: Devin Townsend is the brightest and most versatile mind in metal, even when he isn’t writing anything of the sort. Simply outstanding.

more than 2 years ago
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Xaxaar wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Devin Townsend is indeed an outstanding artist. There's not really an album (maybe besides his Devlab, all though I haven't given up on it) that I would rate any lower than 3 stars. Probably the only guy that can release an album like Ghost and an album like Deconstruction in the same year and still have the quality of each be excellent. Praise Hevy Devy!