Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud (2012)

SWEET BRILLIANCE.

After recording four great and varied albums under the Devin Townsend Project name, and then performing all four of them live for a box set, Devin Townsend is in a happy spot in his life, and on this album, it feels like he can't help but express that damn near constantly. "Epicloud", is by all means, his victory lap that slaps you on the back and says "Hey, buddy, we made it! Let's celebrate!!" in one nonstop massive brickwall of happiness, love, and spirituality. On this album, Devin Townsend sounds incredibly fucking happy just to exist, and dammit, when I hear this album, I can't help but feel the same. This album is IMMENSE. The production is some of the heaviest shit I've ever heard without going into death metal territory, with the redone version of "Kingdom" (originally from "Physicist") sounding like the gates of Heaven opening, showering you with a warm glow that eviscerates all of your humanly senses, leaving you basking in the glory of purity.. Which is excellently complimented by having Anneke van Giersbergen on co-lead vocals, where she sounds like the closest thing to an angel that my ears have ever heard. Such an incredibly gorgeous and flawless voice, which also serves as the perfect companion for Devin Townsend's powerful, robust voice that all of us have come to worship. Beautiful.

There are moments on this album I just absolutely fucking adore, like in "Liberation" where it becomes a total 1980s glam-metal throwback with its shouts of "ROCK, LET'S ROCK!! THE TIME HAS COME TO FORGET ALL THE BULLSHIT AND ROCK!!" and you can just imagine a sea of lighters in the air as some dude's girlfriend climbs on his shoulders and shows her tits to the band, and then those same lighters being moved slowly side to side during "Where We Belong", it's just a fun time that focuses heavily on the beauty of the mere idea of existing in this world, and just how strange it is to be anything at a- Wait!! I have to save that line for ANOTHER review I have to do. You didn't read that. Anyhow, this album will make you want to do cocaine, make sweet and passionate love to your significant other, and/or go to church. Are you a bad enough dude to do all three at the same time?!

The only real criticism I have of this album comes down simply to personal preference, but the album is really, REALLY -HUGE- production-wise and it becomes a bit of an endurance test to listen to the entire album in a pair of good headphones. Maybe that's a good thing to some people, the whole "this album is beating the shit out of me" kinda thing, but my little itty bitty baby ears can't handle a lot of this at one time. Still, this album is heavenly, and I can't really point at anything else and say "yeah, I don't like this" so what the fuck are you waiting for, really? Go listen to this album, you dipshit. I'll see you in Heaven.

8/10
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Feel free to check out the song previews/buy this album using my Amazon Associate link!