Devin Townsend had prior to this all solo album, two outputs for his music the melodic metal of the excellent Devin Townsend Band and the crushing riffery of Strapping Young Lad (SYL), a band I have never warmed too.

This time around Devin Townsend has produced a true solo album as he plays and composes all the music himself (including the computer software 'Drumkit From Hell'!).

A concept album and one that uses classic 50's sci-fi imagery for the cover. The main theme though is to quote the man himself 'one of no matter who you are or what you do you are existing, so just go to work'.

After a suitably grand intro and Ziltoid requesting the finest cup of black coffee on earth (this coffee is a recurring theme throughout the album) it is into 'By Your Command', with a brutal riff and one that fans of SYL will identify with straight away.

To counteract all this bombast 'Solar Winds' sees Devin in more melodic mode and 'Hyperdrive' is classic Devin Townsend, crisp guitars and rums overlaid with layer sof vocals - sheer bliss. 'The Greys' melds his two worlds together nicely with melodic passages battling away with his more guttural voices.

The spoken word passages can grate after a few plays as you just want the music to kick in, case in point being the album closer 'Tall late' which is funny the first time but is one to skip on repeated plays.

Devin Townsend does it yet again producing a highly polished piece of melodic metal, prog metal or better still Dev metal. Be interesting to see after his totally solo approach whether he goes band to his band again. Buy with confidence and enjoy!

****

Review by Jason Ritchie