Devin Townsend
Ocean Machine : Biomech (1997)
Devin Townsend is arguably one of the most productive, talented and experimental musicians on the planet. Researching his work and his extensive career tells a tale of a man who has never been content with one style of music; rather, admitting that his music is an extension of his feelings, and his personality, and consequently changing to suit. In interviews, he comes across as a charismatic, passionate man who has a no bullshit approach to life.
And yet, I am about as personally familiar with his work as I am with the breasts of Salma Hayek.
Knowing him only by reputation, it's time to remedy that, with an album that has come highly recommended by two mates. It's 1997's Ocean Machine: Biomech, an album that was written and recorded not long before Townsend's diagnosis with bipolar disorder; he would later remark that this, and its predecessor (Strapping Young Lad's City) were representative of his personality extremes at the time.
Heavy stuff. But is the album?
The Album
Well......not exactly.
Musically, it certainly has moments where we can see that reputation as 'Hevy Devy' come to the forefront. However, for the most part, the album is bombastic, melodic progressive metal, monstrous in sound and scale.
Emotionally, however, it packs one hell of a punch, with most of the songs dealing with death, mortality, depression....the darker side of humanity, basically. Yet throughout, the music is never depressing; mournful at times, yes, but Townsend's massive production and the heavy use of anthemic keyboards means that the grandeur of the music never allows it to wallow in pity for too long.
Townsend himself is a beast of a vocalist, covering a huge spread of vocal styles throughout Biomech. There's powerful screaming, stage whispers, passionate wails, pure smoothness.....and at every stage it just seems to go with the music.
Speaking of which, there's very few tracks on Biomech that aren't sprawling anthems. That is not a bad thing, because Townsend does sprawling anthemic prog metal superbly. There's no guitar wankery, just insistent riffs, synth string chords galore and his enthralling vocal. Tracks like the brilliant opener Seventh Wave, the crunch-meets-Yes prog metal riffathon Hide Nowhere and the splendid Greetings are the prime examples of this sound. Then there's the songs that are mainly sprawling prog metal anthems but with unexpected twists, like Voices In The Fan. It follows the keys and crunchy riff formula well, until the last moments, when a choral section, resplendent in all its angelic glory, sings us out to remarkable effect.
Having said that, there are also small hints of that harder, aggressive metal sound that Townsend was more famous for through Strapping Young Lad. Night is a real headbanger with a superb vocal delivery; Townsend's vocal is aggressive and driving, while simultaneously sounding tortured. Regulator is the first of the album's four defining songs, in my view; really aggressive metal, another great vocal from Townsend, it might not be close to the pure brutality of SYL but it's still harder than anything else on Biomech.
That's not all though! There are even flirtations with a more alternative rock style on Life (with its hooky chorus and lighter, more melodic tone) and the frankly stunning Funeral, which is another one of that run of four defining tunes. Beginning with a jangly guitar rhythm that wouldn't be out of place on an Interpol album, it is largely an alternative rock-flavoured prog metal tune; the alternative comparisons coming from the key, chord progressions and the softer edge to the track. The lyric is powerful, seemingly about being the person left behind when someone has died, and all the assorted emotions that go with that; and as for Townsend, he turns in his most memorable vocal of the album, full of passion, power and gut-wrenching emotion.
The other two tracks that form the quartet that I feel best sum up the album are Bastard and The Death of Music. And they could not be more different as a pair. Bastard continues the anthemic prog metal vibe for ten minutes, moving through two different movements and stories seamlessly. It's nearly flawless in its scope and execution - the biggest tick I can give it is that I didn't even notice it had been running so long, so lost was I in the music.
As for The Death of Music, well this might seem like a backhanded compliment, but its ambient tone and electronica-tinged sound, its melding of mild jangly guitar and keyboards, as well as Townsend's passionate vocal cries, mark it as stylistically extraordinarily similar to early U2 (you know, when they were good). Townsend himself seems to be channelling early Bono in sound and vocal stylings. Now far be it from me to imply that Townsend is saying U2 represent the death of music, but.....hey, the proof's in the pudding. Having said that, it stands alone from every other song on the album, completely unique and yet still remaining a remarkable listen (even if the talking at the end, featuring a nonsensical discussion about golf driving ranges and a rather Canadian joke about Fukuoka, are a bit...odd.)
The closing scream after the final song, the okay but overshadowed Thing Beyond Things? One of those things that's probably up to the listener to decide. My guess? Townsend doesn't want people listening to this song late at night in darkened rooms because THAT SHIT WAS SCARY.
The Verdict
Biomech is an absolute stone-dead must listen. Don't let the 'progressive metal' label scare you - this is a wonderful, melodic, emotional album that can also simply be enjoyed for its massive sound. It's a wonderful creation that deserves more of an audience than it had upon its release. It's amazing to think that Townsend had to create his own record label to release this, because no other label would touch it.
It makes you wonder what record execs think sometimes.
Now, if somebody could put me in touch with Salma Hayek, I would like my opening analogy to be proportionally maintained.......
My rating: *****
Standout Tracks
Funeral
Bastard
Seventh Wave
Voices In The Fan
Tomorrow, a brief February recap, a preview of March, and the first March album (to be decided.)
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