When Z2 was revealed to be a double album I was curious to see what could be put alongside the anticipated second Ziltoid disc. According to Devin, the theme of the entire double album is “Ziltoid against the world”, but does Z2: Sky Blue really feel like an opponent to Dark Matters or a welcomed companion to calm to storm?
Upon first listen, I could immediately tell that this is the album that comes after 2012’s Epicloud. Right out of the gates, Rejoice has me headbanging like an idiot with its heavy chugging-on-C riff. The version of Fallout on the media release has Devin singing the verses, which I think are some of his most powerful vocal lines to date. Apparently on the general release Anneke belts out these parts. Mightnight Sun sounds like a modern Storm from Accelerated Evolution, and Universal Flame has the poppy keys and melodies of a new Bend It Like Bender with a rock guitar solo(rare as far as Dev goes)!
There is a lot of variation to the songs on this album, which I think is great. Did Devin write a song more radio-friendly/more poppy than Bender this time around? Yes he did! It’s the title track Sky Blue, and it’s more than welcomed on this album. Want to shake your ass for a bit? Ryan Van Poederooyen must have been while recording the drums on Silent Militia, one of my favourites on Sky Blue. And then things get more serious…
Rain City is a beautiful, dark, soundscape-driven song and is the longest on the entire double album. The vocal duet between Devin and Anneke is chilling on top of a wash of guitars that resemble rain. Though a little longer than necessary, this track is a pivotal point on the first disc. The airiness and quiet nature of the verses to Before We Die make you feel like you’re floating through the clouds. The Universal Choir makes an appearance in the chorus as well.
To me, Sky Blue feels like a nice common ground between Addicted and Epicloud, with some early Devin Townsend Band influence intended to kick you in the balls. Having listened to both Dark Matters and Sky Blue numerous times over the past while, I can honestly say that Sky Blue will probably get more spins in the future. But don’t get me wrong, both are excellent albums with different merits. Sky Blue’s stand-alone songs make it easy to just drop the needle anywhere and listen, while Dark Matters feels like it should be played top to bottom every time, which can be taxing. I’m sure the disc without dialogue enables a more casual listen, though.
I think the music here is completely worthy of its hype and will be a blast to hear live.
5/5
Thanks to Jon Pebsworth at Century Media and Jasper Shuurmans at Northern Music Co. for the chance to review this album.
North American Pre-Order: http://www.cmdistro.com/Artist/Devin_Townsend/10266
or http://www.jsrdirect.com/bands/devintownsendproject
European Pre-Order: https://www.bandstores.co.uk/shop/devintownsend/
Dunwich Reviews 