Devin Townsend
Infinity

THE REVIEW

Schizophrenia made music. There is no better way to describe this project, dated 1998, by that mad musical genius known as Devin Townsend. Just consider the mental state he was in when he composed this album, as he was hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic and slept naked in the recording studio.

Don't think, however, that I am about to review a grind album or extreme metal in general; quite the opposite, yet despite this, "Infinity" manages to convey strong emotions, and it is precisely this that makes not only the album in question but all of Devin's solo works truly ingenious and innovative albums. This is certainly his most peculiar and challenging work to assimilate, given that it is highly experimental and presents a thousand facets and nuances that a superficial first listen might not capture. Townsend enjoys mixing completely opposite genres, such as Jazz, Hard Rock, Pop, and Metal (to name just a few), yet always maintaining an underlying style that makes the album homogeneous in its heterogeneity.

Opening the album is the majestic "Truth" which contrasts the dark opening riff with beautiful, decidedly sunnier guitar interweavings. This alternation between dark and hyper-melodic sounds runs throughout the album. The second track "Christeen" is perhaps the one that stands out the most from the rest of the album since it is a fairly simple melodic rock song that Devin wrote in his time together with Ginger, vocalist of the Wildhearts, a group in which he also collaborated. Totally opposite discourse concerning the third track, "Bad Devil", which is undoubtedly the most representative track of the album and alone is worth the price of the aforementioned. Here Townsend was able to mix Jazz, Industrial, Blues, and Metal, creating a little gem. The fourth track "War" is also very beautiful, where the Hardrock rhythm of the piece blends with full-style musical choruses. Subsequently, we have two very experimental pieces, "Soul Driven Cadillac" and "Ants" where Devin's madness reaches its peak. On the same track, the entire album continues until it reaches the curious closing track "Noisy Pinky Bubbles", with a Depeche Mode sound.

Worth noting is Devin's incredible vocal performance , as he manages to vary his timbre in entirely different ways without ever sounding forced. In conclusion, I recommend everyone listen to "Infinity" with one warning: you risk going crazier than the person who composed this stuff.