Send "Devin Townsend Project " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Sputnikmusic |
 I haven't heard much off of Ziltoid the Omniscient, but based on the few tracks I have heard, that's probably a good thing. On Ziltoid, Devin Townsend sounded tired, burnt out and fresh out of ideas. I mean, just look at the album's concept. But whatever the case, it's in the past, because in more ways than one, Ki is the opposite of Ziltoid; restrained, not excessive; dynamic, not mechanized, and instead of Drumkit from Hell, you've got Duris Maxwell, a 62-year old veteran of the Vancouver blues scene. Most importantly, Ziltoid probably sucked. Ki most definitely does not.It's both easy and obvious to talk about how Ki sets out to be a quiet record, but doing so would sell the album short. At points Ki gets quite loud. The distinction is rather one of restraint. Ki gets loud, but it never gets heavy. It is instead an album of peaks and valleys. It unravels at its own pace and for some, this is a flaw, since its pace is one that is sometimes meandering and perhaps a little overlong. But Townsend insists that Ki unfolds as such because it is merely the introduction to a series of four records, with the next two promising to develop in a much more dramatic and heavier fashion. Regardless of that, Ki is a welcomed antithesis to Devin's more notable work. Going into Ki, it's easy to fall into expectations. I myself had been under the impression that Ki was a mostly ambient album. That is surely not the case, as evidenced by “Coast”, a dredg-like number featuring a mostly soft spoken Townsend crooning over a groovy, tight-as-sin bassline. “Coast” succeeds on multiple levels: it is both the best song on the album and a larger metaphor for Devin's newfound restraint. The track, which flies by far faster than I'd like, ends on a slightly industrial note, threatening to rev-itself into Strapping Young Lad territory amidst layered, somewhat angry sounding vocals. It doesn't. Instead it fades alongside Devin's loose, bluesy guitar work, which can be found peppering the songs throughout all of Ki's 66 minute runtime. This contrast between tight and loose (often acted out by Jean Savoie's work on the bass and Townsend's guitar playing), soft and smashing is what carries Ki. Gone is Townsend's trademark wall of sound production, and Ki feels more dynamic as a result. “Disruptr” is in many ways executed like a coffee-house metal track, with it's light aesthetic contrasted by chugging and shouting. Yet while it comes close, it's never quite heavy....full text |
| Heavymetal |
| Some of the best composed songs of Townsend’s career. Hand-picked studio musicians add their own flourishes to the sound. A nice blend of aggressive and melodic material. Well-paced, with an emphasis on atmosphere and ambiance. Cons Album should have ended a track or two earlier. Description Released June 16th, 2009 on InsideOut Music. First of four albums under the moniker Devin Townsend Project. Produced, mixed, and engineered by Devin Townsend. Guide Review - Devin Townsend Project - 'Ki' Devin Townsend has always been one of the most eccentric musicians in metal, but it’s very likely that many are not prepared for what he has come up with on Ki. The first of a planned four-album series under the Devin Townsend Project moniker, Ki is an exercise in patience, an album guaranteed to take some time to fully digest. Townsend went for a melodic approach with Ki, teasing the listener with brief bouts of aggression, as if dangling a delicious cake out of arm’s reach. The thirteen tracks on Ki don’t follow any type of a pre-determined design. Townsend has put everything he has into each of these songs and it shows. From the epic build-up towards chaos on “Heaven Sent” to the harsh dynamics between tender female vocals and bitter shrieks on “Gato,” Townsend has never sounded more in control of his madness. There is even a nod to 50s rock n’ roll with the bluesy “Trainfire,” with Townsend crooning like a modern-day Elvis Presley. A tense atmosphere plays a major role in Ki. To achieve this, much of the album is ambient rock, with metal used as an emotional backdrop. Because of this musical direction, some may find the album to be uneven or plodding, a filthy beast that never gets out of its cage enough. That’s why multiple listens are a necessity, in order to let the ideas and concepts sink in. Ki is not an album about individual tracks; each one builds off the other to create a single musical entity....full text |
| Blistering |
| [7.5/10] Now fully relegated to being a studio musician (blame the burnout from Strapping Young Lad and this thing called “starting a family), Devin Townsend has shifted focus to building his solo name once again with the Devin Townsend Project. Bear in mind that this is not the “Devin Townsend Band,” which produced the quite excellent Accelerated Evolution and Synchestra, it’s Devin going almost all-solo again, with the help of a select cast of characters from the man’s lengthy musical career. Ki is reserved and reflective, kinda like how 2001’s Terria was, with few metal moments, but a high amount of delicate songcraft, which is gradually becoming the Canuck’s modus operandi....full text |
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