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Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine: Biomech



8.6 | 477 votes |
Release date: 21 July 1997
Style: Industrial progressive metal

Owners:

497 have it
58 want it
1 trades it


01. Seventh Wave
02. Life
03. Night
04. Hide Nowhere
05. Sister
06. 3 A.M.
07. Voices In The Fan
08. Greetings
09. Regulator
10. Funeral
11. Bastard
    1 - Not One Of My Better Days
    2 - The Girl From Blue City
12. The Death Of Music
13. Thing Beyond Things [bonus]

Top 20 albums of 1997: 7
Featured In "Getting Into: Devin Townsend: Part I: The 1990s"

Line-up
Devin Garret Townsend - vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards
Marty Chapman - drums, bass

Additional musicians
Chris "The Heathen" Valagao - backing vocals
John Morgan - keyboards, samples

Additional info
Produced by Devin Townsend.

Guest review by
Introspekrieg
Rating:
8.8
"O earth, what changes hast thou seen.. there where the long street roars, hath been the stillness of the central sea. The hills are shadows, and they flow from form to form, and nothing stands; Like clouds they shape themselves and go."

Lord Alfred Tennyson's poem opens up the aqueous-themed album by Devin Townsend, appropriately titled Ocean Machine: Biomech. The 1997 album consists of thirteen buoyant tracks and avoids many of the pitfalls that plague so many albums in the genre of progressive metal. Rather than saturating the album with overzealous instrumental passages and bombastic vocals, Devin quite humbly allows the different sonic layers to complement one another, yielding an album that drifts along a strong current of transparent inventiveness. The concept elaborates on the malaise of life from an introspective viewpoint and the struggle to find harmony within the macrocosm. There is a sense of displacement conveyed, the uneasiness of being away from home and the pertinent loneliness. The lyrics aren't the most profound or intricately poetic, but they fit within the expressiveness of the music.

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published 12.03.2008 | Comments (12)

Found in 26 lists
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Comments

Comments: 11   Visited by: 1120 users
15.01.2012 - 14:24
Rating: 10
musicalkaratekid
Fabulous album, and probably my favourite from Devin Townsend overall. Production is beautiful, songwriting is both catchy and complex, and devin's vocals on here range from soothing to downright mental. Brilliant.
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17.08.2016 - 16:41
Rating: 8
Alex F
"Life" sounds like the end of a bad romantic comedy movie. Other than that terrible song...pretty good album
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12.09.2016 - 19:30
TheMAGAmvm
Soycrusher
How can you tell that we are living bad times in the history of music, any kind of music? When crap corporate music gets released and sell in millions while innovative, creative and non-commercial music is being cast aside by greedy record labels. Most of Devin Townsend's fans seem to be in agreement that this album is his best and for good reason, although it is not by a wide margin. In his brilliant 25 years of playing music he wrote many good albums. It just happens that this one leaves the most lasting impression and it is almost flawless. Devin Townsend's discography is not the hipster type, with one album gathering all the hype and appreciation, all the public votes while the others are left far behind. When I listened the first time to this album I felt like I rediscovered music once again. Sort of like being born again, however pathetic that sounds. Like I never listened to music prior to listening this record. There are some really light numbers here that pleasures the ears instantly such as "Regulator", "Seventh Wave" or "Life". More complex tracks such as "Bastard" (DT's best song even composed -hands down-), "The Death of Music" or "Voices In The Fan". The only tracks that seem out of place (although they are not bad numbers) are "Night" and the bonus track. "Night" is a great track actually, but it would've fit more on the next album rather than this one. Folks, drop the traditional progressive metal bands you knew. If you want real, innovative prog music, grab some of DT's solo projects and his SYL albums.

Great tracks: All except Night and the bonus tracks which are good but not great.
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08.10.2017 - 01:45
SoUnDs LiKe PoP
Insanely overrated album. Transcendence is leaps and bounds better than this.
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I lift weights and listen to metal
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21.11.2017 - 11:19
Rating: 10
Nicko's Nose
Written by SoUnDs LiKe PoP on 08.10.2017 at 01:45

Insanely overrated album. Transcendence is leaps and bounds better than this.

^This comment is PURE EVIL!
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22.11.2019 - 12:34
HyperDrifter
I keep being told this is a masterpiece and Devin's best work, but I don't actually like most of the album. Regulator & Bastard, and are great songs however.
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03.11.2020 - 20:29
John doe
Re-listening to this after rather long time, always great to get back to this beauty.
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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03.11.2020 - 20:39
Rating: 9
Metren
Dreadrealm
Written by HyperDrifter on 22.11.2019 at 12:34

I keep being told this is a masterpiece and Devin's best work, but I don't actually like most of the album. Regulator & Bastard, and are great songs however.

They are trying to feed you lies! Devin's best works are Terria and City with SYL. I also really love SYL's self-titled and the first Ziltoid.
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My one-man project's Bandcamp with free downloads: https://dreadrealm.bandcamp.com/
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06.03.2021 - 18:53
Rating: 9
Dark Horizons
"It's like a death becomes musical"
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We are just a moment in time
A blink of an eye
A dream for the blind
Visions from a dying brain
I hope you don't understand
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06.05.2022 - 23:56
Rating: 10
Samot
This album is something more ....just outstanding ..... best work of Townsend for sure
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Um, Dois, Três, Quatro! Yeah! PORRA!!!
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13.07.2023 - 05:59
Rating: 8
24emd
Theory Snob
A great album from Devin, especially considering it was his first of this style. "Life", "Night" and "Funeral" are excellent. "Thing Beyond Things" would be the perfect closer if it wasn't for that ear-splitting screech in the last 30 seconds.
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"I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense." - Proverbs 30:2
"Music? Well, it's just entertainment, folks!" - Devin Townsend

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