Band:	Devin Townsend
Album:	Ki
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	May 22, 2009
Guest review by:	Glaucus

01. A Monday
02. Coast
03. Disruptr
04. Gato
05. Terminal
06. Heaven Send
07. Ain't Never Gonna Win...
08. Winter
09. Trainfire
10. Lady Helen
11. Ki
12. Quiet Riot
13. Demon League

Devin Townsend, the former prolific and extremely intense front man of the energetic Strapping Young Lad, and the creative mastermind behind such albums such as Ocean Machine: Biomech, Infinity, Terria, and Ziltoid The Omniscient, now gives us the introduction to the much anticipated Devin Townsend Project in the form of Ki.

Named after a Kitarō album with the same name, Ki has a vastly different sound when compared to the work Townsend is generally known for. We find ourselves listening to a side of Townsend's mind that is sombre and smooth, all set with a relaxing groove that is only broken by Townsend's usual aggressive intensity. Indeed, Ki is a very real testament to Townsend's then newly achieved sobriety.

Ki begins with "A Monday?", an acoustic instrumental rife with reverb to accentuate the simple rhythms of a clean guitar that does ever so well in encompassing what Monday feels like to a great number of us. This gentle and somewhat hollowing introduction then leads into "Coast", where we hear Townsend's vocal work as followers know full and well, backed by a nearly atmospheric blend of the other instruments, bluesy and suave, albeit grand in its execution.

To say that Ki continues along the same vein as above is an affront to the album as a whole. Tracks such as "Disruptr", "Gato", and "Heaven Send" reintroduce Townsend's signature growls with the hammering rhythms that he is known for, but with a low gain twist.

Though different, and simply softer than most of Townsend's work, there are very few things anyone can say against Ki. The production is masterful, with musicians that were hand picked to bring out a very distinct sound. Ki, as mentioned before, is the introductory album to the Devin Townsend Project, meant to set the stage for what the world can expect from Townsend. Now that each of the albums have been released, we know full well that the sound in each differs widely, but what does not, is the creative ingenuity Devin Townsend graces us with each of his works. Ki is the first glimpse at what Townsend is capable of after swearing away drugs and alcohol, and the product does not disappoint.