Devin Townsend - Addicted review
| Band: | Devin Townsend |
| Album: | Addicted |
| Style: | Progressive metal |
| Release date: | November 13, 2009 |
| A review by: | Baz Anderson |
01. Addicted!
02. Universe In A Ball!
03. Bend It Like Bender!
04. Supercrush!
05. Hyperdrive!
06. Resolve!
07. Ih-Ah!
08. The Way Home!
09. Numbered!
10. Awake!!
Devin Townsend is back in all his original, fruity and experimental bald headed glory. Addicted is Devin's second album of the year, and true to his word it is heavier than predecessor Ki. Devin is a man of music and is now also a clean man giving alcohol and other addictions the kick. Along with Ki, Addicted is the clearest and most stable music the man has ever put out, and now with this latest edition to the catalogue Devin is once again up to his tricks breaking down the walls of music.
Addicted is quite simply the sweetest and most addictive album Devin has ever released. Along with the aid of The Gathering's Anneke, the duo sing their way through a diverse array of bold songs that will leave you both bemused and giddy. "Universe In A Ball" is a super-heavyweight, bass bash perplexing slap in the face destined for any good night club, where "Bend It Like Bender" takes things to the next level in almost Euro-dance music fashion with an ultra catchy, bopping chorus complete with Anneke's smooth vocals. Ziltoid's sci-fi-ish "Hyperdrive" is revisited with Anneke taking main vocal duties, and the soothing "In-Ah" is the closest Devin is going to get to cheesy pop music while still tastefully pulling it all off.
This is the biggest feel-good and consistently complete album the man has ever put to disc. You won't find a weak track on this blaringly colourful album. Devin and Anneke both do a fantastic job through a heavy and quite electronic, bordering on spacey at times, album that flows effortlessly from song to song to the unfortunate end.
Catchy, addictive and very melodic, Addicted will have you hooked, craving for more. You won't find anything so infatuating as this through the whole year, only time will tell how long its spellbinding charm will last.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 10 |
Comments page 2 / 2
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Comments: 48
Visited by: 488 users
| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835  |
I'm Addicted to this album, isn't that ironic? lol I have listened to it 5 times at least, in the last few days and I don't think I'm stoping. I never thought the Townsend + Anneke duo would work so well. I think I like this album because it is so different from what I normally go for, and yes it is commercial and catchy, and why would that make it bad? Not for me. Good music is good music, as far as I'm concerned. My taste in metal speaks for myself, I don't stick to whatever is not "pop" to define my favourite bands. And I'm open, I'm glad I had that attitude, otherwise I would've never listened to this great album.
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857  |
Written by BloodTears on 21.11.2009 at 17:36 I agree. I think the catchy-ness of the album was an obvious choice by Dev when regarding the concept. I've listened to the album 2+ times each of the last few days. I don't do that often with any albums. The songs and album as a whole are the *perfect* length for the kind of music this is. Also, I've noticed that it may seem that this album and Ki are two different albums that shows very different sides of Dev's music. Ki being a more peaceful side, and Addicted showing the more poppy, accessible side of his music.
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835 |
Written by Fat & Sassy! on 21.11.2009 at 19:23 I'm still yet to listen to KI, but I will this week. I heard samples and they all sounded like my cup of tea. It seems like "Deconstruction" will be the heavier album, according to Devin. It would be amazing if he could succeed in all of his musical directions, it's very unusual to say the least.
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857 |
Written by BloodTears on 21.11.2009 at 19:30 Ki is not *nearly* as accessible as this album. It took awhile to grow on me, but it's a pretty damn solid album in my opinion.  And yes, I hope he succeeds too. It would be AWESOME to listen to all 4 albums in a row when they are done if they're as good as Ki and Addicted. :O
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
JohnDoe
Account deleted
I enjoyed this album and I was blown away by Anneke's vocal performance; Devin is great on vocals as well. I agree this is his most accessible work, but still, the music is well done and interesting, it's catchy and yet complex, there's a balance all throughout the album - heavy-ness (if I may say so  ), melody and complexity. Devin is still the unpredictible songwriter that surprises with every new release. 
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835 |
Written by [user id=35907] on 27.11.2009 at 13:30 I'm still far away from that. My definition of fan is quite different. I am a fan when I know all the works a band released and like the majority of it full-heartedly and think the albums were important in some way, that's when I'm a fan. Right now, I can say I LIKE Townsend, we'll see what happens next.
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| Usurpus Posts: 2  |
At the end of a day you even like this album or you don't. Personally I like this album, true its lighter than what we're used to from Devy but its a good album and its great that Devy's never been afraid to experiment. I even like Bend It Like Bender. can't wait to listen to Deconstruction
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857 |
After listening to this album a ba-zillion times, I'm confident in saying that it's the best album I've heard all year.
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| Kalt.Dunkelheit Posts: 22  |
The whole albums was great, mostly the "Addicted" track. 9.0 rating is fair
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| Darkside Momo Retired Elite Posts: 9089  |
Written by K✞ulu on 17.11.2009 at 20:52 The happy part is really what Devin had in mind for this album, according to an interview in Rock Hard France - not that I'm surprised, as this album is overflowing with positive feelings. I generally don't like it, but it's OK on this album for me. Really. Written by jupitreas on 17.11.2009 at 02:18 I agree with all your points here. Written by Fat & Sassy! on 21.11.2009 at 19:33 Yeah! Regarding Ki, I agree it's great, no doubt about that, but it's too mellow for me to completely appreciate it now - except Trainfire, of course.
---- My Author's Blog (in French)  "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you" "I've lost too many years now I'm stealing back my soul I am awake"
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| VPeter Posts: 1450  |
This album makes me feel all fuzzy and gay, I love it - great review. BEND IT LIKE A BENDER!!!!
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857 |
Written by Darkside Momo on 10.12.2009 at 19:48 Yeah, I really like Trainfire too. Especially the end when it sounds like a contemporary acoustic-pop song with the soft, sexy female vocals. Why is there no review for that album? :O
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| Darkside Momo Retired Elite Posts: 9089 |
Written by Fat & Sassy! on 10.12.2009 at 21:58 Dunno. No one, whether staff or guest, wrote anything, so... Why not you?
---- My Author's Blog (in French) "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you" "I've lost too many years now I'm stealing back my soul I am awake"
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| -DC-002- Mastercommander Posts: 1703  |
What a positive album. I bet he had a good time writing this.
---- Coldgrits
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| Paradox0 Unasuming Madnes Posts: 592 |
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| Fëanor Posts: 2072  |
The Devin Townsend Project is looking good so far... first Ki, now Addicted!... Deconstruction and Ghost are promising. I have high hopes, but at least with Devin I know I will never be disappointed. I can see how some people who can't look past a purely metal formula can't appreciate this album... it's a shame really, but hey it's not for everyone. All I know is I love it, as do many others. That alone makes it worthwhile. To the people who go out of their way to insult this music, let me just quote a motivational poster: "Devin Townsend - He has more talent in his little toe than you have in your entire body."
---- ~Everything we think we know is merely a guess, and every thought process is a theory in progress.~ I'm not insane - I'm just smarter than you!
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| Necrodamus Posts: 435  |
Great review Baz. This is one of the greatest pop metal albums I've ever heard, and Devin's writing proves to be as ingenious as ever yet again. I can't wait for Decon and Ghost, 2011 looks to be a great year for the inventor of Devy metal.
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| Evil Chip Posts: 505  |
Anneke makes every song better. Very enterteining and easy album to listen.
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