Epicloud

Last updated
Epicloud
Epicloud album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Devin Townsend Project
ReleasedSeptember 18, 2012 (2012-09-18) [1]
RecordedMarch–May 2012
StudioKingdom Studio (Perth, Australia), Strait Sound Studio (Gibsons, Canada), The Armoury Studios (Vancouver, Canada)
Genre
Length49:52
Label HevyDevy
Producer Devin Townsend
Devin Townsend Project chronology
By a Thread – Live in London 2011
(2012)		Epicloud
(2012)		 Z²
(2014)
Devin Townsend chronology
By a Thread – Live in London 2011
(2012)		Epicloud
(2012)		 The Retinal Circus
(2013)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Blistering Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Sputnikmusic3.0/5 [5]

Epicloud is the fifteenth studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the fifth album in the Devin Townsend Project series. The album was released on September 18, 2012, in North America, and September 24, 2012, in Europe, through his independent record label HevyDevy Records and Inside Out Music. [6]

Contents

Background

In an interview with Soundwave TV, Townsend discussed how Epicloud was conceived: "In this sort of process of writing that I've discovered that I guess I'm capable of now, with a sober frame of mind, part of that is just not second-guessing it, so if I write something like that, I just do it, and just finish it."

He continued, "Over the past couple of years, I thought, 'OK, I've gotta write this next 'Ziltoid' thing; I'm inspired to make this epic space opera and, like, really overdo it, and make it really dark.' And so I sat down to write, but every time I went to write, I'd write some poppy hard rock thing. And I was like, 'OK, we'll get that one out of the way and then I'll write 'Ziltoid'.' And I got it out of the way and I'd go write 'Ziltoid'. And I'd write another one. So I'm thinking, 'OK, it's pretty obvious to me that I've got this that wants to come out before that.'"

Regarding the musical direction of Epicloud, Townsend told Noisecreep, "Over the course of the full record, there's sort of new age-y stuff, jazzy stuff, really heavy stuff. We basically cover the gamut. Epicloud is the first record that I felt confident enough to include all those things on one record so it goes between melodic hard rock to schizophrenic heavy metal to country to really ambient stuff and it's all in one place. I'm using a gospel choir, a string section and a horn section for this one as well."

When discussing the name of the album, Townsend said the title is a double entendre. The first meaning was inspired by the many plane journeys he and the band took whilst on tour, when Townsend noted how cool he thought it was that they were above the clouds, 'epi-cloud', while the second comes from the musical content of the album itself, 'epic-loud'. [7]

On the topic of his decision to re-record "Kingdom", a song from his Physicist album, which came out in 2000 on Townsend's label HevyDevy Records, Townsend said, "We re-did 'Kingdom' because it's a live set staple, and so much better now than the Physicist recording." [8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Devin Townsend except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Effervescent!" 0:44
2."True North" 3:53
3."Lucky Animals" 3:21
4."Liberation"Townsend, Ryan Van Poederooyen 3:21
5."Where We Belong" 4:27
6."Save Our Now" (based on a structure written by Rob Swire) 4:08
7."Kingdom" 5:29
8."Divine" 3:17
9."Grace"Townsend, Van Poederooyen6:09
10."More!" 4:05
11."Lessons" 1:07
12."Hold On" 3:57
13."Angel" 5:54
Total length:49:52
Vinyl edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
14."Epicloud"6:08
Total length:56:00
iTunes bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
15."Cry Forever"4:00
16."Take My Ego"6:22
Total length:66:22
Epiclouder (deluxe edition disc 2)
No.TitleLength
1."Believe" (demo)4:05
2."Happy Birthday" (demo)4:36
3."Quietus" (demo)5:34
4."Heatwave" (demo)3:36
5."Love Tonight" (demo)4:49
6."The Mind WASP" (demo)4:40
7."Woah No!" (demo)4:11
8."Love and Marriage" (demo)4:02
9."Socialization" (demo)7:18
10."Little Pig" (demo)4:53
Total length:47:44

Personnel

Production

Charts

ChartPeak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [10] 169
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [11] 115
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [12] 88
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [13] 8
French Albums (SNEP) [14] 96
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [15] 87
Scottish Albums (OCC) [16] 54
UK Albums (OCC) [17] 61
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [18] 4
US Billboard 200 [19] 105
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [20] 26
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard) [21] 5
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [22] 1
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [23] 38

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devin Townsend</span> Canadian musician (born 1972)

Devin Garrett Townsend is a Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He founded extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad and was its primary songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist from 1994 to 2007. He has also had an extensive solo career and has released a total of 28 albums across all of his projects as of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strapping Young Lad</span> Canadian metal band

Strapping Young Lad (SYL) was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing. By 1997, he had recruited permanent members; this line-up, which consisted of Townsend on vocals and guitar, Jed Simon on guitar, Byron Stroud on bass, and Gene Hoglan on drums, lasted until the band's dissolution.

<i>Accelerated Evolution</i> 2003 studio album by The Devin Townsend Band

Accelerated Evolution is the sixth studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, released in 2003. The album, written and produced by Townsend, was a mix of musical styles from alternative rock to hard rock to progressive metal. Townsend, the lead vocalist and guitarist, assembled a group of Vancouver musicians to perform with him on the album: guitarist Brian Waddell, drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen, bassist Mike Young, and keyboardist Dave Young. This lineup, the Devin Townsend Band, was Townsend's first dedicated lineup for his solo material, and was created as a counterpart to Townsend's extreme metal project Strapping Young Lad.

<i>Terria</i> (Devin Townsend album) 2001 studio album by Devin Townsend

Terria is the fifth solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend. The album was released in 2001 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.

<i>Alien</i> (Strapping Young Lad album) 2005 studio album by Strapping Young Lad

Alien is the fourth studio album by Canadian extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was released on March 22, 2005. The album was written by Devin Townsend and Gene Hoglan over a six-month time period. The album reached No. 32 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 35 on the Top Independent Albums chart.

<i>Strapping Young Lad</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Strapping Young Lad

Strapping Young Lad is the eponymous third album by Canadian heavy metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was released on February 11, 2003.

<i>Punky Brüster – Cooked on Phonics</i> 1996 studio album by Devin Townsend

Punky Brüster – Cooked on Phonics is the debut studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, originally released as Cooked on Phonics under the fictional band name Punky Brüster. It was released on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records, on March 19, 1996. It is a comedic metal/punk rock concept album written by Townsend.

<i>Infinity</i> (Devin Townsend album) 1998 studio album by Devin Townsend

Infinity is the third solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the first released under his real name. The album was released in October 1998 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.

<i>Physicist</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Devin Townsend

Physicist is the fourth solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend. The album was released on June 26, 2000, on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.

<i>Synchestra</i> 2006 studio album by The Devin Townsend Band

Synchestra is the eighth solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the second and final album he recorded with The Devin Townsend Band. The album was released in January 2006 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.

<i>Ocean Machine: Biomech</i> 1997 studio album by Devin Townsend

Ocean Machine: Biomech is the second studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, originally released as Biomech under the name Ocean Machine. The album was released in July 1997 via Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.

<i>Ziltoid the Omniscient</i> 2007 studio album by Devin Townsend

Ziltoid the Omniscient is the tenth studio album by Canadian metal musician Devin Townsend, released on his own label HevyDevy Records in May 2007, and distributed in America and Europe by InsideOut Music.

Devin Townsend is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and record producer.

<i>Ki</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Devin Townsend Project

Ki is the eleventh studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the first album in the Devin Townsend Project series. The album was released on May 25, 2009, on Townsend's independent record label HevyDevy Records.

<i>Addicted</i> (Devin Townsend Project album) 2009 studio album by Devin Townsend Project

Addicted is the twelfth studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the second album in the Devin Townsend Project series. The album was released on November 17, 2009, on Townsend's independent record label HevyDevy Records. The album was written and produced by Townsend, and features Ryan Van Poederooyen, Brian Waddell, Mark Cimino, and Anneke van Giersbergen.

<i>Deconstruction</i> (Devin Townsend Project album) 2011 studio album by Devin Townsend Project

Deconstruction is the thirteenth studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the third album in the Devin Townsend Project series. The album was released on June 20, 2011, simultaneously with the fourth Devin Townsend Project album Ghost, on Townsend's independent record label HevyDevy Records. The album features two drummers, Dirk Verbeuren and Ryan Van Poederooyen, as well as a number of guest vocalists. The album's choral and orchestral parts were written and arranged by Townsend using Pro Tools software. The parts were later transcribed into conventional musical notation for the orchestra.

<i>Z²</i> 2014 studio album by Devin Townsend Project

Z² is a double album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend and his musical project Devin Townsend Project, released on October 27, 2014. It consists of two albums released together: the sixth album in the Devin Townsend Project series, the rock-oriented Sky Blue, and Dark Matters, a solo metal concept album acting as a sequel to Townsend's 2007 album Ziltoid the Omniscient. The main theme of Dark Matters is, according to Townsend, "Ziltoid against the world".

<i>Transcendence</i> (Devin Townsend Project album) 2016 studio album by Devin Townsend Project

Transcendence is the seventeenth studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend. It is the seventh and final album in the Devin Townsend Project series. It was released on September 9, 2016, via HevyDevy Records.

<i>Empath</i> (album) 2019 album by Devin Townsend

Empath is the eighteenth studio album by Canadian metal musician Devin Townsend, released on his own label HevyDevy Records on March 29, 2019. It is his first solo album since Dark Matters, which was a part of the 2014 double album Z², and his first release to act solely as a solo album since 2007's Ziltoid the Omniscient.

<i>Lightwork</i>

Lightwork is the twenty-first studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, released on November 4, 2022. The album has been described by Devin as a return to a "song oriented album", with "more traditional arrangements", after his latest releases. Lyrically, the album addresses the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic, while reflecting about the post-pandemic future.

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Chris (July 6, 2012). "Devin Townsend's Epicloud: Full Details Revealed". Gunshy Assassin. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ↑ Westland, Raymond (September 2012). "Epicloud Review". About.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  3. ↑ Jurek, Thom (October 2012). "Epicloud - Devin Townsend,Devin Townsend Project". AllMusic . Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  4. ↑ Gehlke, David (2012). "Blistering.com Review: Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud". Blistering. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  5. ↑ Tan, Irving (September 15, 2012). "Review: The Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  6. ↑ "DEVIN TOWNSEND Reveals More 'Epicloud' Details". Blistering. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Devin Townsend - Guitar Clinic". YouTube. November 7, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  8. ↑ "DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT: Audio Samples Of Entire 'Epicloud' Album". Blabbermouth.net. August 3, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  9. ↑ Young, Dave (March 21, 2012). "davetheyoung: Epic two day session tracking..." Twitter . Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud" (in French). Hung Medien.
  12. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  13. ↑ "Devin Townsend Project: Epicloud" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  14. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud". Hung Medien.
  15. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
  16. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  17. ↑ "Devin Townsend Project | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  18. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  19. ↑ "Devin Townsend Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  20. ↑ "Devin Townsend Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  21. ↑ "Devin Townsend Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  22. ↑ "Devin Townsend Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
  23. ↑ "Devin Townsend Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.