devin townsend project ghost

Released: 20 June 2011 Label: Century Media

The final instalment of Devin Townsend’s twelve month, four album project finds him in reflective, introspective mood, but the end result is no less exhilarating.

Ghost is largely acoustic in flavour, allowing Devin to explore a side of his multi-faceted musical personality which is often hinted at but rarely explored during the crushing chaos of his heavier work. That said, subtle orchestrations and the tasteful use of electronic effects places the album more in the realm of ambient / soundtrack music, rather than anything as crassly simplistic as an unplugged indulgence. Like everything Devin does, this is art in its own right.

Due to its more relaxed format, Ghost is probably the easiest of the four albums to listen to, but don’t go thinking it is any less thoughtful or meaningful; merely that on this occasion the creative energy has been channelled into dreamy, ethereal passages that are quite stunningly hypnotic.

From the haunting Blackberry to the Pink Floyd-inspired Feather, Devin once again proves himself to be so much more than a mere metal musician. The craft and passion of these pieces is astounding and Devin excels as a vocalist, as melody and harmony weave dreamily in and out of some of the most enveloping music he has ever written.

If Deconstruction is the musical equivalent of a sustained battering from a particularly vicious psychopath, Ghost is the sound of waking up on a sun-drenched beach the next day as a loved one fixes your favourite drink and mops your brow.

Like every other album in the series, Ghost is essential listening and can only be summarised as something close to a spiritual experience.

by Marcus Jervis