Physicist (Devin Townsend album)
Encyclopedia
Physicist is the fourth solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend
. The album was released in June 2000 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.
Physicist is distinguished from the rest of Townsend's solo portfolio for the crossing of the style of his work in Strapping Young Lad
with elements that had been explored in Ocean Machine: Biomech
and Infinity
. Notably, the line-up of musicians featured on this album is identical to that of Strapping Young Lad.
's then-bassist Jason Newsted
, in a short-lived thrash metal
project called IR8. After the creation of an IR8 demo tape, Townsend and Newsted began work on a new project called Fizzicist, which they claimed would be "heavier than Strapping Young Lad". When the IR8 tape was leaked, Newsted's Metallica bandmates James Hetfield
and Lars Ulrich
learned of the project. Hetfield was "fucking pissed" that Newsted was playing outside the band, and Newsted was prevented by his bandmates from working on any more side projects.
Unable to continue working with Newsted, Townsend instead wrote the album himself, calling it Physicist. Townsend assembled his bandmates from his extreme metal
side project Strapping Young Lad
. This was the only time this lineup was featured on one of Townsend's solo albums.
influence. David Ballard of Revolver
described the album's sound as "a blend of summery melody and breathtaking brutality ... vaulting between Queen
-like elegance and Dark Angel
–like devastation."
, and in Europe and North America by InsideOut
. The album was released on Enhanced CD
format, with a commentary on the album by Townsend.
argued that while Physicist is "a pretty good listen" on its own merit, it is "one of the weakest" albums in Townsend's catalog. He felt the album "comes off as a restrained version of Strapping Young Lad
with hints of [Townsend's] other projects thrown in," and that most of the tracks don't "seem to go anywhere."
Much of the criticism of Physicist stems from its poor production. Spencer found the production "a little too reigned in" and "muddy". This was felt by the band as well; drummer Gene Hoglan and the rest were dissatisfied with the way the sound was mixed
.
except where noted.
release by Sony
also contains three bonus track
s.
Devin Townsend
Devin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
. The album was released in June 2000 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.
Physicist is distinguished from the rest of Townsend's solo portfolio for the crossing of the style of his work in Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, 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...
with elements that had been explored in Ocean Machine: Biomech
Ocean Machine: Biomech
Ocean Machine: Biomech is the second studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend. The album was released in July 1997 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.-Background:...
and Infinity
Infinity (Devin Townsend album)
Infinity is the third solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend. The album was released in October 1998 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.-Background:...
. Notably, the line-up of musicians featured on this album is identical to that of Strapping Young Lad.
Background
Physicist took several years to come to fruition. Townsend had previously played with MetallicaMetallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's then-bassist Jason Newsted
Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...
, in a short-lived thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
project called IR8. After the creation of an IR8 demo tape, Townsend and Newsted began work on a new project called Fizzicist, which they claimed would be "heavier than Strapping Young Lad". When the IR8 tape was leaked, Newsted's Metallica bandmates James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
and Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
learned of the project. Hetfield was "fucking pissed" that Newsted was playing outside the band, and Newsted was prevented by his bandmates from working on any more side projects.
Unable to continue working with Newsted, Townsend instead wrote the album himself, calling it Physicist. Townsend assembled his bandmates from his extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
side project Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, 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...
. This was the only time this lineup was featured on one of Townsend's solo albums.
Music
The album combines Townsend's style with a thrash metalThrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
influence. David Ballard of Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
described the album's sound as "a blend of summery melody and breathtaking brutality ... vaulting between Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
-like elegance and Dark Angel
Dark Angel (band)
Dark Angel was an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. Their over-the-top style earned them the nickname "the L.A...
–like devastation."
Release
Physicist was released in June 2000 on Townsend's independent label, HevyDevy Records. It is distributed in Canada by HevyDevy, in Japan by SonySony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, and in Europe and North America by InsideOut
InsideOut Music
Inside Out Music is a German independent record label based in Kleve, in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, and dedicated to the publication of progressive rock, progressive metal and related styles music albums.-History:...
. The album was released on Enhanced CD
Enhanced CD
Enhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players....
format, with a commentary on the album by Townsend.
Critical reception
Physicist received positive reviews, but is generally considered a low point in Townsend's career. Townsend himself considers it his worst album to date. Trey Spencer of SputnikmusicSputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
argued that while Physicist is "a pretty good listen" on its own merit, it is "one of the weakest" albums in Townsend's catalog. He felt the album "comes off as a restrained version of Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, 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...
with hints of [Townsend's] other projects thrown in," and that most of the tracks don't "seem to go anywhere."
Much of the criticism of Physicist stems from its poor production. Spencer found the production "a little too reigned in" and "muddy". This was felt by the band as well; drummer Gene Hoglan and the rest were dissatisfied with the way the sound was mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
.
Track listing
All tracks written by Devin TownsendDevin Townsend
Devin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
except where noted.
- "Namaste" – 3:34
- "Victim" – 3:15
- "Material" – 2:47
- "Kingdom" – 5:55
- "Death" – 2:27 (Townsend/HoglanGene HoglanEugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
) - "Devoid" – 1:28
- "The Complex" – 3:31 (Townsend/Hoglan)
- "Irish Maiden" – 2:45
- "Jupiter" – 3:36
- "Planet Rain" – 11:08
- "Forgotten" – 5:59 (hidden track)
Bonus tracks
The JapaneseJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
release by Sony
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
also contains three bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
s.
- "Man" – 5:12
- "Ocean Machines" – 8:24
- "Promise" – 5:26
Chart performance
| Chart | Weeks | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... (Japan) |
1 | 80 |
Music
- Devin TownsendDevin TownsendDevin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
– vocals, guitar, keyboards - Gene HoglanGene HoglanEugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
– drums - Byron StroudByron StroudByron Stroud is the bassist for metal bands Fear Factory, City of Fire and Zimmers Hole and the defunct band Strapping Young Lad.-Biography:...
– bass - Jed SimonJed SimonJed Simon is a Canadian musician. He has been a member of numerous metal bands, including Front Line Assembly, Strapping Young Lad, Zimmers Hole, and TENET.-Biography:...
– guitar
Production
- Devin Townsend – production, engineering, arrangement
- Mike Plotnikoff – mixing
- Chris Waddell – mastering
- Shaun Thingvold – engineering, digital editing
- Paul Silviera – engineering
- Matteo Caratozzolo – engineering
- Sawami Saito – assistance
- Roger Swan – assistance
- Tracy Turner – assistance, management
- Byron Stroud – assistance
- Seventh Wave Studios – CD enhancement
Artwork
- Clint Nielsen – layout, artwork, logos
- Gary Hunter – 3-D logo rendering
- Gloria Fraser – photography
- Tania Rudy – photography