One thing I am sure of is that Devin can never disappoint whatever he does. All I have to do is sit back and buy those albums as they roll out

okay so I'm confused, so let me get this straight, he's pushing back Addicted some to work on the mix, and he's losing confidence in the idea of making Deconstruction a relentless heavy album for the SYL fans because

To do metal the way people want, I need to do drugs...I won't do drugs though. Sorry.

and he'd rather make it a big musical of sorts.

Am I right here?

I'm perfectly find with all this, personally. The last thing I'd want to hear would be an insincere Devin album, so he needs to do what he feels is best, that's important. Besides, I've always thought that Devin should make a musical, it'd turn out great.

A bit bummed that I won't be ever to see SYL material live in person though. I guess Tenet and Zimmer's Hole will have to do there, or I can just wait for some chaps to start an SYL tribute band. That sounds fun actually, I wonder if anyone can do a good Dev impersonation?

LOL, just popped in here to check up on things.

I think he has a masochistic curiosity - borderline fixation on what people have to say negatively about his stuff. I'm the same - It's like mental masochism for absolutely no fucking reason. I remember someone on here expressing a not so favourable opinion on Ki, and It was the most involved conversation and the most i'd seen dev post in a while. He had to know what they guy disliked and why.

All I have to say is although everyone here doesn't appreciate the harsh criticism of his stuff, I think its healthy for him to consider it, as with any other musician. It can aspire someone to look at their own music at all angles and really create something new and full of flavour, within balance and reason. You aren't writing the best stuff of your life if it doesn't scare the shit out of you.

EDIT: And dev, if you glance at this - do you really NEED drugs to play metal? If you play heavy, do you need to follow what you're comfortable with? what's expected of you? does it have to be bubbling arpeggios and compressed, noise-gated emg-81 chugs? does it need to be guitars and double bass pedals locked in? the most technical shit ever? does a whole album or song need to be guns blazing riff your face off cacophony? can it all change in even half a song? what took a fuckton of weed to come up with?

it could be dirty, uncompressed playing from a pissed off, burnt out nerdy old fart - before the flow into the smoothest, most hypnotic riff you could imagine. jim morrison meets meshuggah, tool meets trance.

Sounds like you're right about the 'mental masochism' thing. I'm the one who pointed out a few things I wasn't thrilled about when it came to Ki, but with those posts came lots of praise of the album, but EVERYONE on these forums fixated on the bad things that were said. It's only through your mistakes that you learn what works and what doesn't. I get that everyone here loved Ki, but just because YOU loved it doesn't make it the most beautiful piece of music ever written, it's very subjective. I'm happy Devin actually asked me what I disliked about it, and didn't just shoot me down. Self doubt works for you and against you... it can scare you into trying new ideas, but at the same time can help perfect existing ideas.

Also, when Devy said that he needed drugs to write the music 'we wanted to hear' or something to that effect... I'm curious what he thinks his fans want to hear. If you read this Dev, we want to hear ANYTHING that comes out of your mind, as you have a particular talent for putting emotion into music that very few musicians have. I don't think anyone here gives a shit whether it's heavy, fast, psychedelic, hypnotic, or 'crazy'; we just want to hear whatever you're willing to put out. If it sounds like dog shit, we'll tell you(fuck, look at the New Black), but that doesn't mean we'll ever stop listening.

I'd just like to say what I said was in the utmost respect to devin, and will remain so - but seriously? I know for a fact devin likes to challenge himself, and create something new. Look at the reaction Ki has made by him playing something different? So what's to stop heavy being something totally new? Not that its my bag, but there's EBM that i'd be happy to call heavy as fuck. I would love devin to touch a totally new note, a totally new sound, just to fuck our heads up a bit more as to what this guy is, does and is capable of when he's not tainted by green.

If I ever quote Ocean Machine, like i will now, it's not the old "master of puppets" point of trying to recreate what he did before, but my god, when he's sober and clean he can still if not more impressively make some utterly amazing and heavy music. I personally think there's more to this than the drugs/heavy thing going on here.

My personal, and strictly personal take on this, from what mr.townsend has said from interviews, his change of playing, and his actions (the sale of his gear too) - is that he really doesn't like who he was when he created and lived for heavy music. He feels little connection with it now, and feels that to liberate himself from what people know of the old him, the old music and the old skullet - the old habits and ways, he needs to cut away the ties and burn the bridges.

But that's his business. I just hope he takes a look at the situation differently as to how wide a range of "heavy" music there is, and what hasn't been done. It doesn't even have to be all heavy - sometimes the dynamics between the calm and storm can be half of the fun. I also hope that he absolutely realises the amount of cathartic, pleasurable release he's offered, and the awe-inspiring influence he has on the extreme fringes of music that he changed. He is no god, nor uber-human. He's a guy who has a knack for some great music and enjoys it.

He's a nerd....a Nerd.

Dude Devy!!

... I used to be into Industrial/synth music and where did the heroes, Skinny Puppy, come from?... Yes, Canada...
... then I grew up and broadened my musical taste, got into Post Rock for a while and where did the heroes, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, come from? ... Canada...
... then I got into metal and where did the heroes, SYL, come from?... Cananda
... then I saw the movie Dogma and who actually plays GOD?... Alanis Morisette...and where is she from...

I know we fucking rock here in Sweden but Canada might just be rocking a wee bit more when it comes to music so dude, you're from Canada, everything will be fine...

Let me quote youself... "We fucking looooove you!" so... play from your heart! That's really what matters, fuck anything else!

Dude Devy!!

... I used to be into Industrial/synth music and where did the heroes, Skinny Puppy, come from?... Yes, Canada...
... then I grew up and broadened my musical taste, got into Post Rock for a while and where did the heroes, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, come from? ... Canada...
... then I got into metal and where did the heroes, SYL, come from?... Cananda
... then I saw the movie Dogma and who actually plays GOD?... Alanis Morisette...and where is she from...

I know we fucking rock here in Sweden but Canada might just be rocking a wee bit more when it comes to music so dude, you're from Canada, everything will be fine...

Let me quote youself... "We fucking looooove you!" so... play from your heart! That's really what matters, fuck anything else!

+10000000000000
Don't forget Cryptopsy!
Well maybe not anymore...

Not so much Cryptopsy anymore. They have been shitting the bed recently.

Death from above 1979 are Canadians... figures...

Just waiting for Trent Reznor to come out and says he's really canadian as well...

Rush are from Canada!

Dude Devy!!

... I used to be into Industrial/synth music and where did the heroes, Skinny Puppy, come from?... Yes, Canada...
... then I grew up and broadened my musical taste, got into Post Rock for a while and where did the heroes, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, come from? ... Canada...
... then I got into metal and where did the heroes, SYL, come from?... Cananda
... then I saw the movie Dogma and who actually plays GOD?... Alanis Morisette...and where is she from...

I know we fucking rock here in Sweden but Canada might just be rocking a wee bit more when it comes to music so dude, you're from Canada, everything will be fine...

Let me quote youself... "We fucking looooove you!" so... play from your heart! That's really what matters, fuck anything else!

Rush are from Canada!

Also David Cronenberg.

Rush are from Canada!

Yes, yes they are! Fantastic band too.

Trailer Park Boys are Canadian too! Hoooray

Dev, just do as you planned - take a few weeks break from the whole thing to get some objectivity and to allow those comments to fade away. There's nothing worse than having someone tell you what THEY would do with your idea to make it better (for them); the idea is to get into the spirit of what someone is trying to create and help them get there, not do what you (the critic) would like to do with it. A lot of people don't get that aspect of critical feedback. It's a shame because it really throws the artist off balance. Good lessons though. Keep at it bro - I can assure you, those of us who dug 'Ki' and all your stuff will undoubtedly love it!!

Death from above 1979 are Canadians... figures...

Just waiting for Trent Reznor to come out and says he's really canadian as well...

If Trent were Canadian, then Year Zero must be about the Canadian government. . . .

But there was no mention of milk in bags. ):

Death from above 1979 are Canadians... figures...

Just waiting for Trent Reznor to come out and says he's really canadian as well...

If Trent were Canadian, then Year Zero must be about the Canadian government. . . .

):

oh my.. that's true... weird!