I got fed up of waiting for Play.com to get their finger out, so I caved and bought it today at lunch time.

Just having my first listen now... on track 4 so far... so awesome...

My god, Notes From Africa is starting to show all it's splendour after a few listening turns... The piece starting at 2:53 is unbelievably touching. It really gets to me.

I think this album is another excellent DTB album. The only song I need to get into is Baby Song. Maybe that will come in a while.

But all in all; wonderfull album!

The first thing i noticed about Synchestra, was the amazing production. Not suprising really, ive heard what Dev has done for LOG and Soilwork and a few others as well as, obviously, his own work. This album sounds better then any other record he has done, in my opinion though. I love it all, from start to finish. Ive only listened to it once but i think its definitly up there for me with Terria, my fave dev record.

As for pre releases and that stuff, I dont even like to listen to new singles from my favorite bands before the whole album is released. Im the kind of person who, especially with Dev's music, has to sit down and listen to it from start to finish. I abhore listening to albums online before they are released, cause you never know if you are hearing the finished product or what. I know i wouldnt want anyone listening to my songs before they were done, let alone an entire album if I was trying to make a living off it.
But hey its gonna happen. People suck sometimes.

anyway! Synchestra is awesome and im looking forward to the 1000+ more times im gonna listen to it!

By the way, just noticed that Synchestra is 33rd in the official finnish album list. Never thought i'd see this happen.

By the way, just noticed that Synchestra is 33rd in the official finnish album list. Never thought i'd see this happen.

And a link to the charts: here

If only the British public were as receptive.

I think this album is another excellent DTB album. The only song I need to get into is Baby Song.

Babysong was the first track I went back to after having listened to the whole thing from start to finish. I find it to be of the catchiest songs on the album.

Seriously, once again Devin shows people just what "progressive" music is - it blows most "great" albums out of the water

By the way, just noticed that Synchestra is 33rd in the official finnish album list. Never thought i'd see this happen.

Welcome and thanks for that.

I assume that we will have to wait until Sunday to see if it makes the British charts

If only the British public were as receptive.

Some of us are
The others, we can but attempt to educate.

y'never know (i don't think it'll happen but everyone seems to be giving it a push sooooooo)

There's a chance it'll enter the "Rock" charts.....

4 days of Synchestra and I'm just not sure...

Let me begin by saying Ocean Machine, Terria, Alien and Accelerated Evolution are my fave albums at present. The first two of this list are my all-time fave albums - ever. I'm 38 years old and have a sizeable collection of music. I've seen Devin live once (Terria, 2001) and was instantly converted (as if I really needed to be).

I trekked the Andes in Peru with Ocean Machine my constant companion...

Rehab was less stressful thanks to Terria...

I was excited about Synchestra's release (like most of us). I stood in line and dutifully purchased my copy before racing home. It was my turn to cook, so I waited until 11pm Monday night, turned out the lights, plugged in the headphones and sat back...

It's been 4 days since I first played the CD and I'm still coming to terms with it. The hype surrounding this album was untold but my opinion just hasn't matched the hype - yet. This album is slowly growing on me but I still haven't been knocked around like I was with Ocean Machine or Terria. This album is nothing like either, contrary to some of the 'reviews' I've read. Nothing like Ocean Machine; nothing like Terria. If you compare some of the guitar effects used and a little ambience, then perhaps I can see why comparisons are made. But they are sonic comparisons only. I still don't see the connection - yet.

Track 4, 'Babysong' won't leave my head, nor will Track 5, 'Vampolka'. Track 6, 'Vampira' is the same. I was walking around my local shopping centre last night and mumbling the words after just 3 days of listening to the CD.

But I still don't class this CD in the same league as Terria or Ocean Machine - yet. I've read countless reviews, opinions, comments and have never felt more on the outer as I do with this album and my opinion of it. What am I missing? Is there something others know that I don't? Are there tracks missing from my copy that others are listening to?

Come to think of it, Track 7, 'Mental Tan' is pretty cool, too. So add that to my growing list.

Ok, so it's growing on me. But then there's the bass 'bombs'. Devin, why? My speakers get enough torture from Alien without having to tolerate and faithfully reproduce sub-50Hz bass expolsions. They're horrible and muddy and detract from the music. Or am I just getting a little too old? Oh dear, I should listen to myself...

Synchestra is a fine CD, I'd be banished from here if I thought otherwise but it's not in the hyper-level that some people are placing it. I love Devin's music and have listened to his work nearly every day since 1999.

I just don't get what others clearly do...yet.

Tim [/b]

I feel the same a bit^^.

The weird thing with this album is that it really sounds like something you HAVE to listen as a whole (well that's how it was announced anyway so there's nothing new to this statement, I'm just realising how true it is^^).

When I listen to Gaia or Pixillate - I like them a lot - but I'm waiting for a solo, or a drastically heavier, faster, different, more epic part, ambiance change, beat change, maybe more riff/melody alternance or whatever but it doesn't really come.
The thing is that almost each song as a whole IS one of those different parts I'm talking about.

And considering this I'd say the tracklisting is great, as we can see in the fav' song pole that there are "favouritness" peaks throughout the album (mostly Triumph and Pixillate but Vampira, Gaia and Notes From Africa peak a bit too).

So all in all it's a pretty long song with ambience switch, with quiet and heavier parts, just that everything is streched on an larger scale that I guess we're not used to. And maybe if you change your attention from the "album reference system" to a "song reference system", you may be waiting for a change on a shorter scale, but it won't happen until the next song.

Or I could just fuck off with my theories

(Mmh, I'm realising at the moment how Sunset sounds great... Sounds romantic and humble, and bring us back in the action with Notes From Africa)

But once I start to play it, it's hard to stop it before it ends^^.

Sunset is fantastic.