I just finished listening to all four, I was surprised to get the CD's on the day they came out but fukeeeen happy. I actually cleaned my room and had a bath in preparation for the 4/5 hour thing.

Listening to the bonus Ghost 2 tracks as I type this, even

So I set up a surround sound type thing for the show and suddenly realised how detailed Ki is, rocked out to Addicted and then Decon came on. Holy freaking what. To be honest my mind feels like it's been blown up and then glued back together with chill ambience, which is true, ha Maybe I'll be able to form cohesive comments about what happened during Decon but suffice it to say, whatafuckin'masterpiece. Then suddenly Poltergeist finishes and ... ahhh... I think that was the brain massage in Disruptr or something. Ghost was beautiful, I had my eyes closed just letting my head get lost in the cloud of music. And though I have heard a couple of these G2 tracks, they seem even calmer. Feel like I'm floating away now.

I wish I had a glass to toast this amazing project with, but here it goes anyway: Each album is so different and each has it's purpose. People who've never heard of DT might find it hard to believe the same guy conceived all this, in one project over consecutive years. An artist might release different styles over their career, but it feels like Dev's touched so many things with these four.

Finally, thank you so much- to Dev!
[edit]: Oh Watch You just came on this is freakin awesome xD we're so spoiled

listened to decon & ghost for the 1st time last night, then most of decon again on the way to work this morning. 1st time around, decon was a little too overwhelming and it was hard to hear what was going on. 2nd time so far i'm paying more attention and it has some absolutely incredible moments. think i prefer ghost atm. it was the last thing i did before going to bed and was just so relaxing. i don't think i've ever heard an album sound so beautiful, it was almost surreal.

didn't have time to listen to all 4 in a row, will probably do that over the weekend but looking forward to it. waiting for the ghost 2 tracks to download now....

Thoughts = perfect project, Dev is a God to create such emotional music

Feelings = Boner.

[Blazingmonga]

Early impressions: Ki is a friendly greeting as you open the door, Addicted is the party inside. Deconstruction is the hangover and Ghost is the afterglow.

Sonically, I think Deconstruction is Devlab with guitars and Ghost is Hummer with a beat. Together with first two this is a project of immense scope that will take a long time to digest.

What a journey it has been.

[Octillus]

I cannot honestly state enough how much I love all four. Now that I've spent plenty of time with all of them, I do think they're all special, and have dominated my listening habits since I've acquired them.

I certainly have more to go into, but I'm at work, so that'll be all for now

Ghost: 1st
Ki and Deconstruction: 2nd
Addicted: 3rd
Ghost is just pure bliss. The most relaxing album I know and it has not been off my playlist since I got it; getting it on CD today was even better. The booklet has some wonderful photos and the little comment about the song Ghost was really nice to read. Adorable album. Favourites are probably As You Were, Infinite Ocean and Kawaii.
Ki is moody and tense, but it's also a really rewarding album that's perfect for a rainy day. Probably the most thoughtful of the albums, very contemplative. The heavy bits never quite let loose, it's like a punch waiting to be thrown. Favourites would have to be Winter, Terminal and Coast.
Deconstruction is LSNDASJFNDSDFAS,KF. Seriously, I can't describe in words how intense and stupidly insane it is for me. Nerdy progressive metal mixed in with an (un)healthy dose of anger, cynicism and idiocy. Gotta fucking love it. Favourites are Poltergeist, Deconstruction and Stand.
Addicted, whilst last, it is still one of my favourite albums ever. It's stupidly fun and bouncy and the melodies and choruses can rotate in your head for days. Quite a happy and life-affirming album for me; easily listenable songs and never gets boring. Favourites are The Way Home!, Awake! and Ih-Ah!
Overall, my favourite band/artist in the world. Cannot wait to complete the collection with the box set and live albums.

My feelings on the music of the DTP is that it has its highs and lows. The first album, to me, was well written yet simplistic. The second, although more poppy, had it's heavy melodies and was sort of a middle ground. It was complex, fun and had Devin's classic "wall of sound". The so-called heavy and complex album, Deconstruction, was almost devoid of guitar riffs at times. There was heavy utilization of the drum machine. In my opinion, Devin was almost poking fun at overly complex metal with this album.. if this album was not written for that purpose.. sorry? The fourth was mellow like the first album except it didn't do much for me in terms of striking any emotional chords. Maybe Devin was satirically commenting on how music can grow tiresome for an artist and there comes a point where you don't have much left to say and it becomes routine rather than stimulating.

In terms of the lyrical content and overall message, Devin said it himself in an interview I saw. He was revisiting parts of his career and perhaps trying to explain his state of mind at the time or at least portray them in a different way. I would say he was sort of purging himself of things he was regretful or ashamed of. There is also mention of his family. Maybe this is about how, earlier in his life, he didn't have a son and family to worry about. He was living life and he was only accountable to himself. Maybe the 4 album project represents the self-transformation that was difficult for Devin and he is hoping that other people will face the truth so his son can grow up in a world without evil.

There was heavy utilization of the drum machine.

wut

[Octillus]

There was heavy utilization of the drum machine.

wut

Well, Dirk was a terminator sent from the future.

There was heavy utilization of the drum machine.

wut

Well, Dirk was a terminator sent from the future.

A cybernetic organism; living tissue over metal endoskeleton.

All 4 are wonderful, inspiring pieces. It's odd having these last two thrown at me at one time. I'm so used to Addicted and Ki being the only available albums from The Devin Townsend Project that they've come to define it for me. It'll take some time to gain an encompassing look at the 4 as a whole. Definitely music that I will be listening to for many years to come.

There was heavy utilization of the drum machine.

Hahaha, unless you're talking about that bit in The Mighty Masturbator, there isn't a drum machine on this album.

Listening to all four in a row, it really does start to feel like a journey, be it to a different place (to the coast?), different mindset, whatever, a progression from beginning to end. As soon as he speaks "they took their things and headed for the coast", you feel like you've just embarked on some kind of quest. When I hear him yelling "Now Deconstruct!" in Awake! followed by the fade out, I get chills because it's coming to the most intense and dark part of the journey. After he yells the final STAND of Poltergeist, I feel like you finally arrive in the place you've been going to all along, and all of Ghost makes me think of taking it in and enjoying it until you realize over the course of it that your destination was where you began. It sounds a little silly for sure, but those are the mental images I get when I listen to it as a whole, which makes me think that cohesively as a one unified concept the DTP works very well.

The question is, is he a bad terminator or a good terminator? Or an arbitrary terminator sitting on the sidelines, aware of the events that will play out, knowing that if he could change the future he would not exist (or is this an alternate timeline!?). So he passively observes the light show as it plays out in the way only a robot can. Judgement day is inevitable... or is it? What a mindfuck, I'm gonna watch Star Trek.

I agree with DerTrommler here, it's really difficult to step back once you hit Decon and see it all as a big picture because Ki/ Addicted are 2 years plays worth, I know them well. Maybe in 2013 I'll be able to ''see it''. If there is an IT to see. But I like what I hear, anyway.

Actually thinking about it... It's like with Ki you're thinking yes, this is new, exciting, spicey-nicey. Addicted you kind of get a firm footing in the 'project' and you think you can see what's going on then BAM Decon, and you can't even step back to look at what you thought it all meant with Addicted, and by the end of Ghost you've forgotten where you started and why you were looking for anything in the first place. Maybe that's it.