ZILTOID THE OMNISCIENT

Although it might be the humour and the zany concept which attracts the eye, the musical depth of Ziltoid is what os the real dealbreaker here. I really think this is Townsend's best album since Terria, in fact it's pretty much on a level with Terria. This is a far tighter album than either Synchestra or AE, and filled with as much musical invention as any of Townsend's albums I can think of. The two really standout numbers, Solar Winds and Color Your World, are just about as fine as any songs of similar length I can think of. The greatest strength of this album, however, is just that; it is an album, it stands on its own as a cohesive unit. There is a great amount of pacing and balance to be found, far more so than in Synchestra, which dragged at times. Here the pace is pretty much relentless. If you are willing to look past the goofiness, there is so much depth and strength of emotion within this record. One of the albums of the year along with Si pt. ii and FoaBP.