If you're already a fan of Devin Townsend's other work (disregard his bizarre collaboration with Steve Vai), then you should stop reading this now and go purchase "Ki". Dive into it with no expectations.

For the stubborn fans and everyone else:

Devin is never boring. Where he opened the Ark of his mind for the Strapping Young Lad albums, letting his demons loose to melt your face, he's more like Hannibal Lechter on "Ki", menacingly intelligent and calm behind the safety glass. Rather than get a berzerker, he unearthed 62-year old former classic Rocker Duris Maxwell on drums. Maxwell's simple, old school beats keep things grounded, whether it's through one of the prog-rock-esque grooves, the lightly-distorted metal growlers, or the ethereal spacewalks.

This album is a collection of experiments, some with gentleness and beauty, some with restrained SYL-scale rage, some low-key jam interludes, one rockabilly, one folky Quiet Riot/Slade sorta-cover. Strangely enough, it all works. This is the most consistent Devin Townsend album I've heard. My attention tends to wane a little during some of the sleepier moments, but overall, the songs are abundant with challenging, intriguing, mangetic sections. Go ahead, listen to this without one of the choruses from ‘Gato’ or ‘Heaven Send’ getting stuck in your head. It's simply not possible. One of my other favorite moments here is the 4-minute climactic build to the last four minutes of the title track.

According to the man himself, "Ki" is the first in a four-record Devin Townsend Project endeavor. The second album is supposed to drop in November 2009, just a few short months after the release of "Ki", and will be "11 rocking songs with no bullshit." Cool. As long as he keeps up the intense creativity and maturity displayed on this album, I'm there.