Well since i asked the question i'd also like to give my own answer. To me it's not the complexity of the music that i like from him. It's how he can make something relatively simple that you could play on acoustic guitar and make it sound so huge and big and of course with that comes the emotions. It's like it's not just the notes with his music, it's the sound in combination with the notes. His music sounds like ONE BIG instrument instead of say 5 different ones, SYL sounds similiar to me. When i let friends listen to his music and they don't like it i say listen to it as one big instrument instead of say maybe 5 or 6. If they don't get it then well then they just don't get it. Some songs are complex though but still he makes it sound like one big instrument like one big hammer hitting you on the head instead of 5 little ones and i think to be able to do that is amazing especially in a song like "ants". It's more like a movie soundtrack maybe instead of a song from a band. Like the star wars theme or something, you never really say "wow listen to that piccolo" same with devins music its like one big entity. Great musicians to play with help in that also, everybody in the DTB seem like awesome players. Ryans drumming is insane, keyboards are great as well as the bass and guitars. Even the tuba is cool in synchestra and i think it would be hard to make the tuba sound cool.

Moslty the raw emotion. What attracts me to Devin's music is the fact that it feels like he's continually managed to put his heart and soul onto his CDs, which comes out as amazing. The great melding of sounds or wall of sound is great, and the individual playing is flawless.

Moslty the raw emotion. What attracts me to Devin's music is the fact that it feels like he's continually managed to put his heart and soul onto his CDs, which comes out as amazing. The great melding of sounds or wall of sound is great, and the individual playing is flawless.

That defines one half of mine perfectly. The other half is simply that I don't think there is anyone else out there making anything so unique/original. There are a lot of "progressive" brands who need to have a long hard listen to themselves and what that word means in comparison to Devin

I wish I could actually say what I like so much about Devin's music. I don't fully understand it. I'm not a musician so I can't use that language. But, let me see if I can try to make some sense...

First, I like the intesity that Devin has. His music feels very aggressive, even when tonally it's mellow. Some of this has to do with the wall of sound aspect. The music is very dense. Or, the sound is dense. Or, the mix. Or whatever. (See, I told you.)

I like the honesty of the music. I never get the impression that Devin made an album, or a song, to get a hit. Rather, it's a musical expression of what he hears in his head. The music sounds quite unique from everything else out there. I remember the first time I heard "Mountain" off of Terria. My jaw dropped open because it was just so fucking different. That's all I can say. I don't know how to describe that song, but the rhythm, the chords, whatever, it just does not sound like anything else I've heard. Maybe I'm sheltered, but I was blown away by that song. It made an instant impression.

Accelerated Evolution, the first album I heard, didn't kill me right off the bat. In fact, I thought some of it sounded a little goofy. Random Analysis was weird. Storm actually seemed a bit boring until it really kicks in near the middle and end (Stay with meeeeeeee!) Etc. But, that album wormed it's way into my heart and stayed there. Ocean Machine bowled me over, though. It was just so enveloping.

There is something about Devin's music that I can't get away from. I've only been a fan for about two years. Maybe a bit less. I listen to one of Dev's albums at least every other day. I often go to sleep to them. In my iTunes, it has a Smart Playlist (TM) that shows the 100 most played tracks. 99% of them are from Devin Townsend or SYL. It's a disease.

great post and question.
Simply , his creativity.
I find it like a good story-teller. from there its really hard to explain. It draws me in and makes me ..wonder. not think. think is too definitive. Its so personal, I think, pun intended. and the wonder I suppose is perhaps getting a glimpse through his eyes? Hard to say really. Arent really words for it.
There is an element of relation to it. even if its momentary. Its 3 dimensional to me, vs so much music out there that is so... flat.

I like music with Emotion, and no I dont listen to Emo. but yeah the layers in the songs, melody, riffs and beats do it for me.

i would be going on for ages, but a few simple things to see, he is accomplished in both guitar and vocal wise. and he is simply solid all round when it comes to music

Wall of sound.

The fact that he totally does his music the way he wants to without selling out or throwing away his creativity to merely impress. I adore artists like him and although there are quite a lot of them around, it is I think a crime that they don't get the recognition they deserve. But then again, I think it is better that way.

[djskrimp]

His vocals/lyrics resonant with me perfectly, more so than any other artist outside of Doug Pinnick of King's X.