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Critic Reviews
100
Empath may not be as immediate as some of his recent work with the Devin Townsend Project, but once you’ve adjusted to his wavelength, it rewards your patience. It’s an impressive artistic achievement. Just remember, for the sake of your hypothetical relationship, that this is as deep-end Devin as you get.
7y
95
Empath is another work of grand measure, gorgeous humility, and yes, absolute idiosyncratic genius.
7y
83
Empath is another fine addition to the ever-growing / never-ending Devin Townsend discography, and shows that Townsend should one day also be enshrined into this elite “musical chameleon” category, as well.
7y
80
Though it's wildly excessive and indulgent, it's also inarguably among the most inspiring, thought-provoking, and accomplished of his works.
7y
80
Empath is by no means a shortcut to deciphering all of Townsend's output, but its incredibly hard not to marvel at the way in which he wields these influences to exceed the confines of his "progressive" qualifier — not to mention the sheer enormity of it all.
7y
80
Whether it’s your cup of tea or not, the guy has drive and authenticity in spades. He may be his own genre, but even within that, he’s still striving to reach higher, to connect with the listener on so many levels, to push so many buttons. Simply wonderful.
7y
80
Contrary to the showy technics that define so much prog metal, Empath is emotionally self-indulgent, and the palpable giddiness in every touch makes it Townsend’s purest album yet.
7y
What better way to follow up a review of a super big pop record then to talk about a niche ass experimental prog-metal record? Christ, no wonder i'm single...
This album is super goddamn creative, and kinda batshit. It's calming, furious, atmospheric, gentle, harsh, aggressive, catchy, and...by god this album is nearly all of the tricks in the book! It's a strange album to talk about, because there is so much to talk about, from the mixing of different theatrical genres (electronic, death ... read more
EDIT: After spending more time on this site, I now no longer surprised by the response this album has received. This album is simply to goofy and full of whimsy.
I'm honestly surprised by the lacklustre response this is getting from the community on here!
This album is completely wacked out and full of energy. It's goofy, honest, life affirming, and a wonderful encapsulation of everything Devin had done in his career up until this point.
The songs are funny, hard-hitting and ... read more
I just didn't connect much with it. It's like the metal equivalent of Will Wood & The Tapeworms, and I loved 'Everything is a Lot', but this doesn't really hit any marks. It's whimsy in some sections though.
This is definitely need more listens. Completely all over the place and ultra sweet in terms of sound. Very uplifting and bright. I love the colors of the cover, since they reflect the music pretty well.
![サイ [Sigh] - Heir to Despair](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/200x0/album/123073-heir-to-despair.jpg)
![Ὁπλίτης [Hoplites] - Παραμαινομένη [Paramainomeni]](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/200x0/album/844731-_135158.jpg)
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patton, thisisabtlgrnd, philthy, Novell_sx, anztec, makeshiftdiary, OPENblinds, Edgeworth, bgodBecome a Subscriber
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Track List
| 1 | Castaway 2:28 | 69 |
| 2 | Genesis 6:05 | 81 |
| 3 | Spirits Will Collide 4:39 | 76 |
| 4 | Evermore 5:30 | 76 |
| 5 | Sprite 6:37 | 74 |
| 6 | Hear Me 6:30 | 86 |
| 7 | Why? 4:59 | 86 |
| 8 | Borderlands 11:02 | 80 |
| 9 | Requiem 2:46 | 65 |
| 10 | Singularity 23:32 | 88 |
Total Length: 1 hour, 14 minutes
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