| Ziltoid the Omniscient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 21, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | November 6, 2006 – March 1, 2007 | |||
| Studio | Townsend's home studio, the "Devlab" (Pitt Meadows, BC) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 53:46 | |||
| Label | HevyDevy | |||
| Producer | Devin Townsend | |||
| Devin Townsend chronology | ||||
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| Devin Townsend overall chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [1] |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Blabbermouth | 9/10[3] |
| Metal Injection | 7/10[4] |
Ziltoid the Omniscient is the tenth studio album by Canadian metal musician Devin Townsend, released on his own label HevyDevy Records in May 2007, and distributed in America and Europe by InsideOut Music.
The album is a concept album about an extraterrestrial being named Ziltoid from the planet Ziltoidia 9. Ziltoid travels to Earth in search of "your universe's ultimate cup of coffee".[5] When a cup of coffee is delivered to him, he is appalled by its taste, declaring it "fetid", and summons the Ziltoidian warlords to attack Earth, facing the full might of Earth's army. Townsend describes the album as a mix between Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band, with a storyline like that of Punky Brüster's Cooked on Phonics.[6]
The album is a solo album, with all music written, mixed, produced and performed by Townsend. All drum tracks were produced with EZdrummer,[7] a software drum machine, using the Drumkit from Hell expansion.[8]
Townsend played a world exclusive ZTO concert in Tuska Open Air Metal Festival in Helsinki on July 2, 2010, where the whole Ziltoid album was played, with a regular Devin Townsend Project set the next day.[9] Townsend published a series of online videos involving Ziltoid in a series titled ZTV.
In 2014, Townsend announced the recording of Z², a sequel to the original rock opera. The recording of Z² started in May 2014,[10] and the album was released on October 27, 2014.
- ^ Bowar, Chad (June 2007). "Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omniscient". About.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ^ Lee, Cosmo (2007). "Ziltoid the Omniscient: Review". AllMusic.
- ^ Alisoglu, Scott (June 13, 2007). "CD Review - Ziltoid The Omniscient Devin Townsend Presents". Blabbermouth.net.
- ^ "CD Review: Devin Townsend – Presents Ziltoid The Omniscient". Metal Injection. August 16, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ "Ziltoid the Omniscient". Myspace. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
- ^ "Devin Townsend to release Ziltoid the Omniscient later in the year". Blabbermouth.net. May 2, 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
- ^ "Devin Townsend interview with Toontrack".
- ^ "Devin Townsend: Ziltoid The Omniscient E-Card Available". Blabbermouth.net. May 31, 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
- ^ "Tuska Open Air Metal Festival - Program". Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ May, Alex (January 2, 2014). "Devin Townsend to start recording follow up to 'Ziltoid The Omniscient' in May 2014". Rockadia. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014.