I dont know where all of the negativity for Physicist stemmed from...here are some reviews:
Music in the new millennium needs people like Devin Townsend. At once lunatic and genius - is there any real difference? - surrealist and pragmatist, extremist yet accessible, this Canadian challenges perceived mores by existing within them.
'Physicist' is his latest incarnation, and like Strapping Young Lad and Ocean Machine - his other, ongoing projects - it brings to mind Queen overdosing on Ministry's more ebullient reflections. Some of the songs wouldn't go amiss on a Backstreet Boys album, such is there sense of melody and brightness. Yet beneath the surface lurks a nasty, vicious, streetwise streak that will disembowel the unwary.
When he declares on 'Material' that "I've got one more ticket to ride", you just know he's not talking about the current state of the British rail system. And when he purrs venomously that "I never had the chance to end it all" (on 'Jupiter'), he leaves you wondering whether he's the intended victim or perpetrator. But that's the beauty of the beast. Townsend leads you on, carefully laying lyrical and musical traps for the unwary, forever taking you on a journey up what seems like a cul-de-sac, before he tears away the superficial to reveal an alternative universe controlled by his warped, focused mindset.
And if all this rather scares you away from checking out 'Physicist', then that's your loss. Because if there's one man who does sum up the current state of rock and metal music then maybe it is Townsend. This album represents the strengths and weaknesses of the music we all know and love better than anything else you will have heard in ages. 9/10"
- Malcolm Dome, Metal Hammer, UK
"Physicist redefines what melody and metal should sound like when melded together."
- Dan Wicker, Blistering.com
" Physicist is simply unique, amazing, f***ing melodic and with its Beatles' chorus here and there, it is already a classic of the year 2000. The kind of album we will talk again in ten years."
- Danny,
www.MetalReviews.com
"Devin's genius is in his humour, his ability to meld lush "pop" melodies and production with brutal, pounding metal like absolutely no one else, and his ear for taking everything you held as "typical" and shining a new light on it.
- Scott Hefflon, Lollipop magazine, USA
"Physicist is yet another trumph in the daring, unstable world of Devin Townsend"
- Tim Henderson, Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, Canada
"His work is emotional enough that it's possible to hear and feel it... It is a person on a journey in life expressing what he feels."
-
www.metalheadmusic.com
"Physicist may be Townsend's greatest work... each successive listen reveals the album's true nature: peerless, intense, and mind-blowing."
- Saiki Difrances, Minnesota Daily
"I highly recommend this album. You may not fall in love with it at first, but give it three listens and I guarantee it will grow on you."
-
http://www.abrasiverock.com/
To sum it up, this is definitely an astounding work in which all the players shine royally and it illustrates the growing-up that this particular group of musicians have achieved over the last few years- I'm favourably impressed."
- Bob Cooper, POMN
"Utterly amazing. That really is the only way to describe an album like this. There has never been a musician who could create the complexity and intricacy found on this here record like Devin Townsend. Since the inception of heavy music itself, its rare to find an album that is as dynamic while subtle but downright overwhelming as 'Physicist'. 10/10"
- Kev Truong, Blistering.com
"The unique guitar sound and usual massive riffs we expect from the man are there, as are the legendary vocals, as is the ceaseless robotic rhythm section from his band ... Thank you Devin for more than music; but an experience. 5/5"
- Don Smith
"This record takes a few listens to fully appreciate. As it is more accessible to the metal masses than any of his previous releases it is in the long run that you can appreciate the complexity of the whole thing. Definitely a winner."
- Simon Thibaudeau
"Devin Townsend may have released his most pedestrian album to date, but Physicist simply has higher standards to live up to than other albums currently being released. Needless to say you're still better off listening to Devin Townsend's blandest music than Kittie."
- Satan Stole My Teddybear
"... excellent piece of work. At the first listen I thought that would be my worst nightmare for the next hour, but after a while I discover the hidden power of the album. It's VERY fast, noisy and melodic, so if you like these words, GET IT! A ten out of ten album for you."
- Michael Menegakis, Progmetal.net
"... an entry to the bizarre world of this sensitive Canadian artist. Actually, the melodies are always great, but staccato-drums (Gene Hoglan!!!) and almost permanently alienated vocals create a chaos which most people cannot clear ("Death"). In that respect, it´s idle to praise the enormous qualities of this hyper-whiz. His fans love his acoustical trips and enjoy the physical and mental strain."
- Michael Schübeler
"high-energy stomper that combines Morbid Angel-like death metal riffs with Queen-like harmonies to surprisingly great effect, and the ambitiously epic-like 'Planet Rain' which is truly unlike anything else previously attempted in the modern heavy-rock genre."
- blabbermouth.net