Strapping Young Lad: Alien = RUBBISH.

I'll agree, only as far as that album goes...because it honestly is subpar for him...sounds like it might've sounded really good on whatever monitors they tracked with, and probably never referenced it or really mastered the crap out of it.

Oh and egan, Fredman, my god...my god...he was actually my favorite until I started really listening to Andy's stuff.

The production on Dimmu's Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia album, simply jaw dropping. And the Dream Evil records, among a multitude of other fredman works.
 
I think 'City' sounds exactly as it should, harsh at times, beautiful at others. It's the work of a guy with a mental illness (bipolar disorder) and I've yet to hear anyone turn those incredible swings of mood into such an accurate and engulfing album. I love 'City'.
 
Maybe it's just me, but I happened to appreciate Physicist a lot... The atmosphere is simply AWESOME! Of course it could be my "fist love syndrome" (the first album that hooks me to a band/artist tends to stay in my everyday playlist, which btw is nearly non-existant due to overexposure to Engineering...), since I reckon that Ocean Machine and Terria are way more interesting, but I don't find them as addictive...
As for SYL, they make for good aural entertainment without commitment, I usually keep City as a background for breakfast, workout, cooking in general and CAD design... mmm logorrhea...
 
I've been addicted to Ocean Machine for the past 4 years. Terria is similarly addicting. But you really have to own Devin's entire catalog to have all of the best tracks. He's very consistent IMO.
 
The only thing of Devin's i don't like is Accelerated Evolution, i never understood that album, the rest is great including SYL which i prefer to his solo stuff, but SYL have been going south since City, still great though...