It may not be the same, but these threads are pretty damn similar, IMO.

http://hevydevyforums.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4832

Similar, yes.

We're actually going through both threads comparing people's stories.
Those with conflicting anecdotes from one thread to the next will be judged "unworthy" and kicked out...

So, potential unpeople - do we lock this thread, or the older one (which has a poll)?

so, you got two threads about the same thing... big deal ( ? )

so, you got two threads about the same thing... big deal ( ? )

bzzzt! We're sorry, that was the wrong answer. Thanks for playing, "Who Wants to Be a Moderator!" Grab the steak knives on the way out.

Not trying to be mean. It just sounded funny in my head.

::prepares to fuck off::

i was driving around with my friend, just having a good time. then he put on "Life", and man was i amazed. it was a beatiful summer day, and the song just fit so good in that moment. after that, downloaded all the albums and completely fell in love. now i have every album.

In 12th grade, I bought a compilation album entitled either "Death is Just the Beginning" or a Century Media compilation that I cannot recall the title to...but because I had one of those megachanger cd loaders, and at that time, I only listened to my music collection on shuffle, it wasn't 'till much later that my interest was sparked.

It was during my first year in college (fall 2000 - spring 2001) that one night, whilst listening to my collection on shuffle, I heard the song "S.Y.L."...and it blew my fucking mind!

If I recall correctly, there was two songs by Strapping Young Lad on that compilation..."S.Y.L." and "Oh My Fucking God"...and so, I immediately listened to "Oh My Fucking God".

Again, at the time, I was ONLY into death/black metal...and even though I had a moderately good sized music collection...I'd never heard anything like it before!

I wasted no time, and I downloaded the albums City, and Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing.

I was so unbelievably hooked.

I liked them sooooo much that I HAD to find out if there were any related bands/side-projects...so I looked up on google "Strapping Young Lad Official" and came upon the "HeavyDevy" website, and found out about the Devin Townsend solo albums.

So, I downloaded a few songs, and...I have to admit...at first listen, I wasn't too sure if I was going to like them (remember...I was into strictly black and death metal at the time...I didn't even like any power metal at all...not that I considered DT to be Power Metal...just that I thought it was too slow/not heavy enough).

But, eventually, I was listening to my mp3 collection on shuffle, and I heard a couple songs off Physicist (cant remember which ones, but it was one of the following: "Material", "Kingdom", and/or "Planet Rain")...and fucking...BOOOOM!

...and on that day...at that very minute...

...I FOUND MY FAVORITE ARTIST AND ALBUM OF ALL-TIME!

Of course, it took me a while to develop an objective view with respect to all my other favorites...you know, to decide whether or not it was my absolute favorite, which takes approximstely 5 or 6 months...the average time I think it takes for novelty to wear off, and for objectivity to set in. In order for it to become my fav, it had to beat out Therion, Nightwish, and Edenbridge...and lo, and behold, it did. It slaughtered them all!

All hailz to the mastermind, Devin Townsend!

Of course, to give credit to where credit is due, I own all the albums now...

Shit, if I had the money, I'd just send Devin Townsend monthly hommage payment. Considering how fucking awesome his music is, and how it manages to always brighten my mood...he fucking deserves it.

ocean machine, about 1998, the same time i discovered city.
two albums which made me realize that everything i thought i knew about music was wrong.

exactly: only the year was 2002 for me. No more Dream Theater and other prog after listening to Dev. It seemed flat and pointless, but thats my opinion. I went out and sold a bunch of CDs and baught all the Dev I could.

ocean machine, about 1998, the same time i discovered city.
two albums which made me realize that everything i thought i knew about music was wrong.

exactly: only the year was 2002 for me. No more Dream Theater and other prog after listening to Dev. It seemed flat and pointless, but thats my opinion. I went out and sold a bunch of CDs and baught all the Dev I could.

Amen to mudtrailer. Actually Porcupine Tree was the first band that did that to me, but Devy followed very shortly behind. So kickass. I simply heard Stagnant and couldn't speak at how awesome it was. I downloaded Earth Day, another huge hit. Downloaded the rest of Terria, and my god, one of my favorite records had been found.

My friend Mike always gives me albums to listen to. They're usually metal stuff I'm not into (although he has shown me that all of Opeth is great and not just the soft side). In April he kept bugging me to listen to Synchestra. I put it off cause I remembered hearing a DT song on an Ayreon album and I didn't like it. I finally did listen to it in the morning...and then 4 times again that day. It totally amazed me. Definitely the biggest musical surprise I ever had. Then I bought Terria and loved it. Now I don't know which to buy next.

SYL: i saw alien at the music store and had a gift voucher that would expire in the next 3 days, so i HAD to find something. i got Alien because i heard byron was in the band (at the time i was really into fear factory). i stuck the DVD in first and listened to oh my fucking god. and my head had exploded. My first reaction of dev: wow! look at that guys hair! and my first reaction of gene: Holy FUCK! how the fuck is that guy so fast!!!???

Dtb: I downloaded Seventh wave and thought it was a good song. Then I downloaded life and thought it was extremely gay song Now Life is one of my favourites.

My (pretty much) brother-in-law (word up Aaron!!) made me and my bf and CD that had SYL and Devin stuff. Heard Seventh Wave and have been addicted ever since.

Heard Physicist at a local record store. I didn't buy the album straight away. Instead I went home, couldn't get "Nameste" out of my head during that whole day & night. So, the next day I walked back to the record store and asked what the music was that I heard yesterday. The guy hands me Physicist, and the rest is history.

An online buddy described Ocean Machine as "humanity's greatest fucking achievement ever", then sent me some mp3's. I coerced him to send me the full album and Infinity, and then I went out and redeemed myself by buying those two albums plus Terria.

Best money I ever spent.

About two years ago I searched progarchives.com for musicians (I'm still a big Dream Theater fan), I didn't know and stumbled over Devy. I listened to War and Hide Nowhere and was addicted immediately. Then I found the homepage and downloaded all mp3's there. Now I have all CD's from DTB and SYL (I still have to get the DVD).