After performing in a number of metal bands in high school, Townsend was discovered by a record label in 1993 and was asked to perform lead vocals on Steve Vai's album Sex & Religion. After recording and touring with Vai, Townsend was discouraged by what he found in the music industry, and vented his anger on a solo album released under the pseudonym Strapping Young Lad. He soon assembled a band under the name, and released the critically acclaimed City in 1997. Since then, he has released three more studio albums with Strapping Young Lad, along with solo material released under his own independent record label, HevyDevy Records. Townsend's solo albums, a diverse mix of hard rock and progressive metal, have featured a varying lineup of supporting musicians. In 2002 he formed The Devin Townsend Band, a dedicated lineup which recorded and toured for two of his solo releases.
In 2007, Townsend disbanded both Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band, taking a break from touring to spend more time with his family. After a two-year hiatus, he began work on a four-album series called The Devin Townsend Project, with each album written in a different style. The first two entries in the series, Ki and Addicted, were released in 2009. Townsend scheduled tours throughout Australia and North America in 2010 in support of the albums, and released the next two, Deconstruction and Ghost, in 2011.
Townsend's trademark production style, featuring a heavily multitracked wall of sound, has been compared to the styles of Phil Spector and Frank Zappa. His versatile vocal delivery ranges from screaming to an opera-esque singing, and his songwriting is similarly diverse. Townsend's musical style is rooted in metal, and his albums are written to express different aspects of his personality.
ZTO
Devin Townsend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ziltoid, Ziltoid!
Ziltoid, the Omniscient!
Ziltoid, Ziltoid!
Ziltoid! (Yeeessss)
The Omniscient!
Greetings, humans.
I have come far from across the omniverse.
You shall fetch me your universe's ultimate cup of coffee: black.
You have five Earth minutes.
Make it perfect!
The song "ZTO" by Devin Townsend is an introduction to the concept of Ziltoid, the Omniscient, a fictional extraterrestrial being who seeks the ultimate cup of coffee from Earth. The song begins with the chanting of "Ziltoid" and "the Omniscient," which creates a sense of grandeur and mystery. The lyrics then shift to the voice of Ziltoid himself, who introduces himself as a being from another universe who has traveled far to obtain the ultimate cup of coffee.
The urgency in Ziltoid's voice is conveyed through the short five-minute time limit that he imposes on the humans to make the coffee perfect. The tone of the song is a mixture of humor and science fiction, as the concept is absurd, but the delivery is serious. The song's lyrics act as a prelude to the story of Ziltoid, which is explored in Devin Townsend's concept album, "Ziltoid the Omniscient."
Line by Line Meaning
Ziltoid!
Here I am!
Ziltoid, Ziltoid!
I am Ziltoid! Listen to me!
Ziltoid, the Omniscient!
I am all knowing, all powerful Ziltoid!
Ziltoid!
Listen to me, humans!
Ziltoid! (Yeeessss)
Yes, it is I!
The Omniscient!
I know all there is to know.
Greetings, humans.
Hello people of Earth.
I am Ziltoid, the omniscient.
I am the one and only Ziltoid, who knows all things.
I have come far from across the omniverse.
I have traveled great distances across the universe.
You shall fetch me your universe's ultimate cup of coffee: black.
I demand that you bring me the best black coffee in your universe.
You have five Earth minutes.
I am giving you a time limit of five minutes.
Make it perfect!
It must be absolutely flawless.
Contributed by Nathaniel R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.