I've often thought about how to best attack Devin Townsend's vast discography. Honestly here's how I would do it.
1) Devin Townsend - Terria (2001)
I think this may be his most underrated album in his entire discography even though it's got stellar reviews across the board. This is a very personal record to Devin, whom felt like he had ostricized himself from his fans with his less than stellar Physicist (2000) released a year earlier. Easily his most varied album at the time, this album really works well as a cohesive unit meant to be listened in one long sitting and demands your full attention.
2) Devin Townsend Project - Addicted! (2009)
I'll admit I was a little lukewarm on Ki when it first came out. I don't think I really got what he was trying to do by showing restraint when before hand his career was built out of his craziness. Regardless I found it a little dull, but then a few months later this little beauty leaked and it was pure bliss. It's easily his most poppy album, but despite all that it's still quite heavy. He's admitted to being a fan of trashy Euro dance music and it really shines through on this album, but in a good way.
3) Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud (2012)
His newest and in some ways very similar to Accelerated Evolution while still being more in line with his change in musicianship starting with Ki after giving up marijuana. Catchy as fu*k and just a really fun album to listen to.
4) Devin Townsend - Ziltoid the Omniscient (2007)
Easily his silliest album, it's a epic metal opera about an alien named Ziltoid who comes to Earth and demands we prepare him our "ultimate cup of coffee... black!" This is a solo album in the truest sense of the word with him handling recording, production, and all the instrumentation, including drum work using the Drumkit from Hell program popularized with Meshuggah's 2005 album Catch Thirtythree.
5) Devin Townsend - Biomech: Ocean Machine (1997)
His first solo album, released the same year as Strapping Young Lad's seminal album City and pretty much the antithesis to that album. This album is far less metal and more progressive rock and easily his most ambitious album to date. It's also the album that made him realize he had a seriously bad case of bi-polar disorder and convinced himself to receive medical attention. There's a lot of beauty to this album.
6) Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction (2011)
For fans of his more abrasive stuff with SYL this is the album that really won them back over. Heavy, abrasive, chaotic, and probably his most experimental, this beauty was a constant staple on my mp3 player in 2011. Despite how much I like it, I do think it can be a little hard to get into if you're unfamiliar with his SYL material which is why this is further down on the list.
7) Devin Townsend Band - Accelerated Evolution (2003)
His first album featuring a new set of musicians (his late '90's and early '00's solo material featured the members of SYL), this album is quite a bit different from anything else he had ever produced. His signature "wall of sound" production style is present, especially on songs like "Suicide" and "Deadhead", but it also features a more straight forward rock and roll sound to it. You're already familiar with this one though so there's not much more to say.
8) Devin Townsend - Infinity (1998)
I really like a few songs off of this album, but as a whole I don't feel it works as well as his other stuff. I can't say I blame him though, he released this only a year after Biomech and City and the stuff that's good is really good. Definitely worth a look, but after you've delved more into his more recent stuff.
9) Devin Townsend - Physicist (2000)
A lot of the material from this album was suppose to be recorded with musician Jason Newsted, however apparently James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich caught wind and told him to knock that sh*t off because of reasons, so Devin ended up working on the project with the members from SYL. This album is kind of the redheaded stepchild of his discography, but there's nothing really wrong with it. It's not his most amazing work and even Devin said he didn't really like it and considered it to be a more restrained version of SYL. It does feature "Planet Rain" that is easily one of his best songs.
10) Devin Townsend Project - Ghost (2011)
Honestly this is this far down on the list not because it's a bad album, but because I don't know it very well. I absolutely adored Deconstruction that I never really gave this much of a chance. It's not even metal or rock, it's more of an ambient new age album that has some amazing production but no real hooks as I recall. I definitely need to give it another go so I can give you a more in depth opinion.
11) Devin Townsend Band - Synchestra (2006)
I'll be frank with you on this one... I don't really like it. "Vampiria" is a fun song and a hilariously cheesy music video, but there's just nothing here that stuck with me.
I left off The Hummer and Devlab because I haven't heard them, but they're more ambient albums and not really what I listen to Devy for.
It's also worth noting that he provided vocals on Steve Vai's 1993 album Sex & Religion which was his first real recording and what propelled him into the music business... and also what almost made him quit. I can't say the album will change your life, but it's a pretty cool starting point for a 21 year old musician.
If you want to get into Strapping Young Lad here's the order I'd rate their albums in.
1) City (1997)
2) Alien (2005)
3) The New Black (2006)
4) Strapping Young Lad (2003)
5) Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing (1995)
He also did vocals and guitar on a hilarious punk satire album in 1996 called Cooked on Phonics by Punky Bruster. It's about a extreme metal band from Poland that sells out during a concert and becomes a pop punk band while trying to keep their metal roots a secret. There's some pretty funny lines in it and one scene in particular I'm sure served as inspiration for Brenden Small when he was starting to write Metalocalypse.
Anyways I hope you find that helpful.
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