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Devin Townsend Essential Classics
The Canadian enigma’s catalogue spans extreme metal, sublime
prog-scapes, colossal riffs and extra-terrestrials. Where to begin?
t’s not hard to see why virtuoso claustrophobic intensity of Strapping
shredder Steve Vai plucked a 20-year- Young Lad’s Alien (2005) and the mind-
Iold Devin Townsend from obscurity mangling indulgence of ambient projects
and employed him as lead vocalist on his Devlab (2004) and The Hummer (2006).
Sex & Religion album in 1993. With a Townsend’s already singular vision
multi-octave range and enough seemed to blossom tenfold after he
personality to sink a ship, the young disbanded SYL in 2007. Surrounded by an
Canadian was plainly a prodigious talent. all-star cast of collaborators, most Epicloud Empath
But even the benevolent Mr Vai could not notably vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen, HEVYDEVY, 2012 INSIDEOUT, 2019
have foreseen the extraordinary musical his solo work has veered off in numerous If you’ve ever wondered where to After years of attempting to
career that would unfold. 27 years later, directions, but with a tireless dedication start with Devin Townsend’s compartmentalise his various
Devin Townsend is firmly established as to writing huge, uplifting tunes, even the daunting catalogue, this is the musical styles, Townsend threw
one of modern heavy music’s most most bizarre and ingenious of one. A sustained blast of glorious caution to the wind and
unique and irrepressible talents. Townsend’s ideas seem to hit the target. melody and effortless ingenuity, everything else for his eighteenth
An eccentric but compelling artist From a four-album concept piece about Epicloud encapsulates everything studio album. Empath has
from the start, Townsend kicked off his a cheeseburger (Ki/Addicted/Deconstruction/ that has made him such an grandiose prog metal epics
steady rise to glory with a dual approach, Ghost) to an album of ghostly country unassailable cult hero. After (Borderlands), absurdly uplifting
launching industrial-tinged metal crew rock (Casualties Of Cool), everything that a fizzing, choral kick-off, the sing-alongs (Spirits Will Collide)
Strapping Young Lad and his own solo bears the Devin Townsend stamp seems sublime voice of Anneke van and even a twinkly-eyed Disney
efforts simultaneously. In 1997, the to add to the richness of his reputation. Giersbergen (one of Dev’s regular ballad (Why?), so it should be
release of SYL’s second album City and Increasingly ambitious and theatrical collaborators) ushers in 50 a rambling, incoherent mess.
solo debut proper Ocean Machine: Biomech live shows have also become central to his minutes of gleaming, flawless Instead, it’s dazzling from start to
confirmed that the still-young muso was appeal. Quite what sci-fi alter-ego ‘Ziltoid prog metal that feels custom- finish; flowing beautifully from
constructing his own sonic universe. The Omniscient’ (essentially a phallic built to make even the moaniest Castaway’s shimmering intro to
That universe expanded beyond sock puppet with a dangerous coffee goth feel better. From the the jaw-dropping 22-minute
recognition over the decade that habit and a penchant for fart jokes) rollicking glam-metal stomp of Singularity suite via a bewildering
followed, with albums ranging from the represents is open to debate, but Lucky Animals to the sparkling number of brilliant ideas and
epic, cerebral prog-scapes of Terria (2001) Townsend even squeezed two albums out bombast of Grace, it’s one ruddy massive tunes. He’s a very clever
and the immaculate alt.rock bombast of of him. You want unique? Here he is. great CBD enema for the ears. sausage, isn’t he?
Accelerated Evolution (2003) through to the Dom Lawson
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