Devin Townsend - 'Manifesting A Good Place'
Devin Townsend is an incredibly hard artist to pin down. Over the course of his 51 years on this Earth, he has released 30+ albums as well as contributed guest features and produced many more. To call the man prolific would be an understatement, whether it be with Strapping Young Lad, Devin Townsend Project or simply his solo records, Devin has created a revered musical legacy and cemented himself as one of the modern greats of the progressive music world.The most impressive thing about his expansive discography though, is how he has constantly opened new doors creatively and been so unafraid to explore things musically without fear of any boundaries. Putting the man’s catalogue on shuffle is one hell of a ride as you can go from pummelling blast beats and immense brutality to soaring choirs and pop sensibilities in an instant. The man can do literally anything and that’s exactly why we love him.Lightwork is the latest addition to the Devin catalogue and a stark contrast to both The Puzzle and Empath, the albums that preceded it. Where Empath was grandiose and a downright manic, and The Puzzle was moody and atmospheric, Lightwork sees Dev return to a more stripped-back, song-oriented approach.https://youtu.be/D-kl_I8E0kA?si=-GhDfbYPjprBYTaWGiven that his records sound so vastly different, you would be forgiven for thinking that one album wouldn’t necessarily inform the next. Speaking with the man himself, he advises that they do but not in the way you would think."I am informed by the prior releases based on one thing, and that’s fatigue. Every record takes so much effort that when it’s done, I’m like ‘I’m done with that for now’. The reason Lightwork is so linear is because The Puzzle wasn’t.Whether its Deconstruction and Ghost, Strapping Young Lad and Accelerated Evolution or Alien and Synchestra. All of these things are in opposition to each other based on the fatigue more than anything else. If I’ve been focused on writing melodic choruses for a year, then I’m sick of and usually what feels most compelling is typically the opposite."Lightwork was created while the world was locked away during the pandemic and from initial listen, it’s such a positive and hopeful album. Dev admits that he was anything but during the time of writing and recording the album."Ultimately, Lightwork was about trying to remain optimistic in a time that was anything but. People listen to it and think that I was in a really good place for this one, but it wasn’t that at all. I was literally trying to manifest a good place. It was almost like ‘I’m going to make a good place, watch me do it’. That’s why there’s a lighthouse on the cover."https://youtu.be/-udemfZRJrI?si=2EDPHCDgij3OVHLJDevinreturns to Australian shores this week for the first time in over four years. Last time he was in Australia was for a solo acoustic tour, so fans haven’t been treated to the full band experience in even longer.Like most artists with over 30 releases under their belt, the hardest thing to navigate isn’t performing the music at all, but constructing a setlist that somehow covers a wide array of bases. At this point in his career, Dev has this down to a fine art and balance."Honestly, I just break it into three sections. The first part is what the audience wants to hear: the stalwarts, the ones that always go over well, whether that be from Strapping Young Lad material, Empath or wherever. The second part is the closest you can get to where you’re at as a person, which is typically your latest release, so it makes sense to represent that to a degree, but the third and most important is what do I want to hear and play."Devin has had many stellar musicians be a part of his live band over the years and rightly so, as it’s no mean feat to play the material and keep up with the man himself but the latest iteration of the live band is one to be reckoned with."I’ve got James Leach on bass, Darby Todd on drums, who just keeps getting better, Mike Keneally on the rest and a killer front-of-house guy. It’s absolutely awesome and honestly, it’s the best it’s ever sounded."Interview by Nicholas Simonsen @blackechomusic
Catch Devin on tour this week.
Devin Townsend - Australian Tour Dateswith Caligula's Horse
Wednesday, 8th November – Magnet House, Perth
Friday, 10th November – The Forum, Melbourne - SOLD OUT
Saturday, 11th November– The Metro, Sydney - SOLD OUT
Sunday, 12th November The Tivoli, Brisbane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdHJurX0yVA
