A Double Dose of Devin

This week, a double dose of the great modern pioneer of music, Devin Townsend. For those of you who haven't heard of this nutter, you're in for a treat.





Devin Townsend - Earth Day

Taken from the breathtaking Terria, a must for all fans of the man himself, modern prog, and experimentalism, Earth Day is a 9 and a half minute epic concerning, Earth, it's environment, and the general prognosis of the human condition. Soaring harmonies, a heavily layered production, intense riffs, aggression, subtlety, it's all here. Terria, Perhaps Devin's most famous solo effort released in 2001, is the 4th album of the current 9 releases, all of which differ in content and style. From this environmentally charged and epic album, right up to the latest release, Ziltoid The Omniscient, which takes on an industrial and progressive metal tone about a destroyer of worlds. Earth Day is one of the best examples of modern prog I've yet heard, and a great introduction to the lighter side of Devin, as after all, Strapping Young Lad, who will be addressed next, are far from this.

Strapping Young Lad - Love?

Strapping Young Lad, the band that introduced us all to Devin, are an extreme industrial metal group, formed in Canada. They have 5 releases to date, and are now on indefinite hiatus whilst Devin concentrates on his solo work. With 4 solo efforts set to be released this year alone, he's a busy man. Love?, with mind-bending double bass, crushing drop C riffing, scorching vocals and an impact to match, is one of the most intense metal listening experiences that could ever sought to be found. The song itself concerns that all encompassing emotion (the clues in the title) and all dimensions of it, through brutal and ever changing musical dialogue. From 1995's Alien, the 4th of the 5 albums, Love? is an addictive composition which I personally never get tired of. New intoductees into the world of Devin should also try The New Flesh and Detox from City, and the mind-meltingly fast Shitstorm, also from Alien. I genuinely hope that those who choose to embrace Devin into their musical catalogue do so whole heartedly, and collect all releases, solo and SYL, they are all more than well worth the indulgence.