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Few modern rock artists have participated in as many projects – and taken as many stylistic detours – as Devin Townsend.
Example: concoct the heavier heavy metals with Strapping Young Lad, go country / bluesy with Casualties of Cool and embrace ambient with the Devin Townsend Project (more specifically the album Ghost), among other sound excursions.
And in 2019, Townsend released his 18th studio album, Empath (credited only for himself), which turns out to be one of the most heterogeneous and unpredictable recordings of his career, even going to change genre several times within the same composition.
While Townsend was about to play an acoustic game when he embarked on a North American trek with Avatar in May, the multi-talented musician took the time to talk with Heavy consequence about the new album and the next tour.
ON THE CREATION OF EMPATH
Several years ago, I decided to end the Devin Townsend project for several reasons. One of them was the parameters of what a rock band can do compared to what I wanted to do. I think the other was that the band was starting – in the same way as Strapping Young Lad – getting momentum, and I saw the writing on the wall: for this to continue and for the salaries to continue , and for everyone to continue, I had to simplify my work to make it more user-friendly for fans who were beginning to identify it, as well as for all of the group's skills. And I think that maybe in combination with that and just becoming 46 years old and sort of a thing of the midlife crisis that tends to appear to most of us at least at this point, I've just started thinking, "OK, well that leads me to a life of kind of contract servitude towards this particular thing, that, honestly, I'm not particularly interested."
I felt as if the creativity that had inspired it had been used in the last three or four discs. Although I was happy, they did not inspire me like some of the previous works. So I chose to dissolve it and seize this opportunity to work with a group of musicians I wanted to work with or that I could not afford to do in the past, and create an almost badyzed record. my entire career and gave me the opportunity to understand my relationship with these things. And create a very dynamic album – with regard to the styles present at a given place, but also, I think that this stylistic chaos also lent itself to the concept. And it's an album I'm very proud of, and I think I got the best result at that time. But it was a ton of work and it was tiring.
ON THE VARIETY OF STYLES ON THE ALBUM
It came naturally, and it is a coincidence that the theme of empathy necessitated the use of different emotional dynamics, because I always tried to write in a particular style, and that it did not seem to me the muse – if you want to watch. to her that way – was to have it.
ONLY THE VIDEO, "GENESIS"
There is a psychological term – which I fear I do not know how it is called – which includes: consciously allowing all the thoughts you have, that they are positive, negative, destructive, chaotic, little imported. to present yourself without you defining yourself by any of them. It's basically about observing them, allowing you to participate not only in your place of residence, but also in some compbadion for yourself, as opposed to constant judgment. And I think that "Genesis" is almost a mission statement for the album, where the idea is to no longer fear your own emotions, but for that you have to participate in activities that you may feel have long been uncomfortable with yourself.
I think that for me, once, I had considered the heavier things that I had done or certain states of mind in which I put myself – negatively or similarly – as mental aberrations, as opposed to mere things treat. with. So, "Genesis" is almost like saying "OK, we're going to cut the crap and start managing that." And I think the video is chaotic because I was trying to represent what I was looking for rather than hearing the structure and thinking, "OK, it's deliberately and provocatively, chaotic," the fact having a visual component allows the audience to see how one thing leads to the next. And I hope this representation will get people to understand what I'm trying to do, it's just being creatively free – instead of setting parameters for the moment.
THE MOST DOUBLE, MOST POWERFUL AND COMPLICATED PIECES OF MUSIC THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER
I think the most complicated piece would be off Empath – it would be "Singularity." I think the heaviest piece would be out of [Strapping Young Lad album] Extraterrestrial or City, and it would be either "Shitstorm" or "Oh My Fucking God." And the softest pieces would be either the first cut [title track] on the album The hummer, or "Infinite Ocean" from the album Ghost.
ON THE LARGEST NUMBER OF TRACKS WHICH HE HAS USED ON A REGISTRATION
I have never counted, but I can guess, and would say Empath would be the clear winner there. I think some tracks are over 700. But my mixing process allows it to be downmixed, so I'm never really dealing with a session with so many tracks at once.
WHAT THE FANS CAN WAIT FOR ITS NEXT TOUR WITH AVATAR IN NORTH AMERICA
The reason I want to do [an acoustic set] is the number one, it gives me a chance to think and build the right group. But also, the way the music was written and written, is usually me with a guitar with a heap of echo. And I think because I use a lot of tracks, often the song and the fact that they are strong may be lost for some people.
So, by bringing everything back to an acoustic guitar and to myself, and still keeping the emotions that the songs were supposed to portray with all that schmutz on, I think it connects people with the work. So when I end up going with Empath with a new group, I think that will perhaps remove much of the confusion within the fanbase as to why I would have left the previous group.
We thank Devin Townsend for taking the time to speak with us. Search his album Empath at this location, and look for tickets for his next tour dates here.
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