# I don't get Devin Townsend



## endmysuffering (Nov 17, 2016)

All over the internet I see huge Devin Townsend fans, so I've checked out his music and I've even seen him live with Fallujah and Btbam, but I still don't get it. I don't hate his music nor him, but I just really don't understand.


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## Laimon (Nov 17, 2016)

endmysuffering said:


> All over the internet I see huge Devin Townsend fans, so I've checked out his music and I've even seen him live with Fallujah and Btbam, but I still don't get it. I don't hate his music nor him, but I just really don't understand.




Sacrilege!!!
Nah, kidding 
I kind of find the latest stuff quite bland, actually, so I would agree...but do listen to City (by Strapping Young Lad, one of his many projects), and I bet you'll understand ;-)


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## takotakumi (Nov 17, 2016)

I'm kind of in the same boat. I highly respect him as a musician and enjoy his music but I do not seem to madly love/hype like most people do. Despite having said that, there's a couple of longs I enjoy A LOT like fallout and kingdom, which when I saw live were even better. Kind of hard to explain, but I seem to enjoy his songs "as a whole" whereas most other bands and artists I seem to first get baited into a really good riff and then get into loving the song as a whole.


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## TedEH (Nov 17, 2016)

IMO his popularity is due in part to how wildly different a lot of his releases are- and most of them are at least decent. Most people I know who are really into Dev have one or two albums that really connect for them (in my case, the original Ziltoid and Ki just really work for me on some level, and Accelerated comes pretty close sometimes), and the rest just comes with it. Having so much variety means that there's lots of different angles to come at it from, people from different sets of tastes can really like his work for different reasons, etc.


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## Rizzo (Nov 17, 2016)

Depends on what you did listen to since every one of his own releases is unique, might it be SYL or his solo project under just his name, or the DTP or the DTB.

As a general rule of thumb, I'd say give the material enough time, every album has a lot of depth.


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## coreysMonster (Nov 17, 2016)

A lot of his appeal also has to do with the fact that you just never know what he's going to do next.

Ocean Machine sounds nothing like Strapping Young Lad that sounds nothing like Terria that sounds nothing like Ziltoid or Ki or Addicted or Ghost or Casualties of Cool, and I'm pretty sure nothing is going to sound like The Moth, that new orchestral thing he's been working on.

Obviously not everything he does is amazing and even the most die-hard of Devin fans have albums of his that they don't like (for me it's Epicloud), but with such a broad spectrum of music a lot of people find at least something in there that they really like.

Aside from the music, his goofy personality and honest and open manner also have a lot to do with it.


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## Cnev (Nov 17, 2016)

Because he is a very interesting artist and open person, who seems to take a very genuine and honest approach to his music. I always feel like it's him talking through his music, rather than music being a contrived extension of an overly egotistical and pretentious mind, which is often the case in modern metal music. Like or dislike, I'll always be interested in his work. Personally, his music is completely hit or completely miss with me. I never feel "meh" about anything he does, but that is how I'd prefer to react to art of any kind, even if I absolutely hate it. Huge amount of respect and admiration for him.


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## TheShreddinHand (Nov 17, 2016)

This is missing a few of the newest release, but start with Addicted and follow this chart:


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## The Omega Cluster (Nov 17, 2016)

Arena rock isn't for me either.


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## Lorcan Ward (Nov 17, 2016)

If this performance doesn't win you over then he's not for you. I'm years behind on his catalogue but I love nearly everything he does.


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## chassless (Nov 17, 2016)

it's not just the variety of music he does, it's also how transparent he is, how emotionally sincere and invested he is in almost everything he does. he's just a very passionate guy, and i can feel it in a song from almost any part of his career. having truly delved into his music fairly lately (less than 2 years ago), i also had the pleasure to listen almost back to back his entire catalog and witness his personal and artistic evolution over some 25 years.


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## Lasik124 (Nov 17, 2016)

Your not alone.

I think his music is a little goofy. Great musician of course though!

Dug a couple strapping songs here and there


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## AngstRiddenDreams (Nov 17, 2016)

Listen to tracks 2-4 on the Strapping Young Lad album City. Listen to the first 5 tracks on Terria, check out the song "Bastard" from Ocean Machine. Listen to "Love" by Strapping as well. "Deadhead" is an emotional masterpiece.
If you cue those songs up on a playlist and don't like him afterwards there's no hope


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## wankerness (Nov 17, 2016)

AngstRiddenDreams said:


> Listen to tracks 2-4 on the Strapping Young Lad album City. Listen to the first 5 tracks on Terria, check out the song "Bastard" from Ocean Machine. Listen to "Love" by Strapping as well. "Deadhead" is an emotional masterpiece.
> If you cue those songs up on a playlist and don't like him afterwards there's no hope



You can skip Mountain and Olives on Terria, but otherwise this is good advice.


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## blacai (Nov 17, 2016)

Great musician. He does lot of things nobody want/can. But it is ok not to like what he offers 

I am not a big fan, but his shows worth it.


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## Triple-J (Nov 17, 2016)

I kind of know how you feel cause I'm totally into what he has to say in interviews etc plus I like the fact that his stuff has a lot of variety to it and overall he seems to be someone I feel like I'm on the same page as in terms of outlook/philosophy but I've not really clicked with most of his material.

Having said that I don't fret about this though cause there's been quite a few artists I didn't click with only to come back to them sometime later and hear them completely differently so maybe Devin is one of them?


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## SwingMachine (Nov 17, 2016)

chassless said:


> it's not just the variety of music he does, it's also how transparent he is, how emotionally sincere and invested he is in almost everything he does. he's just a very passionate guy, and i can feel it in a song from almost any part of his career. having truly delved into his music fairly lately (less than 2 years ago), i also had the pleasure to listen almost back to back his entire catalog and witness his personal and artistic evolution over some 25 years.



+1. Anytime I listen to his material it feels different than most. He's one of the few (to me) that write along what he's feeling, not for a certain genre or style. Transparent is the perfect word. I don't know if that makes any sense at all.


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## endmysuffering (Nov 17, 2016)

I get it now, thanks guys. When I saw him live I found it interesting when he went from and 80's alien sound to a ballad then bullet speed riffs (Sorry I can't remember the songs.) and his voice was great so I'll try out strapping young lad right now and branch oht.


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## Double A (Nov 17, 2016)

endmysuffering said:


> I get it now, thanks guys. When I saw him live I found it interesting when he went from and 80's alien sound to a ballad then bullet speed riffs (Sorry I can't remember the songs.) and his voice was great so I'll try out strapping young lad right now and branch oht.


I started with City. It... Well I am a pretty emotional person and it made me realize things, like someone else heard the things I heard in my head and recorded them. But over the years Devin matured and so did his music and he came to realize that music doesn't have to be angry or sad, it can be a lot of things, even... happy!

Bastard is a personal favorite of mine, but I can say I have not heard anything by this guy that I didn't like once I dropped the posturing and listened to the music.


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## McKay (Nov 17, 2016)

TedEH said:


> IMO his popularity is due in part to how wildly different a lot of his releases are- and most of them are at least decent. Most people I know who are really into Dev have one or two albums that really connect for them (in my case, the original Ziltoid and Ki just really work for me on some level, and Accelerated comes pretty close sometimes), and the rest just comes with it. Having so much variety means that there's lots of different angles to come at it from, people from different sets of tastes can really like his work for different reasons, etc.



This. My favourite album is Accelerated Evolution actually. I find about half his stuff doesn't interest me at all but that variety is what makes his catalogue great in the first place.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 17, 2016)

I'm a huge fan of a lot of Devy's early work. Mostly everything he released between 1996 - 2006. After Ziltoid, I haven't been much of a fan.

And I disagree that he became more mature as time went on, because a lot of his solo, non-SYL stuff pre-2007 is very mature-sounding. If anything, I felt his music became a bit more dumbed-down and predictable as time went on, except for Ghost. 

With his old stuff, you can tell he had a strong emotional attachment. He had his mental problems, especially with bipolarism, and he used his music as a therapeutic device. SYL for his anger, his solo/DTB stuff for his other emotions. After Ziltoid, I feel like that attachment gave way. 

I will say I haven't listened to Transcendence, which I've heard really good things about.


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## Zalbu (Nov 17, 2016)

A big part of Devins charm is that he has a sound and way of writing songs that nobody else is able to replicate. It's hard to explain what it is but for me it makes me feel nostalgic which is hard to find in music aside from songs that actually do have a nostalgic value to you. His most popular songs like Seventh Wave, Deadhead, Bastard and Hyperdrive has this churning feeling to them that never stops moving forward and feels like a freight train chugging along on the tracks, and I think a lot of it has to do with the open tuning which isn't all that common in metal. 

Another reason for why I love him, aside from what people have already said about his huge versatility and you never know what he's going to release next is that I love ambient music just like Devin does and he's one of few metal artists who can use ambience incorporated in metal, as well as straight up ambient albums like Ghost and Casualties of Cool.


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## odibrom (Nov 17, 2016)

Ok, I know this is a little out of the main subject, but does he still uses the Roland GP100 FX processor? Why? There's an Axe Mk2+ (?) there... I don't get it...


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## Esp Griffyn (Nov 17, 2016)

I was never that big on SYL, a few good songs here or there, and Ocean Machine had some good songs but again I wasn't blown away. What really blew me away was the epic high point of his career from Infinity, through Terria, Accelerated Evolution and Synchestra. 

After that, it started to fall off, Ziltoid was zany but I couldn't get into it, it was just silly cartoon music without much emotional depth imo (which is probably expected coming from an album about a puppet alien), and right when he had his chance to come back with some real quality music he sharted out Ki, which was a steamer. I've found everything he's done since to be really bland and half-hearted, like he can still write a song but can't really put any heart or energy into it. YMMV, just my interpretation of it. He definitely seems like he's in a happier place these days and I'm happy for him, but his music has gone off a cliff.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 17, 2016)

odibrom said:


> Ok, I know this is a little out of the main subject, but does he still uses the Roland GP100 FX processor? Why? There's an Axe Mk2+ (?) there... I don't get it...



He used it because the Axe didn't nail the GP100's "....ty" effects. He ....ing loves how that thing sounds. He worked with Cliff to get the GP100's delays and reverbs into his Axes and now the GP100's retired.


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## BrailleDecibel (Nov 18, 2016)

McKay said:


> This. My favourite album is Accelerated Evolution actually. I find about half his stuff doesn't interest me at all but that variety is what makes his catalogue great in the first place.



Pretty much opened this thread to say both of these things. At first, his SYL stuff was my favorite, but over time, it was "Accelerated Evolution" that grew on me the most and has stuck with me. His solo stuff is a bit hit or miss for me, but even with that alone, there's still a lot more great material there than many bands can string together over a whole career. Definitely lots of respect for Dev and his skill from me.


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## odibrom (Nov 18, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> He used it because the Axe didn't nail the GP100's "....ty" effects. He ....ing loves how that thing sounds. He worked with Cliff to get the GP100's delays and reverbs into his Axes and now the GP100's retired.



Thanks for the reply...

It's strange to read that the Axe didn't nail the GP100's Delays and Reverbs, really strange, it required deeper programming I guess...


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## oc616 (Nov 18, 2016)

I've calmed off on my fanboy-isms of Devy over the past 5 years since I was in my early 20s. I still go back to City, Alien, Deconstruction and Addicted for inspiration/general listening joy, but his later output combined with just getting older has lost me somewhat. Epicloud, Transcendence and even parts of Z2 are very much-for-muchness to me, and I preferred when his epic moments were sprinkled thematically into albums like the ending to "Poltergeist" instead of spanning 75% of each album. 

As a musician, he is unparalleled in the modern era for diversity and sheer quality of output. His "meh" albums are still worlds above "average modern metal band X's" efforts on production and composition alone. His sincerity, openness to his thought process, and the tragic tale of SYL's destruction due to his experiences with the industry really allow him to shine as a role model to many musicians. He's the pinnacle of every player who just wants to write and perform whatever they feel like and still receive the critical adoration of thousands, filling out venues with epic shows, whilst also receiving validation that their own compositional efforts are as complex and cinematic as they believe.


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## prlgmnr (Nov 18, 2016)

I've never really got into his stuff, which I feel is a shame because he's obviously one of the most genuine "artists" in metal.

I feel he's just a bit in the Beefheart/Zappa sort of tradition and there's just too much goofiness for me.


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## endmysuffering (Nov 18, 2016)

odibrom said:


> Ok, I know this is a little out of the main subject, but does he still uses the Roland GP100 FX processor? Why? There's an Axe Mk2+ (?) there... I don't get it...



He was running an ax fx 2 into a dual rec when I saw him live.


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## blacai (Nov 18, 2016)

For me this one is f*** good


Anneke is amazing  (and hot)


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## Asrial (Nov 18, 2016)

Esp Griffyn said:


> ... and right when he had his chance to come back with some real quality music he sharted out Ki, which was a steamer.



You w0t m8? Ki is easily one of my most listened to albums, period. 
But Devins music can be a bit overwhelming at first if you don't know where to start, comparing the massive praise he gets.


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## TedEH (Nov 18, 2016)

+1 for Ki being probably my favorite thing Dev has released. It's taken a long time, but I'm fiiiiiiiiiinally kinda starting to like Casualties a bit.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 18, 2016)

odibrom said:


> Thanks for the reply...
> 
> It's strange to read that the Axe didn't nail the GP100's Delays and Reverbs, really strange, it required deeper programming I guess...



Probablt because the Axe sounded too polished while the GP100 sounded more dated, which Devy was used to. He's used the GP so much that it became his signature sound.


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## coreysMonster (Nov 18, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Probablt because the Axe sounded too polished while the GP100 sounded more dated, which Devy was used to. He's used the GP so much that it became his signature sound.



Yeah he said in a video that the GP would break up or distort or otherwise do random .... because it's a crappy little multi-effects, and that's exactly what he liked about it, all the little flaws in the sound. It's really hard to recreate that kind of randomness in a modeller.


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## RobPhoboS (Nov 18, 2016)

I'm with you too *endmysuffering*, I had a friend that was really into his music from the get-go but I just didn't gel with it.
I think Devin's a fantastic musician, and is hugely likeable and humble. So watching him do workshops or what have you is always entertaining and plenty of value given.

I'll go through the suggested songs as well.


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## Unleash The Fury (Nov 19, 2016)

I also fin it hard to get into Devin, or any other overproduction band for that matter. I like ambience and choir here and there, but in this case it just always seems to dominate the mix. Too much going on


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## Rizzo (Nov 19, 2016)

Well, Devin has always been 10 years ahead of his time speaking about production approaches


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## CircuitalPlacidity (Nov 19, 2016)

Transcendence is absolutely ....ing fantastic.


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## kamello (Nov 19, 2016)

wankerness said:


> You can skip Mountain and Olives on Terria, but otherwise this is good advice.



lol, I always do the same, never understood why that album starts with such weak tracks, while the rest of the album feels like a big journey


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## xzacx (Nov 19, 2016)

I've never gotten it either. I remember buying City the week it came out, getting though a few songs, and turning it right off. Hated the vocals and production. I've tried checking his projects a few times over the years but it's not for me. Maybe it's just over my head.


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## AngstRiddenDreams (Nov 20, 2016)

kamello said:


> lol, I always do the same, never understood why that album starts with such weak tracks, while the rest of the album feels like a big journey



Are you kidding me? That middle section build up in "Mountains" is one of the most beautiful things he's ever written in my opinion. The first two tracks are like setting out to see by yourself in a small dinghy, encountering stronger and stronger waves as you go.


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## Hollowway (Nov 20, 2016)

It's all relative. Try this: Next time you think, "Man, why are people into Devin?" remember how many people are into the Kardashians and Honey Boo Boo. Then he'll seem like a supremely talented god, and you won't wonder as much.


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## Esp Griffyn (Nov 20, 2016)

AngstRiddenDreams said:


> Are you kidding me? That middle section build up in "Mountains" is one of the most beautiful things he's ever written in my opinion. The first two tracks are like setting out to see by yourself in a small dinghy, encountering stronger and stronger waves as you go.



That middle section in "Mountain" with the chant is absolute fire.


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## AngstRiddenDreams (Nov 20, 2016)

That section from 1:50-2:50 (prior to the chant) gives me goosebumps everytime. 
It perfectly encapsulates the Psychadelic Americana Prog vibe the whole album has. 

Terria is without a doubt my favorite album of his. It's overwhelmingly beautiful. The consistency of the ambiance on the album isn't matched by any of his other work for me. Ocean Machine is close but it's too 90's for my taste. Terria shows bits of what eventually led to Casualties of Cool and Addicted to me. The positivity and Americana bits at least.


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## Dooky (Nov 21, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm a huge fan of a lot of Devy's early work. Mostly everything he released between 1996 - 2006. After Ziltoid, I haven't been much of a fan.
> 
> And I disagree that he became more mature as time went on, because a lot of his solo, non-SYL stuff pre-2007 is very mature-sounding. If anything, I felt his music became a bit more dumbed-down and predictable as time went on, except for Ghost.
> 
> ...



I feel the exact same way! 
I was about to post how I loved everything up until 2006 and then I saw your post. I also disagree that he has "matured" as a musician over the last 10 or so years. His earlier albums have had an incredible amount of time, attention and work put into them, and it shows - They are amazing. But his last few releases just feel, to me, like he wrote and recorded them in really short time frame. I don't like saying that because I'm a huge fan of Devin (Alien is actually my all time favourite album), but he just seems too relaxed with some of his more recent albums.


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## jwade (Nov 21, 2016)

I think I just find his music very easy to relate to. It's got such overwhelming honesty. He's an inspirational dude.


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## Andromalia (Nov 21, 2016)

The guitars sound better, now if the drums could sound like something else than Random_EZdrummer_sample_18...


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## Zalbu (Nov 21, 2016)

Andromalia said:


> The guitars sound better, now if the drums could sound like something else than Random_EZdrummer_sample_18...


Not going to happen unless Ryan becomes a worse drummer overnight


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## The Mirror (Nov 21, 2016)

Zalbu said:


> Not going to happen unless Ryan becomes a worse drummer overnight



Absolutely. Lot's of the drum parts of the DTP might come of as somewhat "programmed" for Ryan is such an on-spot drummer that he basically is a human drum-machine. 

Has it's up and downsides, of course.


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## AngstRiddenDreams (Nov 21, 2016)

If your predecessor is Gene Hoglan, then you should be a human drum machine.




edit cuz I'm dumb


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## The Mirror (Nov 22, 2016)

*Predecessor. And absolutely.

Great fact from "Half Way There": 

Gene Hoglan wasn't really able to play blastbeats and ultra-fast patterns before Devin invited him to join SYL. Lots of what we can hear on City was based on Hoglan practicing for days on end to achieve those sounds. 

Well. And in the vein he created his own blastbeat.


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## Rizzo (Nov 22, 2016)

^ Blasts? correct.
Fast stuff? Uhm, have you heard his material with Death?

Btw, is Dev's biography any good?


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## AngstRiddenDreams (Nov 22, 2016)

The Mirror said:


> *Predecessor.



 I feel dumb


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## The Mirror (Nov 23, 2016)

Rizzo said:


> ^ Blasts? correct.
> Fast stuff? Uhm, have you heard his material with Death?
> 
> Btw, is Dev's biography any good?




Sure thing. The two Hoglan Death records have fast stuff, but compared to when all hell breaks loose on All Hail The New Flesh...

Only Half There might just be the best "band" biography I've read to date. 

I said it before, but it is more of a "The World According To Devin" than a full-blown biography / tour diary thing. 

He often drifts into philosophical and ethical stuff which is fantastic since it is still Devin writing about it. 

And still there is so much background infos that I really didn't know before, albeit being a die-hard Devin fan. 

Like the one time when Geezer Butler asked him to form a side-project with him, which he declined (became GZR) or the one time he had the opportunity to join Judas Priest, which he also declined (and thus they got Tim Owens).

It's just fantastic to read about how he basically threw all the free money and big options away just to be able to be himself and write/play his own music, instead of just being another hired guy for others. That's basically a definition of Devin, too, I guess.


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## Rizzo (Nov 23, 2016)

The Mirror said:


> Sure thing. The two Hoglan Death records have fast stuff, but compared to whenn all hell breaks loose on All Hail The New Flesh...
> 
> Only Half There might just be the best "band" biography I've read to date.
> 
> ...


Well that sounds really intriguing, I'll probably buy it.


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## TedEH (Nov 23, 2016)

^ I'm not really big into books written by/about bands, but that description is starting to sell me on the idea.


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## ArtHam (Nov 23, 2016)

Good I'm not the only one. I can't get into most of his music, but the guy comes of as a really gentle, intelligent yet goofy guy. Respect him to pieces, can't stand most of his music though.


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## rokket2005 (Nov 23, 2016)

As a fan of Devin, I think he is a rare type of musician where the majority of his fans have albums of his that they just straight up don't like. I have my 5 or 6 albums of his that I love, others that are ok, and some that I will never listen to again because they've never done anything for me. These albums seem to be interchangeable between fans too, as when I've brought up before that I don't like Ki at all three or four other people chimed in right after that Ki is their favorite album of his, and that's fine cause I imagine my favorite album of his, Accelerated Evolution, isn't well regarded by some of his fanbase. He has such a wide coverage across his work that listening to maybe even three or four albums of his across his discography still might not be enough to find the album or two of his that speak to you.


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## Mehnike (Nov 24, 2016)

Deconstruction got me into DT stuff. What an amazing album. Would love for those ideas to be rehashed into a later release. Prog metal circus....

His latest is good for every now and again but I find myself liking the bonus album with all the shorter cookie cutter songs more. More riffy.

But I do really like some stuff off Ki and Addicted. Never can get into Ziltoid. Just doesn't click.

The whole reason for his approachable arena rock release was something to do with a deal he made with his label if I am recalling correctly.


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## The Mirror (Nov 25, 2016)

Mehnike said:


> The whole reason for his approachable arena rock release was something to do with a deal he made with his label if I am recalling correctly.



Absolutely not. Devin hasn't been with a label since he made the first deal for SYL. At the same time he founded HevyDevy Records and everything since his first solo-record (Ocean Machine) has been made all by himself without intervention of a bigger label. 

The physical copies are made by inside-out but that's about it. 

I wanna see the guy that tries to convince Devin to write something he doesn't want to. He'll suffer damn hard. 

I mean, it took his whole band + Nolly and quite some time to convince him to make his effin sound drier. I don't even want to know what it needs for him to change his music.

Even when he wants to do something totally out of the norm, he'd rather ask his fans and stay independent than get under the thumb of someone else, see Casualties.


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## coreysMonster (Nov 25, 2016)

rokket2005 said:


> as when I've brought up before that I don't like Ki at all three or four other people chimed in right after that Ki is their favorite album of his, and that's fine



My least favorite is Epicloud, and while I know a lot of people share that opinion, a LOT of people absolutely love that bombastic, poppy kind of music. I think part of the cool thing about Devin fans (well MOST, anyways  ) is that like you said, everybody has things that Devin has done that speaks to their souls in ways no other artist has, but there's a lot of fluff otherwise and just plain weird / not-good stuff in between, too. But, and that's what makes Devin special, he knows he can't please everybody and does whatever he wants anyways. Even when Dev's average or even subpar, he's still Dev and a wicked entertainer no matter what he does.


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## drmosh (Nov 25, 2016)

The Mirror said:


> I mean, it took his whole band + Nolly and quite some time to convince him to make his effin sound drier. I don't even want to know what it needs for him to change his music.



Given his ridiculously eclectic catalogue, i'm not sure what you mean by "change his music". Sure he has a style, but without that he wouldn't be Devin and for that reason his music won't change.


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## The Mirror (Nov 25, 2016)

drmosh said:


> Given his ridiculously eclectic catalogue, i'm not sure what you mean by "change his music". Sure he has a style, but without that he wouldn't be Devin and for that reason his music won't change.



In the context of the original statement I answered to ("The whole reason for his approachable arena rock release was something to do with a deal he made with his label if I am recalling correctly."), with "change his music" I mean a producer from a big label coming over, saying stuff like:

"That song can be 3 minutes shorter, add more major chords, less technical, why not feature (random famous metal musican) and get a great music video".


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## synrgy (Nov 25, 2016)

I'm not necessarily a fan, but what I "get" is that he's blending the technical precision of his metal contemporaries with the compositional whimsy of somebody like Frank Zappa. A true artist among a sea of mostly copycats. (IMO, acknowledging that these things are entirely subjective.)


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## dan0151 (Nov 25, 2016)

Thanks to this thread I have revisited my Devin collection and have a greater appreciation for his work, I used to get a little confused by his music but now I seem to get it.


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## drmosh (Nov 25, 2016)

The Mirror said:


> "That song can be 3 minutes shorter, add more major chords, less technical, why not feature (random famous metal musican) and get a great music video".



aah, I get you.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 25, 2016)

He actually did do a song with some help from an outside producer (big name, as well.) He said he'll never release it.


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## Herrick (Dec 3, 2016)

What is the difference between Devin Townsend and Devin Townsend Project?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Dec 3, 2016)

(almost) Everything released after 2009 is DTP. Everything before is either under his name or devin Townsend Band.


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## electriceye (Dec 8, 2016)

endmysuffering said:


> All over the internet I see huge Devin Townsend fans, so I've checked out his music and I've even seen him live with Fallujah and Btbam, but I still don't get it. I don't hate his music nor him, but I just really don't understand.



I'm with you. I checked out some of his live shows and I just kept saying "W...T....F." It's almost like a Yo Gabba Gabba for adults (those of you w/ young kids know what I mean).


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## CapnForsaggio (Dec 8, 2016)

"WWWWHHHHHHAAAAOOOOOOOO.... I had cheerios for breakfast this morning, you know what I mean? ...... WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA"

Also can't stand him. It's like watching a movie where the actors keep breaking the fourth wall, but they aren't supposed to.


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## Zalbu (Dec 8, 2016)

For you people who don't get his stuff, check out Casualties of Cool. It's unlike anything I've heard before and really showcases the width of material he can write.


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## Double A (Dec 8, 2016)

Zalbu said:


> For you people who don't get his stuff, check out Casualties of Cool. It's unlike anything I've heard before and really showcases the width of material he can write.


I would suggest the last two people probably will never "get" it. 

I can see how some people wouldn't get his attitude. But calling it yo gabba gabba for adults... That shows a rather large lack of understanding of the man's work and where he is coming from.


I think the best thing about DT's music is that he has literally covered it all and has done so in such a genuine manner that it is hard to question his work even if you don't like certain records. Me? I don't really like the Ziltoid albums. But I love everything else the man has done which is like 50 other albums.


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## The Mirror (Dec 8, 2016)

Double A said:


> I think the best thing about DT's music is that he has literally covered it all and has done so in such a genuine manner that it is hard to question his work even if you don't like certain records.



That's another definition I often give for those who don't know Devin.

I can show everyone a song from Devin he will like, but noone will ever love all his records equally. 

He is the most diverse single musician in the metal scene we have this time. 

My mom does only listen to radio music and mostly german folk music. She loves CoC. A buddy of mine is very much into Metalcore / MeloDeath, he loves Detox. My dad listens to classic rock and melodic stuff, I showed him the Iceland EP and he instantly copied it on his laptop. 

Devin is more than just puppets and wanky humor, though since that is a side that isn't great for marketing and promo it is often overlooked by those unfamiliar with him.


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## Dooky (Dec 9, 2016)

Zalbu said:


> For you people who don't get his stuff, check out Casualties of Cool. It's unlike anything I've heard before and really showcases the width of material he can write.



Interesting recommendation. Casualties would have to be my least favourite of his albums.


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## The Mirror (Dec 9, 2016)

Dooky said:


> Interesting recommendation. Casualties would have to be my least favourite of his albums.



See. That's the thing with Devin. For me CoC is the best thing he did since Ocean Machine / City


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## Zalbu (Dec 9, 2016)

The Mirror said:


> See. That's the thing with Devin. For me CoC is the best thing he did since Ocean Machine / City


Same for me, I know that it's not the most conventional album to recommend if you're a metalhead but it showcases the width of his musical abilities and at least gives some context to him as an artist.


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## TedEH (Dec 9, 2016)

I feel like Casualties is a really good album from a technical point of view, but I can't stand the country vibe on most of the songs. The Dunlop video they did of a few tracks was great- I think those songs work well in a sort of live-in-an-intimate-way, but I don't really like the album versions of the songs as much. But that's cause I particularly don't like country and the sounds associated with that. If they had created something that was more like the writing of Ki but with the Casualties production style, I'd have been all over that. Too much bouncy/twangy/country stuff for me to listen to it regularly, but I can appreciate it as another part of the whole library, just as much as SYL and those noise albums that people don't talk much about, etc.

Just more reinforcement to the idea that the wide range of stuff he does is a big part of why he's so popular. Most people can find at least a few things to like.


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## Double A (Dec 9, 2016)

TedEH said:


> I feel like Casualties is a really good album from a technical point of view, but I can't stand the country vibe on most of the songs. The Dunlop video they did of a few tracks was great- I think those songs work well in a sort of live-in-an-intimate-way, but I don't really like the album versions of the songs as much. But that's cause I particularly don't like country and the sounds associated with that. If they had created something that was more like the writing of Ki but with the Casualties production style, I'd have been all over that. Too much bouncy/twangy/country stuff for me to listen to it regularly, but I can appreciate it as another part of the whole library, just as much as SYL and those noise albums that people don't talk much about, etc.
> 
> Just more reinforcement to the idea that the wide range of stuff he does is a big part of why he's so popular. Most people can find at least a few things to like.


I honestly do not think Casualties is very country at all. It has some elements but the only thing that sounds remotely "country" is the guitar tone in some songs but I don't find many of the parts sound like country music to me.

I would also say CoC is probably my favorite thing he has done is quite a long while.


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## TedEH (Dec 9, 2016)

It sounds VERY country to me. Maybe country is the wrong word for it and not every track beats you over the head with it, but it's definitely there to some degree throughout the whole album. The opening track wreaks of it- the bass line and drums could be right out of any old country tune.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Dec 9, 2016)

Some songs have a very country feel (particularly Daddy and The Code). Some have some country elements, but are mostly ambient pieces. The rest sound like typical Devy ambient/alt rock to me. But when I listen to the album as a whole, it doesn't make me think of Conway Twitty.


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## TedEH (Dec 9, 2016)

I guess for me, any amount of country instantly turns me off of the whole album.


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## electriceye (Dec 10, 2016)

Double A said:


> I would suggest the last two people probably will never "get" it.
> 
> I can see how some people wouldn't get his attitude. But calling it yo gabba gabba for adults... That shows a rather large lack of understanding of the man's work and where he is coming from.



My point was that it's SO out there, it's hard for most people to grasp whatever it is he's doing. Watching his show or watching YGG is like (what I imagine at a silly level) what a bad acid trip is like. 

I certainly don't question his talent. It's just Zappa-esquire and not many people are going to ever "get it." I admit, I'm one of them who doesn't. 

And, I also like his name, since we both spell our names the same way.


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## endmysuffering (Dec 10, 2016)

TedEH said:


> It sounds VERY country to me. Maybe country is the wrong word for it and not every track beats you over the head with it, but it's definitely there to some degree throughout the whole album. The opening track wreaks of it- the bass line and drums could be right out of any old country tune.



Checkout a song called Amarillo Sleeps on my Pillow, it has a country vibe but its pretty good except the "solo" ( the solo hurts )


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## Double A (Dec 10, 2016)

electriceye said:


> My point was that it's SO out there, it's hard for most people to grasp whatever it is he's doing. Watching his show or watching YGG is like (what I imagine at a silly level) what a bad acid trip is like.
> 
> I certainly don't question his talent. It's just Zappa-esquire and not many people are going to ever "get it." I admit, I'm one of them who doesn't.
> 
> And, I also like his name, since we both spell our names the same way.


First, I am not really into Zappa... >_>

His point artistically is that art and music are many, many different things. He is not making things tailored to an audience. He is making things he wants to make. And since he, and everyone on this planet, are multilayered individuals the things he makes are very diverse. And that is okay. He has written angry, angry metal. And then he makes beautiful ambient albums. And then pop metal that is fun and full of joy. I don't like all of it. You don't have to. You don't have to like any of it. But at the end of the day DT says what he wants to say, and he has had a lot to say. Some of it does not necessarily make sense together. He has been making music since... the late 80's? And he makes a lot of it. It would track that unless you are a fan and watched his progression as a person and musician that it just wouldn't make sense. But at the same time you don't need to be a super fan to enjoy his music. You can just pick an album or song you like and that works just as well.

For me his entire career has been like watching someone grow through the music that they make and watching everything does change as he changes. It has been pretty cool.


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## The Mirror (Dec 11, 2016)

Can I, at this point, request that this thread will be merged with the Superthread? I mean everything we write in here is basically what an artist-centered thread is all about.


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## endmysuffering (Dec 11, 2016)

The Mirror said:


> Can I, at this point, request that this thread will be merged with the Superthread? I mean everything we write in here is basically what an artist-centered thread is all about.



This thread got really big really fast, I think it should probably stay on its own to avoid confusion. The supermegathread is more of a general discussion thing.


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## TedEH (Dec 12, 2016)

endmysuffering said:


> Checkout a song called Amarillo Sleeps on my Pillow, it has a country vibe but its pretty good except the "solo" ( the solo hurts )



Gave that track a shot.... not super impressed by it, to be honest. Shoehorned banjos ruin pretty much everything, IMO. I can handle folk, acoustic stuff, etc.- and really the Casualties stuff isn't so country-ish that I can't listen to it, 'cause it sounds "genuine" if that makes any sense. Most country, to my ears, come off as just bad, bouncy, twangy, jangly pop nonsense.


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## endmysuffering (Dec 12, 2016)

TedEH said:


> Gave that track a shot.... not super impressed by it, to be honest. Shoehorned banjos ruin pretty much everything, IMO. I can handle folk, acoustic stuff, etc.- and really the Casualties stuff isn't so country-ish that I can't listen to it, 'cause it sounds "genuine" if that makes any sense. Most country, to my ears, come off as just bad, bouncy, twangy, jangly pop nonsense.



The hate for country music usually comes from an experience, cartoons and ads are usually the cause. I honestly love the banjo.


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## TedEH (Dec 12, 2016)

I honestly feel zero need to justify my distaste for country music.  I think it's garbage, other people don't think it's garbage. Lots of people who listen to country think the stuff I listen to is garbage. Nothing wrong with that. Not all music is good to everyone.


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## endmysuffering (Dec 12, 2016)

TedEH said:


> Gave that track a shot.... not super impressed by it, to be honest. Shoehorned banjos ruin pretty much everything, IMO. I can handle folk, acoustic stuff, etc.- and really the Casualties stuff isn't so country-ish that I can't listen to it, 'cause it sounds "genuine" if that makes any sense. Most country, to my ears, come off as just bad, bouncy, twangy, jangly pop nonsense.



The rest of their music is less country more medieval, I love them even though I'm a tech death guy.


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## Thelamon (Dec 12, 2016)

Country is a specific product, marketed to a specific group, and I don't think that applies to CoC. CoC is heavily folk-inspired, but you can't play a CoC on any "country" station that I've ever been stuck listening to, because it isn't by Americans (with some notable exceptions) for Americans. 

Folk bands (in the middle/end of a real Renaissance in the 2010's) have widespread popularity, but no other region is buying Florida Georgia Line records (having never charted outside North America).

EDIT: Hilariously making my point for me, when I went to the Wikipedia page for Florida Georgia Line's discography, the picture is them in an interview at a Walmart.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Dec 12, 2016)

That's the sound i think fits CoC more than country. I said alt rock but it's more like folk l.


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## endmysuffering (Dec 12, 2016)

TedEH said:


> I honestly feel zero need to justify my distaste for country music.  I think it's garbage, other people don't think it's garbage. Lots of people who listen to country think the stuff I listen to is garbage. Nothing wrong with that. Not all music is good to everyone.



I try to listen to as much stuff as possible so that aspects I like slip into my writing.


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## Drew (Dec 12, 2016)

TheShreddinHand said:


> This is missing a few of the newest release, but start with Addicted and follow this chart:



That's actually pretty good - between Terria and Addicted, you'll cover a pretty good swathe of his material and get some idea where to go next. And this is coming from a guy who didn't LOVE Addicted, aside from the overtly over-the-top poppiness of "Supercrush!".

I'd say maybe Terria and Alien as an entry point, with the latter being the most restrained and melodic of his SYL material. 

Either way, Terria is a desert island disc for me, for sure, and one of my favorite albums.

By the way, I don't recognize the cover of the ambient/aggressive one?


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## TedEH (Dec 12, 2016)

endmysuffering said:


> I try to listen to as much stuff as possible so that aspects I like slip into my writing.



If that was meant as a subtle "you should listen to it anyway, cause you could learn something" kind of comment, I've listened to more than enough country to know that I'm not getting anything I like out of it. It's great that your personal tastes are varied, but lets not turn this into a "you're not a reeeeeal musician if you don't like ALL music" kind of conversation.


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## Dooky (Dec 12, 2016)

The Mirror said:


> See. That's the thing with Devin. For me CoC is the best thing he did since Ocean Machine / City



I enjoy Ocean Machine, but don't consider it one of my favourites. 
However, I very much like City. 
My favourite album of Devin's would have to be Alien. I consider that to perhaps be the heaviest album I have ever heard - sure other bands might have more growling/screaming, faster drums, downtuned 9 string guitars etc. But Alien is perfection. The songs and how they are composed is just heaviness perfection. The song '....storm' gives me chills every time.


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## Zalbu (Dec 12, 2016)

I think Ocean Machine would be the best album to start out with since that's more or less his trademark album, I think Terria is a bit less accessible.

And labeling Casualties as country is doing the album a disservice. There's just no way to pinpoint that album into a single genre since it's so genuine and from the heart. I mean, look at what Wikipedia is labeling the album, "Country rock, blues rock, chamber rock, ambient, alternative country", good luck trying to visualize what that sounds like if you've never listened to it.


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## Jarmake (Dec 13, 2016)

Drew said:


> By the way, I don't recognize the cover of the ambient/aggressive one?



Isn't it the cover of "ki"?


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## The Mirror (Dec 13, 2016)

Drew said:


> By the way, I don't recognize the cover of the ambient/aggressive one?



Yep, That would be Ki


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## endmysuffering (Dec 13, 2016)

TedEH said:


> If that was meant as a subtle "you should listen to it anyway, cause you could learn something" kind of comment, I've listened to more than enough country to know that I'm not getting anything I like out of it. It's great that your personal tastes are varied, but lets not turn this into a "you're not a reeeeeal musician if you don't like ALL music" kind of conversation.



The real musician arguement is definitely stupid.


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## CapnForsaggio (Dec 13, 2016)

endmysuffering said:


> The real musician arguement is definitely stupid.



You're not a REAL musician if you don't listen to Devin. 

He is a REAL musician. So real, he tunes his guitar to CECCCCE, or whatever.


LMFAO.


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## Drew (Dec 13, 2016)

Thanks guys, never heard that one, I'll have to check it out.


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## Double A (Dec 14, 2016)

Wait, you have never heard Ki?

Huh. 

Well, it is a heavy album without the "heavy".


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## McKay (Dec 15, 2016)




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## eloann (Dec 16, 2016)

I think it's easy to not "get" Devin Townsend since he's all over the place with his style. I mostly love the guy but sometimes even I am perplexed.

On the other hand most people can find *something* they like in his music - unless they're irremediably put off by the first song they hear


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