More Music with Devin Townsend
The artist Devin Townsend first became enthralled with music when he was only five years old. From that time when he held his first instrument, he hasn’t stopped playing, singing, writing songs and producing them. Merchants likewise haven’t stopped hawking tons of Devin Townsend Project merch. His work is so extensive that it has become difficult to pin him down into just one genre. His music ranges from extreme metal to ambient.
The man is widely known for his penchant for completing projects on his own or that are purposefully and strongly associated with himself. This is apparent in his new undertaking, the Devin Townsend Project. Like many other solo artists however, Townsend began his career with other people. His first real, notable career highlight was when he was contacted to provide vocals for Steve Vai’s Sex and Religion. The meeting paved the way for greater heights for the young artist but this initial work also proved to be a disadvantage. He began to feel that he was being boxed in with someone else’s creative work. It became difficult for him to cut his own mark as he was faced with several rejections for his own music.
In an attempt to achieve greater acceptance for his work, he took on the name Strapping Young Lad. This name came in handy for the 1994 work that he performed on five albums for Century Media Records. Townsend eventually formed a band that would carry the name Strapping Young Lad and came up with the album City. With more positive reception for his music, he began linking his work to his name again as is apparent in Infinity.
Townsend reunited with Strapping Young Lad members in 2002 but also formed another band that this time carried his name. It was with this second group that Accelerated Evolution was recorded and released. Devin Townsend toured and played music separately with both bands.
The artist’s prolific work and unrestrained energy finally took its toll. In 2007, he declared that he would no longer perform with either of his bands. As many music fans suspected however, this was to be only a temporary hiatus. Like every other active musician, Townsend was bound to make a comeback.
As if to mark another fresh start, Townsend emerged in 2008 from his self-imposed break without his signature locks. He also took on the new resolve to give up drinking, smoking and producing music with drugs. Within two years, the artist worked on a variety of songs that conveniently fell into four different styles. This was the beginning of the idea for the Devin Townsend Project, a four album work that would cement his identity as an artist. To highlight his multi genre abilities, the project would cover four different themes executed by four different sets of musicians.
Ki was the very first album to come out for the project in 2009. The album is noticeably more restrained than Townsend’s other releases. Following this release are Addicted and Deconstruction. The final album, Ghost is set for release in 2011 and is said to carry ambient type of music.
There is no stopping Devin Townsend from cementing his name in the music industry. There truly is a lot more to expect from the man and his music after the Devin Townsend Project. There’s bound to be more merch and music tees for fans to collect.
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