Canadian heavy music artist Devin Townsend released his acclaimed new album ‘EMPATH’ in March and will embark on the ‘EMPATH – European Tour Vol. 1’ later this year. In advance of that, he has launched a brand new animated video for the track ‘Why?’, directed by DC Turner.
Devin recently completed a run of acoustic shows in Australia, and will embark on the ‘EMPATH – European Tour Vol. 1’ beginning in November, with HAKEN along as support. Before that he will perform acoustically in Singapore, followed by an appearance at the Guitar Show in London.
The full list of dates are as follows: 18th September – Gateway Black Box Theatre, Singapore, China (acoustic) 21st September – The Guitar Show, London, UK 15th November – Salle Pleyel, Paris, France 16th November – Trix, Antwerp, Belgium 17th November – 013, Tilburg, Netherlands 18th November – Grunspan, Hamburg, Germany 20th November – Logomo, Turku, Finland 21st November – Cirkus, Helsinki, Finland 23rd November – Münchenbryggeriet, Stockholm, Sweden 24th November – Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Norway 25th November – Amager Bio, Copenhagen, Denmark 27th November – Astra, Berlin, Germany 28th November – Roxy, Prague, Czech Republic 29th November – A2, Wroclaw, Poland 30th November – Barba Negra, Budapest, Hungary 2nd December – Simm City, Vienna, Austria 3rd December – X Tra, Zurich, Switzerland 6th December – Academy, Dublin, Ireland 7th December – Limelight, Belfast, UK 9th December – SWG3 Galvanisers, Glasgow, UK 10th December – Albert Hall, Manchester, UK 12th December – Roundhouse, London, UK 13th December – Rock City, Nottingham, UK
Devin comments: “After a year of intensive recording, mixing, and reflection, I have decided where I want to take the next level of my career as a live performer. I have had success and great memories from both the Devin Townsend Project as well as Strapping Young Lad, but now I am fortunate enough to be able to follow the muse where it currently leads. I am proud to announce that for the first ‘band’ tour of the Empath cycle, I am going to stretch my wings in ways I have not had the opportunity to do before and tour with a ‘backing band’ that can shift and morph as the music dictates instead of adhering to a click track. ‘Empath Europe Volume 1’ will be the first example of this, and the first tour will be in Europe (other territories to follow).
I hope you will consider joining me at these concerts. As a performer, it’s important to be able to be willing to react, and my hope is that each of these shows will be a unique experience.
Thank you for allowing me to do what I do. See you there?
Devin Townsend”
Over the past few years, the success that Devin has slowly worked for has, fortunately, comes with the power to control his own creative destiny. The recent successes with the DVD from a sold-out Royal Albert hall, or his 2012 ‘Retinal Circus’, or last year’s ‘Ocean Machine’ live DVD with the Orchestra and Choir of State Opera Plovdiv has put him in a position where with the new album ‘EMPATH’, he will once and for all define himself as a musical force outside of any particular genre classification.
On this album, Devin has decided to see what would happen if all the styles that make up his current interests were finally represented in one place. To finally shake the fear of expectation, and just do what it is he was meant to do creatively, EMPATH, true to the name, is about allowing the audience a feeling for a variety of musical emotions. The musical dynamics represented on this single album are broad, challenging, and immense. To approach this sort of work with a long history of what makes heavy music ‘heavy’, allows this to be done with a type of power rarely heard.
Joining Devin on this album is Frank Zappa alumni Mike Keneally as music director, as well as Morgan Ågren (Mats And Morgan, Frank Zappa, Fredrik Thordendal), Anup Sastry (Monuments, Periphery), Samus Paulicelli (Decrepit Birth, Abigail Williams), Nathan Navarro, Elliot Desagnes, Steve Vai, Chad Kroeger, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Ché Aimee Dorval, Ryan Dhale and the Elektra Women’s Choir.
A bold statement with massive production values and dynamic, uncompromised musicality. This is a statement about not only pursuing creative freedom in a conservative scene but also trying to show that heavy music is truly a valid musical tool.
‘EMPATH’ is out now on Limited 2 CD Digipak in O-Card (including an entire disc of bonus material), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180G 2LP Vinyl + CD + LP-booklet & as digital album. Order now here: https://devin-townsend.lnk.to/Empath
Canadian heavy music artist Devin Townsend has recently announced the release of his forthcoming new album ‘EMPATH’ for March 29th, 2019.
He also revealed that in the lead up to the album’s release, Devin will walk fans through how Empath came together with a series of documentary episodes recorded as phone conversations during the course of the albums recording. Watch the first episode of that series here:
Devin previously commented: “Hello everybody, this is Devin Townsend and I would like to formally announce that after almost a year and a half of working, I have finished Empath. Now this record has taken me down a lot of very interesting psychological and technical avenues and the process was documented from the very get-go by a series of documentary videos that I have done, that outline everything from the gestation of the idea to the actualisation of it, through all the existential ups and downs that went on. As such this record is different to any record that I have released thus far, and trying to get people on board for what it is versus what it isn’t, I think needs to be dealt with in a different way. Stay tuned for the making of Empath – the video series.”
Over the past few years, the success that Devin has slowly worked for has fortunately come with the power to control his own creative destiny. The recent successes with the DVD from a sold-out Royal Albert hall, or his 2012 ‘Retinal Circus’, or last year’s ‘Ocean Machine’ live DVD with the Orchestra and Choir of State Opera Plovdiv has put him in a position where with the new album ‘EMPATH’, he will once and for all define himself as a musical force outside of any particular genre classification.
On this album Devin has decided to see what would happen if all the styles that make up his current interests were finally represented in one place. To finally shake the fear of expectation, and just do what it is he was meant to do creatively, EMPATH, true to the name, is about allowing the audience a feeling for a variety of musical emotions. The musical dynamics represented on this single album are broad, challenging, and immense. To approach this sort of work with a long history of what makes heavy music ‘heavy’, allows this to be done with a type of power rarely heard.
Joining Devin on this album is Frank Zappa alumni Mike Keneally as music director, as well as Morgan Ågren (Mats And Morgan, Frank Zappa, Fredrik Thordendal), Anup Sastry (Monuments, Periphery), Samus Paulicelli (Decrepit Birth, Abigail Williams), Nathan Navarro, Elliot Desagnes, Steve Vai, Chad Kroeger, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Ché Aimee Dorval, Ryan Dhale and the Elektra Women’s Choir.
A bold statement with massive production values and dynamic, uncompromised musicality. This is a statement about not only pursuing creative freedom in a conservative scene, but also trying to show that heavy music is truly a valid musical tool.
‘EMPATH’ will be released on Limited 2 CD Digipak (including an entire disc of bonus material), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180G 2LP Vinyl + CD + LP-booklet & as digital album. Pre-order now here: www.insideoutmusicshop.com
The full track-listing is as follows:1.Castaway 2.Genesis 3.Spirits Will Collide 4.Evermore 5.Sprite 6.Hear Me 7.Why 8.Borderlands 9.Requiem 10.Singularity Part 1 – Adrift 11.Singularity Part 2 – I Am I 12.Singularity Part 3 – There Be Monsters 13.Singularity Part 4 – Curious Gods 14.Singularity Part 5 – Silicon Scientists 15.Singularity Part 6 – Here Comes The Sun
Last year Devin announced a special ‘An Evening With’ tour that would see him performing acoustically, as well as taking part in a fan Q&A at each show.
The full list of dates are as follows, many of which are already sold out: 7th March – The Piano Man Jazz Club, New Delhi, India SOLD OUT 8th March – Levi’s Lounge, Mumbai, India SOLD OUT 29th March – Savoy Theater, Helsinki, Finland SOLD OUT 30th March – Savoy Theater, Helsinki, Finland SOLD OUT 31st March – Sodra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden SOLD OUT 1st April – Edderkoppen, Oslo, Norway SOLD OUT 2nd April – Bremen Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark 4th April – PassionKirchhe, Berlin, Germany 5th April – Stodola, Warsaw, Poland 6th April – La Fabrica, Prague, Czech Republic SOLD OUT 7th April – Freiheiz, Munich, Germany SOLD OUT 9th April – Kulturkirche, Cologne, Germany SOLD OUT 10th April – Grunspan, Hamburg, Germany 11th April – Bravo Kerk, Haarlem, Netherlands SOLD OUT 13th April – Reading 3, Tel Aviv, Israel 24th April – Bush Hall, London, UK SOLD OUT 25th April – Bush Hall, London, UK SOLD OUT 26th April – St George’s, Bristol, UK SOLD OUT 27th April – City Varieties, Leeds, UK SOLD OUT 29th April – Jam House, Edinburgh, UK SOLD OUT 30th April – Glee Club, Birmingham, UK SOLD OUT
Devin’s varied back catalogue is also being celebrated with lavish vinyl box-sets under the name of ERAS. Having already released parts 1 and 2 earlier in early 2018, the end of the year saw the release of part 3, which features some of his most recent work with Devin Townsend Project, including the albums ‘Accelerated Evolution’, ‘Epicloud’, ‘Sky Blue’, ‘Transcendence’ & the first ever vinyl release of the second part of the DTP’s now legendary Royal Albert Hall show. Order your copy of this deluxe 10 LP box-set here: https://devintownsendproject.lnk.to/ErasIII
Canadian heavy music artist Devin Townsend has officially announced the release of his forthcoming new album ‘EMPATH’ for March 29th, 2019.
In the lead up to the album’s release, Devin will walk fans through how Empath came together with a series of documentary episodes recorded as phone conversations during the course of the albums recording. Watch him explain more in this video:
Devin comments: “Hello everybody, this is Devin Townsend and I would like to formally announce that after almost a year and a half of working, I have finished Empath. Now this record has taken me down a lot of very interesting psychological and technical avenues and the process was documented from the very get-go by a series of documentary videos that I have done, that outline everything from the gestation of the idea to the actualisation of it, through all the existential ups and downs that went on. As such this record is different to any record that I have released thus far, and trying to get people on board for what it is versus what it isn’t, I think needs to be dealt with in a different way. Stay tuned for the making of Empath – the video series.”
Over the past few years, the success that Devin has slowly worked for has fortunately come with the power to control his own creative destiny. The recent successes with the DVD from a sold-out Royal Albert hall, or his 2012 ‘Retinal Circus’, or last year’s ‘Ocean Machine’ live DVD with the Orchestra and Choir of State Opera Plovdiv has put him in a position where with the new album ‘EMPATH’, he will once and for all define himself as a musical force outside of any particular genre classification.
On this album Devin has decided to see what would happen if all the styles that make up his current interests were finally represented in one place. To finally shake the fear of expectation, and just do what it is he was meant to do creatively, EMPATH, true to the name, is about allowing the audience a feeling for a variety of musical emotions. The musical dynamics represented on this single album are broad, challenging, and immense. To approach this sort of work with a long history of what makes heavy music ‘heavy’, allows this to be done with a type of power rarely heard.
Joining Devin on this album is Frank Zappa alumni Mike Keneally as music director, as well as Morgan Ågren (Mats And Morgan, Frank Zappa, Fredrik Thordendal), Anup Sastry (Monuments, Periphery), Samus Paulicelli (Decrepit Birth, Abigail Williams), Nathan Navarro, Elliot Desagnes, Steve Vai, Chad Kroeger, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Ché Aimee Dorval, Ryan Dhale and the Elektra Women’s Choir.
A bold statement with massive production values and dynamic, uncompromised musicality. This is a statement about not only pursuing creative freedom in a conservative scene, but also trying to show that heavy music is truly a valid musical tool.
‘EMPATH’ will be released on Limited 2 CD Digipak (including an entire disc of bonus material), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180G 2LP Vinyl + CD + LP-booklet & as digital album.
The full track-listing is as follows: 1.Castaway 2.Genesis 3.Spirits Will Collide 4.Evermore 5.Sprite 6.Hear Me 7.Why 8.Borderlands 9.Requiem 10.Singularity Part 1 – Adrift 11.Singularity Part 2 – I Am I 12.Singularity Part 3 – There Be Monsters 13.Singularity Part 4 – Curious Gods 14.Singularity Part 5 – Silicon Scientists 15.Singularity Part 6 – Here Comes The Sun
Last year Devin announced a special ‘An Evening With’ tour that would see him performing acoustically, as well as taking part in a fan Q&A at each show.
The full list of dates are as follows, many of which are already sold out: 7th March – The Piano Man Jazz Club, New Delhi, India SOLD OUT 8th March – Levi’s Lounge, Mumbai, India SOLD OUT 29th March – Savoy Theater, Helsinki, Finland SOLD OUT 30th March – Savoy Theater, Helsinki, Finland SOLD OUT 31st March – Sodra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden SOLD OUT 1st April – Edderkoppen, Oslo, Norway SOLD OUT 2nd April – Bremen Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark 4th April – PassionKirchhe, Berlin, Germany 5th April – Stodola, Warsaw, Poland 6th April – La Fabrica, Prague, Czech Republic SOLD OUT 7th April – Freiheiz, Munich, Germany SOLD OUT 9th April – Kulturkirche, Cologne, Germany SOLD OUT 10th April – Grunspan, Hamburg, Germany 11th April – Bravo Kerk, Haarlem, Netherlands SOLD OUT 13th April – Reading 3, Tel Aviv, Israel 24th April – Bush Hall, London, UK SOLD OUT 25th April – Bush Hall, London, UK SOLD OUT 26th April – St George’s, Bristol, UK SOLD OUT 27th April – City Varieties, Leeds, UK SOLD OUT 29th April – Jam House, Edinburgh, UK SOLD OUT 30th April – Glee Club, Birmingham, UK SOLD OUT
Devin’s varied back catalogue is also being celebrated with lavish vinyl box-sets under the name of ERAS. Having already released parts 1 and 2 earlier in early 2018, the end of the year saw the release of part 3, which features some of his most recent work with Devin Townsend Project, including the albums ‘Accelerated Evolution’, ‘Epicloud’, ‘Sky Blue’, ‘Transcendence’ & the first ever vinyl release of the second part of the DTP’s now legendary Royal Albert Hall show. Order your copy of this deluxe 10 LP box-set here: https://devintownsendproject.lnk.to/ErasIII
Devin Townsend is pleased to announce a very special European ‘An Evening With’ solo acoustic tour, beginning at the end of March 2019 and running through April. The intimate evenings will feature Devin performing tracks from across his catalogue, as well as taking part in a Q&A where fans will get to know more about what Devin is up to at this stage in his career and the forthcoming new album ‘Empath’. This will prove to be a unique & special experience for all in attendance.
He comments:
Hello everyone, Devin here. I have been busy making my newest recording, EMPATH over the past year. It has been a complicated and enlightening experience in that I have gone back to my roots in terms of what my motivations are for making music, in hopes that I am able to move forward as a musician being as true as I possibly can to my motivations. The result is an album that I am exceptionally proud of, one that is uncompromised and diverse in ways that accurately represent where I’m at now at the age of 46. The past decade of relentless touring with DTP had been something that caught up with me in a big way, and as a result I felt I needed to step back from that world and analyse myself and make this music before stepping onto a stage again. The time has come however for me to take the next step in my career, and when asked about how I would like to do so, I decided the first thing I would do was a very intimate run of shows that allows me to play my music stripped back to just me and a guitar. The shows are at nice venues, and includes a spoken word element with questions from the audience as well as aspects of my entire career represented in this one show.
Before I tour with a band again, I wanted to have the opportunity to play for you, and meet up with the people who not only have made my work possible, but inspire me to continue. In a world of computers and social media, to be stripped of all the bells and whistles is a very important step for my reintroduction to the live concert world. I truly hope you’ll join me and I look forward to being the most honest I can be with you at these special shows.
Thank you to Andy Farrow and Northern Music, Thomas Waber and Inside Out records, as well as all who have supported me during this period. I have not been as proud of an album as I am of Empath in many years, and I really needed to get this out of my system.
7th March – Piano Man Jazz Club, Delhi, India
8th March – Levi’s Lounge, Mumbai, India
30th March – Savoy-teatteri, Helsinki, Finland
31st March – Sodra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden
1st April – Edderkoppen, Oslo, Norway
2nd April – Bremen Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark
4th April – PassionsKirche, Berlin, Germany
5th April – Stodola, Warsaw, Poland
6th April – La Fabrica, Prague, Czech Republic
7th April – Freiheiz, Munich, Germany
9th April – Kulturkirche, Cologne, Germany
10th April – Grunspan, Hamburg, Germany
11th April – St-Bavokerk, Haarlem, The Netherlands
24th April – Bush Hall, London, UK
25th April – Bush Hall, London, UK
26th April – St George’s, Bristol, UK
27th April – City Varieties, Leeds, UK
29th April – Jam House, Edinburgh, UK
30th April – Glee Club, Birmingham, UK
Devin recently announced that he had signed a brand new contract with InsideOutMusic on the eve of their 20 year anniversary of working together, for the release of new albums including the forthcoming ‘Empath’ in 2019.
Devin comments: “In an Industry that is tenuous at best, we need to make alliances. In opposition to the old ideas of ‘us against them’ when the discussions turn to art vs commerce, we need allies. I have been an independent artist for many years, and 20 of those years have been with INSIDE OUT MUSIC. When others were afraid to really put effort into packaging, product, and the actual recordings, due in large part to a dwindling industry, INSIDE OUT has championed my work since the turn of the century.
Because throughout it all, more than anything, I want the art and the music to be done correctly. I want to learn from my missteps and I want a group of business partners I can rely on to go to bat for unconventional music in ways I simply could not do on my own. I’m proud to say I’ve been with INSIDE OUT for many of those years that have defined me as an artist. It’s a pleasure to re-sign with them for my newest works. Thank you.”
In what has been a rare quiet year for Devin when it comes to touring, there has still been plenty of activity. On September 22nd, 2017, Devin Townsend Projectplayed a special show at the Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the landmark Ocean Machine album in full, as well as a set of fan-requested tracks alongside the Orchestra of Plovdiv State Opera. This concert was filmed, and recently saw its release as ‘Ocean Machine – Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv’.
‘Ocean Machine – Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv’ is available as a limited deluxe 3CD/2DVD/Blu-Ray artbook (with liner notes from Devin and a special documentary on the second DVD & Blu-Ray), Special Edition 3CD/DVD Digipak, standalone Blu-Ray and as digital audio download. Order now here: https://devintownsendproject.lnk.to/OceanMachineLive
“epic, swelling bombast worthy of the old stone” – Metal Hammer “a bold document from an incredibly ambitious artist.” – Prog Magazine “an incredible evening of music performed with precision and passion and captured for all of us in a nearly perfect fashion.” – Metal Wani
Devin’s varied back catalogue is also being celebrated with lavish vinyl box-sets under the name of ERAS. Having already released parts 1 and 2 earlier this year, December 7th will see the release of part 3, which features some of his most recent work with Devin Townsend Project, including the albums ‘Accelerated Evolution’, ‘Epicloud’, ‘Sky Blue’, ‘Transcendence’ & the first ever vinyl release of the second part of the DTP’s now legendary Royal Albert Hall show. Pre-order your copy of this deluxe 10 LP box-set here: https://devintownsendproject.lnk.to/ErasIII
Since 1999, Devin Townsend and InsideOutMusic have enjoyed a highly successful and fruitful relationship together, releasing studio albums under his solo guise, Devin Townsend Project & Casualties of Cool, as well as live releases recorded at landmark shows in Devin’s career at the Royal Albert Hall and the Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria to name but two. Now they are pleased to cement that collaboration by signing a brand new contract on the eve of their 20 year anniversary of working together, for the release of new albums including the forthcoming ‘Empath’ in 2019.
Devin comments: “In an Industry that is tenuous at best, we need to make alliances. In opposition to the old ideas of ‘us against them’ when the discussions turn to art vs commerce, we need allies. I have been an independent artist for many years, and 20 of those years have been with INSIDE OUT MUSIC. When others were afraid to really put effort into packaging, product, and the actual recordings, due in large part to a dwindling industry, INSIDE OUT has championed my work since the turn of the century.
Because throughout it all, more than anything, I want the art and the music to be done correctly. I want to learn from my missteps and I want a group of business partners I can rely on to go to bat for unconventional music in ways I simply could not do on my own. I’m proud to say I’ve been with INSIDE OUT for many of those years that have defined me as an artist. It’s a pleasure to re-sign with them for my newest works. Thank you.”
InsideOut label-head Thomas Waber comments: “I consider it to be a privilege and an honour to have been able to play a small part in enabling this truly unique artist to fulfil his artistic visions over the years. For me Devin is one of the most important and outstanding leftfield artists out there today. In a musical climate where formats triumph over artistic freedom, Devin’s visions are refreshing and a much needed breath of fresh air. An alien in search for the ultimate coffee bean? Bring it on!
Working with Devin and his team feels like working with family, which is something that i can’t stress and value enough. I remember when he sent me Physicist and the album sounding very alien to me, but his sensibilities for melodies and arrangements came through loud and clear and of course with Kingdom the album had one of the best tracks of all time! I am truly excited about the new album Empath and wherever else Devin will take us over the coming years!”
Devin’s manager, Northern Music’s Andy Farrow adds: “Having managed Devin for nearly 10 years and seen him grow from the Islington Academy to selling out the Royal albert Hall in 4 days, it has been one rollercoaster of a journey. Devin is an artist that never sets sail on one course musically as I learnt over the course of 8 albums and various DVD’s, and sometimes this can be challenging both for the manager and the record label. However we have found that in Inside Out via Devins ‘Hevy Devy’ imprint we have a partner who are flexible enough to enable a truly creative musician / artist, complete artistic control and musical vision.”
In what has been a rare quiet year for Devin when it comes to touring, there has still been plenty of activity. On 22nd September 22nd, 2017, Devin Townsend Project played a special show at the Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the landmark Ocean Machine album in full, as well as a set of fan-requested tracks alongside the Orchestra of Plovdiv State Opera. This concert was filmed, and recently saw its release as ‘Ocean Machine – Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv’.
Watch two clips from the release below:
‘Ocean Machine – Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv’ is available as a limited deluxe 3CD/2DVD/Blu-Ray artbook (with liner notes from Devin and a special documentary on the second DVD & Blu-Ray), Special Edition 3CD/DVD Digipak, standalone Blu-Ray and as digital audio download. Order now here: https://devintownsendproject.lnk.to/OceanMachineLive
“epic, swelling bombast worthy of the old stone” – Metal Hammer “a bold document from an incredibly ambitious artist.” – Prog Magazine “an incredible evening of music performed with precision and passion and captured for all of us in a nearly perfect fashion.” – Metal Wani
Devin’s varied back catalogue is also being celebrated with lavish vinyl box-sets under the name of ERAS. Having already released parts 1 and 2 earlier this year, December 7th will see the release of part 3, which features some of his most recent work with Devin Townsend Project, including the albums ‘Accelerated Evolution’, ‘Epicloud’, ‘Sky Blue’, ‘Transcendence’ & the first ever vinyl release of the second part of the DTP’s now legendary Royal Albert Hall show. Pre-order your copy of this deluxe 10 LP box-set here: https://devintownsendproject.lnk.to/ErasIII
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