Devin Townsend.

copacetic

copacetic

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You know when you have that one creative person in your life you are absolutely enamored with, hardly anyone around you seems to get it?

Well, for me, this person is Devin Townsend:

devintownsend_large.jpg

Devin Garrett Townsend (born May 5, 1972) is a Canadian musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has an extensive career as a solo artist.
After performing in a number of heavy metal bands in high school, Townsend was discovered by a record label in 1993 and was asked to perform lead vocals on Steve Vai's album Sex & Religion. After recording and touring with Vai, Townsend was discouraged by what he found in the music industry, and vented his anger on the solo album Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing released under the pseudonym Strapping Young Lad. He soon assembled a band under the name, and released the critically acclaimed City in 1997. Since then, he has released three more studio albums with Strapping Young Lad, along with solo material released under his own independent record label, HevyDevy Records.
Townsend's solo albums, a diverse mix of hard rock, progressive metal, ambient, and new-age, have featured a varying lineup of supporting musicians. In 2002 he formed the Devin Townsend Band, a dedicated lineup which recorded and toured for two of his solo releases. In 2007, he disbanded both Strapping Young Lad and the Devin Townsend Band, taking a break from touring to spend more time with his family. After a two-year hiatus, he began recording again, and soon announced the formation of the Devin Townsend Project. The project began with a series of four albums, released from 2009 to 2011, each written in a different style, and Townsend continues to record and tour under the new moniker.
Across all his bands and projects, Townsend has released twenty-three studio albums and three live albums. Townsend's trademark production style, featuring a heavily multitracked wall of sound, has been compared to the styles of Phil Spector and Frank Zappa. His versatile vocal delivery ranges from screaming to an opera-esque singing, and his songwriting is similarly diverse. Townsend's musical style is rooted in metal, and his albums are written to express different aspects of his personality.
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I think one of the reasons for this is the breadth of his discography, where hearing pieces of it outside of the whole is does not enable an appreciation of the sheer goddamn majesty of what he (and his various bandmates) have to offer.

The latest album from the Devin Townsend Project, Transcendance, is just that, transcendant. What an amazing album, here's one of the singles:


Time is a human construct, and you were below the waves
Time after time, July was in her eyes
But if you lie, you lie to your soul
Your soul let it fly
I remember the rainy days in Chinatown
Oh, I hope you'll be okay
Time after time, July was in her eyes
But if you lie, you lie to your soul
All we're offering is a chance to be loved
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I don't know where to start, really, there's so much, it's just about all amazing.

I'll probably post a song every now and again, and if I can get one convert, I've done my job. :D

I'll leave it for now with the following:

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He's also a pretty kickass guitar player:


And his vocal range is 7.5 octaves or something silly.
 
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I, I wonder why, I wonder
Why I've come undone, I've come undone
(If you want to stay with me, Lord, play with me)
Okay, I know I missed it
The point I mean, I missed it so (so could I know)
And if I could (could change it) good God I would
Stay with me, Load (play with me)
Now I've seen the way it's headed
Down and down, the truth descended
Have it here and without worry
Baby please, there is no hurry
I'm fine, stay with me, Lord
Play with me, stay with me, Lord
Play with me
Ego, it's only a soul
We are the word, we are the hope
We are so happy to sing a song along
Now I see the way I'm headed
Down and down, the youth descended
Hell is here, but it hath no fury
Like this woman still, there is no worry
I'm fine
Stay with me, Lord, play with me
Stay with me, Lord, play with me
Stay with me, Lord, play with me
Stay with me, Lord, play with me
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Well Transcendence is most definitely a master piece, never thought Sky Blue and Dark Matters could be improved on even more
 

Receive this love
Receive this love
If you're saying in your mind: "You're better off dead"
Well, before the madness comes to claim your name
(A million years would go by)
What could I say? What should I say?
It took all of my words and my fantasy worlds
And at the heart of it all there was nothing
How they meet their maker is their right
While they're alive, it's beautiful
Let there be light
Let there be moon
Let there be stars and let there be you
Let there be monsters, let there be pain
Let us begin to live again
From the top to the bottom
Genesis
I beyond the universe, I beyond the mind
All the world is in this together
Feel no fear, we're fearless forever
So why can't we just sail away?
Because you're so in love with this island of the mind
Know that this…
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So they say
You'll be ok
But words are not enough
Nobody remembered me
The words were not enough
Calm yourself down
Don't you remember when we were young?
Don't you remember who I am? You're strong enough!
Dues to pay
Towards the way
Towards my friend, towards
Two must play
The foolish game
To war my friend, to war!
So they rise: The 'fear and pain, ' but this isn't how I am
Don't you forget that you are loved!
Don't you forget that you are them
It's hard enough
Remember the flame in your heart burns strong
Remember and the spirit will collide
Remember! Together!
Remember in the end that death is not the end...
So we rise!
Receive the pain, but this isn't where this ends...
Don't you forget that you are perfect
Don't you forget just who we are
We're strong enough!
Wherever the flame in your heart burns strong
We may not be brave so let's start
Remember and the spirits will collide!
Remember! Together!
Remember! Together!
Remember! Together!
Remember! Together!
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I am reminded now of all the years gone by
No use in trying now, it's time to say goodbye
Turn the page on all we are
Always searching
Turn the page on all we were
Always searching
All now be as one
Hey my dear the way you must feel, the weight of this life is twisting your mind!
Cage my fear, Elektra is here, the truth of your mind and the words of the vine
'Cause I wish you would get it right too, so we pray to the gods cause it's time you arrived
I am I am I
I will return always
I am I am I
I will return awake
"Follow emotions?! Dumb"
Slowly we grow the second wave, but the northern people like it cold
So raise your glasses to the underworld! (See ya)
So what are we doing tonight? (Watching universes collide!)
That's why we're singing
Hey my dear the way you must feel, the weight of this life is twisting your mind!
I hope you will show me right through the prayer from the goddess of infinite light
And I won't wait or fear the mistakes we learned in our youth now it's time for us to arrive
I must learn from this reality if I intend to awake
And though I travel through the infinite, I will return always!
I am I am I
I will return always
I am I am I
I will return awake
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I ****ing love this guy so much, goddamn.


And you, broken
Theres your legacy, lock you in
Doesen't matter, I'll stay
I'm not ready, I'm quite low
So are we gonna go?
Higher
So we'll need a moment far from peaceful to know
We've no reason to be frightened all the time
Higher
Sewing pieces of a lonely threadbare family
Now the world is dying, how the mind must try
Higher
Craft your life, in ways you will be shown
Craft your life, in ways you will be known
Craft your life, in ways you will be shown
Craft your life in ways that will bring your darkness
I, the destroyer, shall not be contained
But ah, keep strong
Don't let the bastards grind you down
Change direction
I, I am I
I am war by creation
Higher, now go
So you have grown, always I know
I know
And you, broken
And theres your legacy
It locked you in
I won't be a martyr
For love or the father
So are we gonna go?
Take me higher
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Ih-Ah!

Home, home I go home, when we meet you god we go home
When we meet your god we will say...

Say goodbye, you know I've tried
But now the time to mourn has died
It's cold inside the worm nothing ever bothers me now

Lady Vagine, you know I'm dying
But to my surprise, the punishment subsides
It's cold inside, my son

Nothing ever bothers you now

I survive!
Nothing ever bothers juular!
Eye for an eye, I survived and god damned you hey!
I survived!
Nothing ever bothers juular!
Eye for an eye, I survive and god damns you!

God damns you!

Lady of mine, you know I'm trying
But to buy the buy, this boy must die
It's cold inside, my love
Nothing ever bothers me now

I survive!
Nothing ever bothers juular!
Eye for an eye, I survived and god damned you hey!
I survive!
Nothing ever bothers juular!
Eye for an eye, I survive and god damns you!

Say goodbye you know I tried
Say goodbye you know I tried
Say goodbye you know I tried
Say goodbye you know I tried

Juular!
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It's like a mix of Tool and A Perfect Circle.
Pretty cool.
Thanks for sharing.
 
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