Devin Townsend v. Offer Your Posts

[KevShmev]

But ....and follow me here.....home is where the heart is, and I’m your heart? So it’s home if I’m there?

 

 

[NunoTenniscourt]

dvntownsend
EMPATH VOL. 1 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
Plus guests: HAKEN + The Contortionist

07-Mar The Plaza Live - Orlando, FL

Oh, hell yes. Same venue I saw him back in 2016. I live right behind Plaza Live.

[Metro]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4RGRnXgomm/?igshid=q7ld67s533tt

From Dev's Instagram

First show for Volume 2 of the Empath tour cycle. Full metal set. Honoured to be joined for this show by Dirk Verbeuren, Wes Hauch and Kyle Konkiel.

This tour cycle just keeps getting better. 

[The Walrus]

From The Heart came on shuffle tonight. Haven't heard it in ages. Always associated it with my mom because that's who the song was written for, but the lyrics resonate perfectly with me about my little sister who passed a couple weeks ago. This song is going on the 'can't listen without becoming an emotional wreck' list. The sheer emotional response I get out of this particular song is overwhelming.

[cramx3]

Crazy the way good music can make you feel

[The Walrus]

Crazy the way good music can make you feel

It's one of the best feelings ever. Music is magic!

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Crazy the way good music can make you feel

It's one of the best feelings ever. Music is magic!

Indeed! 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Devin Townsend - Disco Inferno, Live @ Salle Pleyel, Paris, France 11/15/2019

So is no one notice the fact that Diego is making cocktails for everyone. 

[Podaar]

Devin Townsend - Disco Inferno, Live @ Salle Pleyel, Paris, France 11/15/2019

So is no one notice the fact that Diego is making cocktails for everyone. 

Not until you pointed it out. 

[cramx3]

  that's awesome, the set as a whole is pretty interesting and cool

[Ben_Jamin]

Damn....too bad it wasn't the whole thing. Che is Amazing.

[KevShmev]

We so need another Casualites of Cool album with Che singing full time again (rather than the sporadic vocals on Empath).

Anyway, that Disco Inferno clip was great.

[KevShmev]

Where do you all put Empath on your list of favorite Devin albums?  A few recent listens made me realize that I like most of it, but I don't love much of it.  It would probably rank ahead of Physicist and Ziltoid 2, but I can't say it touches the top/upper tier albums like Terria, Addicted, Ki, Infinity, Epicloud and Accelerated Evolution, and even the next tiers albums for me like Ocean Machine, Ghost, Synchestra, Transcendence and Ziltoid are way better.  Sky Blue is a poor man's Epicloud and Addicted, but even that is a lot better as well.  Empath reminds me a bit of Deconstruction in that it is a bit too chaotic and all over the place, and it just isn't an album that demands much attention in my CD player, although Deconstruction did at first, even though the bulk of it hasn't aged well for me.  Bums me out given how much time, money and effort Devin put into this record, but I can't force myself to love something.

[cramx3]

I feel the same, its middle of the road Devin to me.  It's not better than my favorite albums of his but its better then my least favorites of his. 

[DTA]

Definitely in the lower tier. Borderlands is a great song but that's honestly the only one that stands out to me. I really haven't loved a Devin album since Ghost unfortunately.

[KevShmev]

I forgot to put Casualties of Cool in my top tier in that last post; I love that album like crazy (and the bonus disc is tremendous as well!).  I like that and Epicloud more than Ghost, which is fantastic, but an album I have to be in the right mood for, outside of a handful of songs which I can always listen to on their own (title track, Feather, Blackberry, Texada).

Borderlands seems to be the song I like the most as well, but even that wouldn't come close to being one of my favorite Devin tunes. 

[cramx3]

Evermore is a song that has grown on me quite a bit.  Didn't love it on release and it's usually my goto from the album these days.  Singularity is the song I've really struggled with "getting" from day 1 until today.  I've given up on listening to it trying to find what a way to like it, it's just too much like:

Empath reminds me a bit of Deconstruction in that it is a bit too chaotic and all over the place

I haven't tried to listen to Deconstruction in awhile, but the that was the way I felt when I first listened and that's the way I feel about Singularity. The rest of the album doesn't really feel like that to me though even though it did when I first listened to it.  I think most of the songs I found the rhythm and groove to enjoy with it, just not this one song.

[KevShmev]

I am with ya on that; I just don't get Singularity at all. 

I have been giving the Tests of Manhood bonus disc more listens lately, as I didn't want to try to get into a second disc while still trying to grasp the first, and there are some good ones there...naturally. Devin's "bonus" discs are always so good to where they would rate well as stand-alone studio albums.

[Metro]

Setlist from 70,000 Tons of Metal. Mostly Strapping Young Lad songs with some other staples thrown in.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/devin-townsend/2020/independence-of-the-seas-fort-lauderdale-fl-2b9b1c02.html

[cramx3]

Is he performing with old members? I thought I saw on Twitter that he pulled together a different backing band for the cruise. Pretty cool, hes doing another set on the ship so I wonder what else. He also stated on social media recently that the us legs band will be announced soon and that the set will be different than Europe.

[Buddyhunter1]

Huh, I could have sworn he said shortly after the dates were announced that the upcoming US tour would have the same band as Vol. 1 in Europe. Did I just imagine that?

[Metro]

Is he performing with old members? I thought I saw on Twitter that he pulled together a different backing band for the cruise. Pretty cool, hes doing another set on the ship so I wonder what else. He also stated on social media recently that the us legs band will be announced soon and that the set will be different than Europe.

The first set was Dev, Dirk Verbeuren, Wes Hauch and Kyle Konkiel.

Huh, I could have sworn he said shortly after the dates were announced that the upcoming US tour would have the same band as Vol. 1 in Europe. Did I just imagine that?

I believe that was the original plan, but according to one of the backup vocalists, there's not enough money to bring the whole band on the US tour. https://www.reddit.com/r/DevinTownsend/comments/ebyus3/samantha_preis_empath_choir_posted_this_on/

What a shame if that's the case. From all the videos I've seen, this looks like the best band he's ever put together. Dev always delivers though so I'm curious and excited to see what he puts together for this upcoming leg.

According to his Twitter the end of the European leg was the end of Vol.1
https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/1205698799571632128

Empath tour Volume 1 is complete (for now) devastatingly beautiful experience for us all. Incredibly grateful. This is something that as a dream and a perfect experience. Cannot say thank you enough. Volume 2 is next, announcements soon

[cramx3]

Yea, I was confused initially, I thought the Euro and US leg were both Volume 1 with the same band then I saw somewhere else that it wouldn't be and was all confused.  Sadly, the less money thing makes sense.  The US shows are going to be much smaller than in Europe.  Sucks, I was looking forward to seeing THAT band.   At the same time, if it's going to be different with different songs, I'm excited for the unknown.

I'm going to see him in Brooklyn, but the next night in Boston is already sold out and was debating on doing that too. 

[DTA]

I wonder why he's not using Samus at all on drums. I remember that guy quit his job or something to do music full-time and I wonder if he thought he was going to end up playing with Dev.

[cramx3]

I wonder why he's not using Samus at all on drums. I remember that guy quit his job or something to do music full-time and I wonder if he thought he was going to end up playing with Dev.

He probably quit to be a full time youtuber.  I just checked his channel, he may make more money by doing those videos than going on tour with Dev, but I wonder if touring was ever something really for him?

[The Walrus]

Over the last couple weeks I've revisited Empath. This is an exhausting record to sit through. I love Devy, but it really is an album that commands your attention and has just so much going on that if I'm not in the right headspace for it I get worn out by the third or fourth song. That said, man, this album is just nuts. There's only one song I don't really like (Spirits Will Collide) and Borderlands is a bit too long imo, but that run of songs from Evermore through Why? - terrific and epic. Not quite an Epicloud level of 'holy f&*%' for me personally, or even Transcendence, but I've warmed up to this one.

[goo-goo]

Markus Reuter is not going to be on the Townsend band in the US tour either.

[cramx3]

Over the last couple weeks I've revisited Empath. This is an exhausting record to sit through. I love Devy, but it really is an album that commands your attention and has just so much going on that if I'm not in the right headspace for it I get worn out by the third or fourth song. That said, man, this album is just nuts. There's only one song I don't really like (Spirits Will Collide) and Borderlands is a bit too long imo, but that run of songs from Evermore through Why? - terrific and epic. Not quite an Epicloud level of 'holy f&*%' for me personally, or even Transcendence, but I've warmed up to this one.

By the time Borderlands comes on, I feel the same, a bit exhausted with the album.  I just can't make it through Singularity unless it's playing in the background, it's too much for me at that point.  However, the album is VERY strong from Genesis to Why? IMO. 

[Buddyhunter1]

Huh, I could have sworn he said shortly after the dates were announced that the upcoming US tour would have the same band as Vol. 1 in Europe. Did I just imagine that?

I believe that was the original plan, but according to one of the backup vocalists, there's not enough money to bring the whole band on the US tour. https://www.reddit.com/r/DevinTownsend/comments/ebyus3/samantha_preis_empath_choir_posted_this_on/

Damn, that's depressing.

[cramx3]

That is and Samantha just started following me on twitter, so I returned the follow and was hoping to see her and the rest of the backing vocalists.  Such a shame Americans don't like this music.

[DoctorAction]

Perfect timing for me that this thread has resurfaced.

I was entirely not in the mood for Empath when it came out and, tbh, had not clicked with a bunch of Dev albums over the last few years so didn't give it much attention bar a quick view of the Genesis video last year.

Fast forward to this week. After sifting through end of year lists and failing to find much that excited me I thought I'd spin Empath while i worked and - CLICK! Holy underwear! I've been listening all week and it's given me actual goosebumps and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up!

This totally works for me. It flows really well, is really varied (duh), but feels unified, the proggy instrumental stuff feels really well constructed and satisfying. Lyrics, vocals... I bloody love it. Singularity is incredible! (Was very proud of my 15 year old son spotting a few bars of Zappa worship in that whilst we were in the car)

Top Dev works for me:

City/Terria/Accelerated Evolution/Synchestra/Ki/Epicloud/Empath

Non-clickers:

Ziltoid (just an EP would have been awesome)/Ghost/Deconstruction/Casualties/Z2/Sky Blue

I mean to try Ghost and Casualties again at some point but have tried several times.

But in general i feel he's been nearly there but not quite for a while. Hoping that the greatness of Empath will flow through to the next one. Great to be loving Dev music again.

[KevShmev]

It's a little concerning that the last few Devin albums are ones I didn't get a lot of mileage out of.  Ziltoid 2 and Empath had the shortest shelf life for me out of any major Devin releases since I became a fan around '04-05, and even Sky Blue and Transcendence didn't own my CD player for that long either, although Universal Flame is a Devin song that I will probably always listen to often.  I have no doubt that Devin still has plenty of great music in him, but from a purely selfish standpoint, I am more than ready for him to make another record that owned my CD player like Synchestra, Addicted, Ki, Epicloud and Casualties of Cool all did.

[DoctorAction]

I can't believe how incredible this album sounds. Might be the best sounding record ever. The detail is astonishing, is extremely dynamic yet very consistent, which is impressive considering the amount of different sounds. Still loving it

[cramx3]

You need to be signed into a google account to submit, but just saw this from Devin's facebook and figured, why not.  Some cool choices for this potentially.

LAST CALL! Bloodstock Festival 'By Request' setlist voting closes THIS FRIDAY (Jan 24th) at noon GMT. Make it count...

Submit your choices here --> http://bit.ly/2GmY0O9

[Buddyhunter1]

Devin just posted the North American tour lineup on instagram... looks like it's the same as the European one except without the backup choir? That's a relief...