Devin Townsend – Devolution Series #1 – Acoustically Inclined, Live in Leeds

Releasedate: 19-03-2021
Label: Inside Out Music

Devin decided to put out a live record that was actually recorded pre-pandemic, which is part of his ‘Devolution’ series as a holdover before his next full release, interestingly enough, he made the show an intimate setting where it’s just him without the band, and the songs are transformed to a mellower version of themselves.

All of the songs on this intimate acoustic concert are from before his latest album ‘Empath’ from 2019 as this show actually happened before that release. 

To new ears, Devin’s sound might be considered as almost sterile due to the studio dependencies that are intrinsically tied to it. Normally his studio productions are heavily layered in instrumentation and effects which are mixed very carefully so there is a proper separation between the multitude of tracks that create that very characteristic wall of sound.

Live

This concert however, proves the incredible sonic powerhouse that Devin Townsend can still be when disconnected from all the layering that characterizes him. One could say that Devin took this opportunity to showcase his dexterity with both sides of the dynamics spectrum, this time around more so on the softer and gentle side. He was able to take his own songs and strip them down from the wall of sound which is actually an important aspect of his style and just present them with the most basic and important ingredients, one being the guitar which is the rhythmic backbone to the second, which is his voice, I would dare to say one of the most unique and experimental voices out there at least within the vicinity of the metal and prog rock genres.

Another ingredient which comes as a surprise if you haven’t seen Devin live is that he makes good use of the sections between the songs to introduce commentary that can serve as a comedic relief or some atmospheric introduction to his songs, often both. In this case there is a long 6 minute intro where we are introduced to his humour while he explains the concept of the tour and tunes up. He usually includes funny remarks, twists or interruptions to his songs no matter how dark they are originally, which can be off-putting to some or entertaining to others, at least for me it’s quite entertaining, it’s just odd to not be able to see the full package, meaning Devin’s weird mannerisms and faces which help build up the comedic element of his shows. 

He makes good use of these comedic twists throughout this specific show, especially in the ‘Strapping young lad’ song ‘Love?’ from the 2005 release ‘Alien’  which he uses as a sonic vehicle to include his idiosyncrasies that make up his eccentric persona.

Serious business

But some songs are even stripped from humour, one of the most powerful renditions is ‘Hyperdrive’ from his 2007 record ‘Ziltoid the omniscient’ as you can sense the silence and respect for this piece of music as the main riff is minimalistic in essence and more so within this acoustic version, without any interruptions or jokes that induce audience laughter you are able to appreciate the atmospheric value that this song brings.

This show was originally added as a bonus disk to the deluxe version of the ‘Empath’ record back in 2019, which is more fitting than releasing it as a standalone record offering which is the idea of this new release and that’s because it is more of a curiosity than something new and that’s considering it’s a live record. Having said that, it’s still an interesting listen for Devin fans, probably not the best place to start for new listeners.

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