The Devin Townsend Band
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| The Devin Townsend Band | |
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| Origin | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Genre(s) | Progressive metal |
| Years active | 2003 - 2007 |
| Former members | |
| Devin Townsend Brian Waddell Mike Young Ryan van Poederooyen Dave Young |
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The Devin Townsend Band was a progressive metal band from Vancouver, Canada. While they were a full featured band, The Devin Townsend Band (or DTB) are generally considered to have been the solo project of Strapping Young Lad vocalist and guitarist, Devin Townsend. The Devin Townsend Band was popularly known as the happier side of Devin Townsend, while Strapping Young Lad was the angrier, more aggressive side. Devin Townsend released his past records under the title Devin Townsend, but he assembled a more permanent band for the release of Accelerated Evolution and Synchestra. Ocean Machine was the name of the band for the 1997 album Biomech.
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[edit] History
In 1998 (just after the release of Strapping Young Lad's City), Devin Townsend released a new album entitled Biomech. Biomech was originally released under the band name Ocean Machine and Townsend himself explained that Ocean Machine was the opposite of Strapping Young Lad in the way that the songs were in a more mellow and progressive style, rather than the metallic industrial thrashings of SYL.
Ocean Machine released only one album. While Ocean Machine was more or less a solo project of Devin Townsend, he formed a band for touring purposes (including many members from the 1998 lineup of Strapping Young Lad) and that band toured extensively in 1998 and 1999 through Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada (sometimes as "support" to Devin Townsend on the Terria Tour).
Songs from the album have been, and still are, performed by The Devin Townsend Band and Ocean Machine is now considered to be a part of Devin Townsend's solo career. Since all of Devin's albums after Biomech have been released under the name Devin Townsend or The Devin Townsend Band, new prints of Biomech now read Devin Townsend: Ocean Machine instead of just Ocean Machine. This is the same for airings of the music video for "Life".
Devin saw his music in colours and explained that Ocean Machine was blue whereas Strapping Young Lad was red. Bass duties on Biomech were handled by JR Harder while the drums were performed by Marty Chapman. Townsend completed all other instrumentation on the album, which includes vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, synthesizer, all production on the album and of course all song writing duties. A video was made for the track Life, easily Biomech's most mainstream song.
In 1998, Strapping Young Lad released their first live recordings on an EP titled No Sleep 'Til Bedtime. It was just before the EP was released when Devin announced he and SYL drummer Gene Hoglan would be entering the studio to work on a new project called Infinity. It was assumed at the time that Infinity would be a new "band" similar to Ocean Machine. The music Infinity would be coloured white, according to Townsend.
When Infinity was released, it was to the surprise of Devin's fans as the artist was credited as Devin Townsend and the album as Infinity. Previously it was assumed Infinity would be the band name. The second surprise was the nude photograph of Devin that was used as the cover art. The artwork for the disc was completely white with a naked Devin crouching (covering his more "explicit" body parts) and grinning like a madman. This image was unlike what was seen of Devin thus far. A video and single/EP was released for the stand-out track Christeen, but as with Life, Devin was dissatisfied with the outcome as he believes his music doesn't translate well to film.
It was also with the release of Infinity that Strapping Young Lad began touring as The Devin Townsend Band and merged songs from Biomech and Infinity into a separate set.
During this era, Devin began working with Jason Newsted (who was still a member of Metallica at the time) and the pair of them, along with Tom Hunting of Exodus, completed a 3 track demo under the name IR8. After this, Devin and Jason began talking publicly about a new project they were working on called Physicist (or Fizzicist) which they claimed would be "heavier than Strapping Young Lad". The IR8 tape was leaked, and aired by a Californian radio station that James Hetfield of Metallica was currently listening to. Metallica were unhappy with Jason working outside of their band and made it difficult for him to continue with Physicist. This prompted Devin to record the album himself with his Strapping Young Lad bandmates, but as a Devin Townsend album.
Physicist's combination of Extreme metal with more mellow "pop" melody was a massive hit with fans and critics alike.
Townsend followed up Physicist with Terria, a warm and organic progressive album that had more atmospheric and soothing parts than crushing riffs. Terria was recorded with Gene Hoglan on drums, Craig McFarland on bass and Jamie Meyer on keyboards.
In February 2003, Strapping Young Lad released their self titled follow up to City. A month later (March 31) a brand new line up of The Devin Townsend Band released Accelerated Evolution and for the first time, the two bands toured separately for their separate albums, once again creating a clear line between DTB and SYL.
Accelerated Evolution was released to grandiose praise from critics, fans and musicians like Steve Vai. It is also the first album released by The Devin Townsend Band.
A live "in studio" DVD was included as a bonus with the Special Edition of the second Devin Townsend Band album Synchestra, released January 30, 2006 to overwhelmingly positive reviews. Devin describes Synchestra thus:
- "It's a really dynamic, colorful, and long thing thats been worked on now in some instances since before 'Infinity'. This record won't demand much from you, it will be an inviting and a summery nature theme. There's some dark bits, but just for color, and nothing imposing. It plays like a movie. oh...and it's biiiiigggggggggg." HevyDevy Forums May 31, 2005.
During a Ziltoid the Omniscient press conference in May 2007, Devin announced that both Strapping Young Lad and the Devin Townsend Band were finished, but he'd continue to release solo music. He also announced that he shall no longer do any tours.
The video for the first single from Synchestra: Vampira - first aired online March 17, 2006.
[edit] Band members
- Devin Townsend - Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards, Programming
- Brian Waddell (b. 24 September 1970) - Guitar
- Mike Young (b. 10 December 1979) - Bass
- Ryan van Poederooyen - Drums
- Dave Young - Keyboards
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Accelerated Evolution (2003)
- Synchestra (2006)
[edit] Singles
[edit] See also
[edit] References and further reading
- Hevy Devy Records
- Hevy Devy Forums
- DTB MySpace Page
- Ryan Van Poederooyen's (drummer) official website
- Ryan Van Poederooyen's (drummer) MySpace Page
- devin-townsend.fr.st : forum, news, albums (in French)
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