DEVIN TOWNSEND OFTEN thrives on extremes. From his early Nineties breakthrough singing on Steve Vai’s Sex & Religion, to the brutalizing industrial death-thrash of Strapping Young Lad, to his coffeecentered prog opera Ziltoid the Omniscient, to the drone-heavy ambient daydream of last year’s Snuggles solo album, the Canadian eccentric isn’t known for staying in a specific lane for long. Townsend is just as predictably unpredictable on his 21st solo album, Lightwork, which may raise eyebrows from the metal faction of his fanbase over its grandiose, hard-swung power ballads (“Lightworker”), industrial biker rock (“Dimensions”) and cactus-scented, electro-acoustic strummers (“Vacation”).
“Sometimes people who aren’t familiar with my work assume I do these things to be provocative,” Townsend suggests of his many musical mood swings, “Like, ‘You know what would really throw a wrench in the works is if we do a dusty acoustic song.’ But it’s not that in the slightest.” The reason for the eclecticism is much simpler: Townsend just wants to try new things.
This story is from the December 2022 edition of Guitar World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2022 edition of Guitar World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
DEMMEL-ITION MAN
HOW FATE (AND PERSISTENCE) LED FORMER MACHINE HEAD GUITARIST PHIL DEMMEL TO A TREASURED SPOT IN KERRY KING'S BAND
THE AXES OF A KING
KERRY KING'S JOURNEY FROM B.C. RICH TO ESP TO DEAN
The Dandy Warhols
\"SMELLY BOY ROCK\" RULES THE DAY ON THE PORTLAND ALT-ROCKERS' RIFF-DRIVEN NEW RELEASE
The Pineapple Thief
THE BAND FROM THE RURAL BACKWOODS OF SOUTH-WEST U.K. WHO TOOK THE PROG-ROCK WORLD BY STORM
DigiTech SDRUM Strummable Drums pedal
DIGITECH CALLS THE SDRUM a “strummable drums” pedal, but that’s really only a small fraction of what this powerful device can do.
MXR Joshua Ambient Echo
IT’S AMAZING HOW many players have chased after and adopted the Edge’s signature delay tone.
Sometime in February
TRISTAN AUMAN INJECTS HIS BAND'S WILDLY ADDICTIVE PROGRESSIVE METAL WITH CLEVER HOOKS, GONZO SHRED AND ARRESTING MOMENTS OF AMBIENT BEAUTY
THE 30 GREATEST GARDEN STATE GUITARISTS OF ALL TIME
New Jersey derives much of its water from New York’s Catskill Mountains. Low in calcium and magnesium, it’s a naturally soft water that’s ideally suited for bread flour. And, of course, that means it’s also a crucial component in the making of New Jersey pizza, which everybody knows is the best in the United States. (Oh, you wanna argue about it? How about this? Fuggedaboudit!)
SONG OF MYSELF
\"MILES DAVIS ONCE SAID, 'SOMETIMES IT TAKES A WHILE TO SOUND LIKE YOURSELF\"\"
KEITH SCOTT
From \"Cuts Like a Knife\" to \"Summer of '69,\" the Canadian guitar great discusses the gear and solos that have fueled Bryan Adams' music for more than 40 years