“My life exploded!”

Devin Townsend’s 22nd album was meant to be fun: a record full of primal riffs and mammoth choruses. But when tragedy repeatedly struck during its writing, the effervescent Canadian was forced to take stock. His grieving process has translated into PowerNerd, his most honest, vulnerable and challenging record yet.

Phil Weller

“Circumstances dictated that my life went absolutely tits up. I thought it was just going to be a fun little party record, but it ended up being so emotionally intense!” Take Devin Townsend’s 22nd studio album at face value and you’ve got one of prog’s most hardworking, tirelessly anthemic songwriters going gung ho at party metal anthems. But to scrape the surface is to pay PowerNerd a disservice. Its outer linings may have more in common with fist-pumping stadium rock anthems than King Crimson, but dig a bit deeper and you’ll find Hevy Devy at his most exposed after his plans for the record unravelled at the seams. The most extroverted of settings ended up being the perfect environment for Townsend to come to terms with his grief. PowerNerd is…

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Prog Italia (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 155

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