DEVIN TOWNSEND shares “PowerNerd” guitar playthrough video

Devin Townsend will release his new studio album “PowerNerd” on October 25th. Below, he’s shared a guitar playthrough of the first single and title track.

Devin Townsend’s career is one of many different eras. He was the leader of Strapping Young Lad, the lynchpin of the Devin Townsend Project and the co-architect of the country duo Casualties of Cool, all while maintaining his prolific and acclaimed solo project. Now the newest era of the polymath begins with PowerNerd.

He recently debuted the uplifting new single “Gratitude,” along with a video that follows Devin as he explores the beautiful Canadian forests. Check it out below.

Devin comments: “’Gratitude’ is a simple song in the vein of ‘Life’ or ‘Stagnant’ (by Ocean Machine and Terria respectively) that serves as a simple way to continue PowerNerd’s theme. We had to overcome many hurdles as a family during the making of this album, and the tendency to view one’s life from the perspective of a “victim” seems to be an easy pitfall. I wrote this song during a very difficult time, but the idea of ​​gratitude is in no way ironic. I’m grateful for the lessons, I’m grateful for the twists and turns of life, I’m here for it. Maintaining balance in challenging times is a task in itself, and in a sea of ​​nihilistic thoughts, in many ways the point for me at this stage is that one’s creative output is a tangible expression of gratitude. In any case, I feel like I’m stupid and life is so incredible and absurd that I just feel the need to say “thank you” for everything. If the quality of the people surrounding me and this work is any indication, we’re headed in the right direction. Thank you =)”

“It was a conscious thing,” Devin says of his brand new album, the music for which he wrote in just 11 days. “I thought, ‘I’ve spent so much time overthinking every aspect of my work – what would happen if I didn’t?’ Maybe I would have a chance to be a little more direct about what I’m trying to do. I really wanted to see if I could break through some of the meandering.”

However, this aggression is far from the only thing that PowerNerd’s 11 episodic tracks radiate. In comparison, “Dreams Of Light” is an atmospheric and dynamic four-minute ballad. “Younger Lover” calms down from an explosive opening to lush verses of synths and vocals, while “Falling Apart” and “Jainism” add texture after texture in addition to the gentle, acoustic introductions.

While PowerNerd’s music was written in less than two weeks, the lyrics were refined over a much longer period of time into a narrative of strength and healing. On “Falling Apart,” Devin tells himself to “keep the tension under control.” “You have to believe that things will only get better,” the following song “Gratitude” proclaims emphatically. These encouraging messages can even be found in the title of the record.

Devin offers as a definition: “I would say that a power nerd is someone who has a tendency that society deems weak or not valuable, be it empathy, an isolated person, or an introvert, and who turns that into some kind of personal power transformed.” . It’s like, ‘OK, yeah, I’m sensitive to this, that, and the other, but man, I’m going to get there! I’m going to do things with that sensitivity that’s rooted in strength.'”

Townsend previously shared the following video explaining his definition of a PowerNerd:

PowerNerd will be available in various formats including a limited edition 2CD+Blu-ray artbook (featuring the album, bonus tracks and Devin’s first Dolby Atmos mix), limited edition 2CD digipak in O-Card, standard CD, gatefold LP and digital album. Pre-order here

The album’s artwork was created by long-time collaborator Travis Smith.

PowerNerd tracklist:

“PowerNerd”
“Falling apart”
“Knuckledragger”
“Gratitude”
“Dream of Light”
“Ubelia”
“Jainism”
“Younger Lover”
“Glacier”
“Goodbye”
“Ruby Quaker”

Video on the topic of “Jainism”:

“PowerNerd” video:

PowerNerd not only expresses strength through adversity, but also opens the door to Devin’s immediate future. His positivity and incisiveness are soon juxtaposed with the follow-up The Moth, which he describes as “orchestral, over-the-top, dark and uncomfortable”, and the “extraterrestrial weirdness” of the finale Axolotl. Both works have already been written and together the trilogy will express the staggering range of this man’s musical talent.

PowerNerd lineup:

Devin Townsend – vocals, guitars, synthesizers, bass and computers
Darby Todd – drums
Diego Tejeida – keyboards, synthesizers
Mike Keneally – Additional keyboards
Jean Savoie – Additional bass
Aman Khosla – Additional vocals
Tanya Ghosh – Additional vocals
Jamey Jasta – Additional vocals