Devin Townsend Projects

Waara Rex

Relatively new name on my music shelf 'course I've listened to him here and there but only have Infinity 1998 and Accelerated Evolution 2003

So here's basically what I know:

Devin Townsend is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and record producer.
After launching his musical career in 1993 with singing effort on Vai's Sex & Religion and subsequent tour, Townsend released the album Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing under the pseudonym Strapping Young Lad, in 1995. His debut solo release was 1996's Punky Brüster – Cooked on Phonics. Townsend formed a band under the Strapping Young Lad name to perform his next album, the industrial metal album City, in 1997. Townsend started a project initially called Biomech, under the Ocean Machine moniker, to release his less metal-influenced music in 1997. This was followed by his first charting album, the 1998 album Infinity, which appeared at number 29 in Japan. Strapping Young Lad went on hiatus at this time so that Townsend could focus on his solo music, which had a varying lineup of supporting musicians. His 2000 release Physicist reached number 80 in Japan, and was followed by the 2001 release Terria which charted in France and Japan.
In 2002, Townsend reunited Strapping Young Lad and formed a new group, The Devin Townsend Band, as a permanent fixture for recording and touring for his solo material. The two bands recorded new albums simultaneously, and released Strapping Young Lad and Accelerated Evolution, respectively, in 2003. Townsend also released a special edition of Accelerated Evolution which included an EP called Project EKO. The EP was Townsend's first foray into electronica, a genre which he explored further with Devlab in 2004. Strapping Young Lad released Alien in 2005, which charted in four countries, reaching 32 on Top Heatseekers. In 2006, both bands released their final albums, The Devin Townsend Band's Synchestra charting in three European countries and Strapping Young Lad's The New Black climbing to last place on the Billboard 200. He also released a third electronica piece, an ambient album called The Hummer.
In 2007, Townsend disbanded both Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band to spend more time with his family and less time touring. That year, a solo metal album, Ziltoid the Omniscient, was released. Townsend put his music on hiatus for a year, doing production work for other artists. In late 2008, he began recording a five-album series called the Devin Townsend Project, using a different musical style and band of supporting musicians for each album. The first entry in the series, a relatively quiet rock album called Ki, was released in May 2009. The second album in the series, a more heavy album called Addicted, was released in November 2009. The third and fourth albums in the series, a metal album called Deconstruction and a new-age album called Ghost, were released simultaneously on June 20, 2011. After the four albums Townsend decided to continue under the Devin Townsend Project moniker and released the fifth record, entitled Epicloud, on September 18, 2012. The first album in its eponymous series, Casualties of Cool, was released on May 14, 2014. The most recent studio albums include a double concept album project called Z² and seventh Devin Townsend Project album Transcendence, released on October 27, 2014 and September 9, 2016, respectively.

Discography:

Strapping Young Lad
Studio albums:

Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
Released: April 4, 1995
Label: Century Media

City
Released: February 11, 1997
Label: Century Media

Strapping Young Lad
Released: February 11, 2003
Label: Century Media

The New Black
Released: July 11, 2006
Label: Century Media

Live albums:

No Sleep 'till Bedtime
Released: June 2, 1998
Label: Century Media
Live album recorded in Melbourne, Australia.

Compilation albums:

1994–2006 Chaos Years
Released: March 31, 2008
Label: Century Media
Format: CD+DVD

Box set albums:

The Complete Works
Released: July 26, 2013
Label: Blood Music
Format: 7xLP+7" box set
Comprises band's studio discography; released as four different versions, altogether limited to 700 copies.

EP albums:

Tour EP
Released: 2003
Label: Century Media
Format: CD
Limited edition of 2,500 copies, features tracks from Strapping Young Lad album.

C:enter:###
Released: April 19, 2007
Label: Restrain
Format: 7"
Limited edition of 500 hand-numbered copies, includes Japanese-only bonus track "C:enter:###" from The New Black, a cover of Melvins song "Zodiac" and live versions of "In the Rainy Season" and "Underneath the Waves".

Video albums:

For Those Aboot to Rock: Live at the Commodore
Released: November 2, 2004
Label: Century Media
Formats: DVD, 2xLP, CD
Live video performance recorded in Vancouver, Canada.
CD version released as a bonus disc for limited edition of City.

Singles and music videos:

1995 "S.Y.L." Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
1997 "Detox" City
2003 "Relentless" Strapping Young Lad
2005 "Love?" Alien
"Zen" Alien
2006 "Wrong Side" The New Black
2007 "Almost Again" The New Black



Devin Townsend

Studio albums:

Punky Brüster – Cooked on Phonics
Released: March 19, 1996
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CD
Satire concept album, parody of punk rock music.

Ocean Machine: Biomech
Released: July 21, 1997
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, 2xLP
Originally released as "Biomech" under the Ocean Machine moniker.

Infinity
Released: June 17, 1998
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, 2xLP
2003 CD re-release includes three bonus tracks.

Physicist
Released: June 26, 2000
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, LP
Features an identical lineup to that of Strapping Young Lad.

Terria
Released: November 6, 2001
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, 2xCD, 2xLP
Limited CD edition's second disc features "Universal" b-side and extra video content.

Accelerated Evolution
Released: March 31, 2003
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, 2xCD, 2xLP
First of two albums by The Devin Townsend Band.
Special CD edition includes a bonus disc titled Project EKO.

Devlab
Released: December 4, 2004
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CD
Ambient soundscape produced entirely by Townsend.

Synchestra
Released: January 31, 2006
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, CD+DVD, 2xLP
Second of two albums by The Devin Townsend Band.
Special CD edition includes the Safe Zone live DVD.

The Hummer
Released: November 15, 2006
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CD
Limited edition of 500 copies, the second ambient soundscape following 2004's Devlab.

Ziltoid the Omniscient
Released: May 27, 2007
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, 2xCD, 2xLP
Special CD edition includes a second disc featuring three bonus tracks and extra video content.

Ki
Released: May 22, 2009
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, 2xLP
First album of the Devin Townsend Project.

Addicted
Released: November 17, 2009
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, 2xLP
Second album of the Devin Townsend Project.

Deconstruction
Released: June 20, 2011
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CD
Third album of the Devin Townsend Project.

Ghost
Released: June 20, 2011
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CD
Fourth album of the Devin Townsend Project.

Epicloud
Released: September 18, 2012
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, 2xCD, 2xLP
Fifth album of the Devin Townsend Project.
Deluxe CD edition includes a second disc titled Epiclouder, featuring 10 additional tracks.

Casualties of Cool
Released: May 14, 2014
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, 2xCD, 2xCD+DVD, 2xLP
Townsend's country and blues rock album project featuring Ché Aimee Dorval and Morgan Ågren.
Deluxe editions include a second CD containing 13 additional tracks.

Z²
Released: October 27, 2014
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: 2xCD, 3xCD, 2CD+DVD, 4xLP
Double concept album, consisting of Dark Matters (a sequel to Ziltoid the Omniscient) and Sky Blue (sixth album of the Devin Townsend Project).
Stand-alone CD and 2xLP versions of both albums were released in 2015.

Transcendence
Released: September 9, 2016
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD, 2xCD, 2xLP+CD
Seventh album of the Devin Townsend Project.
Deluxe CD edition and vinyl edition include a bonus disc titled Holding Patterns, featuring 11 additional tracks.


Live albums:

Official Bootleg
Released: 2000
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: CD-R, DVD-R
Live album recorded in Tokyo (1999) and Vancouver (2000).

Compilation albums:

Ass-Sordid Demos
Released: 2000
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CD
Compilation of Devin Townsend and Grey Skies demos recorded in 1990–1996.

Ass-Sordid Demos II
Released: 2004
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CD
Compilation of Noisescapes, Grey Skies and Devin Townsend demos recorded in 1991–1993.

Ancient
Released: 2016
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CS
Compilation of Grey Skies, Strapping Young Lad and Devin Townsend demos recorded in 1986–1994.
Released accompanying Townsend's autobiography Only Half There.

Box set albums:

Contain Us
Released: December 9, 2011
Label: HevyDevy
Format: 6xCD+2xDVD box set
Includes four Devin Townsend Project albums and both released and unreleased bonus material; limited to 5,000 copies, 500 hand-numbered copies featured a special 10" vinyl and a signed drawing.

By a Thread: Live in London 2011
Released: June 18, 2012
Label: HevyDevy
Format: 5xCD+4xDVD box set
Includes live material of four special Devin Townsend Project concerts held in London in November 2011; limited to 5,000 copies.

EP albums:

Christeen + 4 Demos
Released: 1998
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CD
Includes the "Christeen" single and four B-sides from the Infinity sessions.

Live in Baltimore
Released: February 14, 2011
Label: HevyDevy
Format: DL
5-song live EP by the Devin Townsend Project.

Unplugged
Released: August 9, 2011
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CD
EP recorded as a limited edition for UK acoustic shows in July 2011.

Iceland
Released: October 1, 2016
Label: HevyDevy
Format: CD
Acoustic album released together with Townsend's autobiography titled Only Half There.

Video albums:

The Retinal Circus
Released: September 30, 2013
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: 2xCD, 2xDVD, BD, 2xCD+2xDVD+BD box set
Live video recording of a special show held at Roundhouse, London in October 2012.
Released as three standard versions alongside two limited edition box sets.

Ziltoid Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Released: November 13, 2015
Label: HevyDevy
Formats: 3xCD+DVD, BD, 3xCD+2xDVD+BD box set
Live video recording of a special show held at Royal Albert Hall, London in April 2015.
Released as standard versions alongside a limited edition box set, containing all formats and a hardcover book.

Singles

1998 "Christeen"
Released: December 3, 1998
Label: USG
Format: CDS
Album: Infinity

2011 "Juular"
Released: June 20, 2011
Label: HevyDevy
Format: 7"
Album: Deconstruction

2012 "Kingdom"
Released: October 27, 2012
Label: InsideOut
Format: 7"
Album: Epicloud

"Coast (Take Two)"
Released: November 5, 2012
Label: InsideOut
Format: 7"
Album: By a Thread: Live in London

2013 "Lucky Animals"
Released: November 29, 2013
Label: InsideOut
Format: 10"
Album: Epicloud

2016 "Failure"
Released: August 5, 2016
Label: InsideOut
Format: DL
Album:
Transcendence

"Secret Sciences"
Released: August 19, 2016
Label: InsideOut
Format: DL
Album: Transcendence

"Stormbending"
Released: August 31, 2016
Label: InsideOut
Format: DL
Transcendence

Music videos:

1996 "Life" Ocean Machine: Biomech
1997 "Christeen" Infinity
2003 "Storm" Accelerated Evolution
2006 "Vampira" Synchestra
2009 "Coast" Ki
"Bend It Like Bender!" Addicted
2010 "Supercrush!" Addicted
2011 "Juular" Deconstruction
2012 "Lucky Animals" Epicloud
2014 "Mountaintop" Casualties of Cool
"Flight" Casualties of Cool
2016 "Stormbending" Transendence



http://www.hevydevy.com/discography/

Passenger

You're some man for dates and categories.

Huge Devy fan. Only got around to giving Transcendence a listen recently and really enjoyed it. It's far from his best work imho but it flows brilliantly.

Waara Rex

Yeah, well just actually know him very little only have two albums and generally like the idea but would like to find out more just didn't know where to start so went through his discography maybe I was a bit too pedantic indeed. Haven't listened to Transcendence yet I am going to try with Addicted and Deconstruction and I really liked some tunes under Strapping Young Lad just not sure which album.

Passenger

Well Synchestra and Accelerated Evolution are two of my favourite's and they're two of his most accessible albums imo. I would give those a gander before the likes of Deconstruction (which is very over-produced imo but that's sometimes par for the course with Devy).

Waara Rex

Got Accelerated Evolution a couple months ago and yes I quite like it, Deadhead is maybe the best, or Storm, or maybe Away, oh wait Random Analysis and Slow Me Down are pretty cool too! Well it's a lovely album indeed. What I have to say about this album - there are two cds and the second one Project EKO (Bonus disc) sounds completely different from what I'd expect from him after listening to Infinity (this was my very first Townsend's album) and the disc 1. That was actually the main reason why I went to read his biography and all that stuff.

The Devin Townsend Band - Deadhead
Album: Accelerated Evolution 2003

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_vOX3s9f_w

I liked Infinity as well, Life is all dynamics was the first song I liked, but there's also Truth, War, and Christeen lately

Devin Townsend - Christeen
Album: Infinity 1998

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcfDxq8Zw5A

Ravenholm

Ocean Machine is probably my fav album closely followed by the first Ziltoid album.

Funeral and Bastard would be my two fav songs of his. Sound amazing live, here

Passenger

Ravenholm wrote: »

Ocean Machine is probably my fav album closely followed by the first Ziltoid album.

Funeral and Bastard would be my two fav songs of his. Sound amazing live, here

Only re-evaluated Ocean Machine there recently as I hadn't listened to it in years and now I place it much higher in his discography then previously. I just never connected with it for whatever reason but there are some terrific songs on there like the ones you mentioned.

weisses

Prefer the old SYL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed6bCskvgm0

Watched this live ..... epic

Waara Rex

weisses wrote: »

Prefer the old SYL
Watched this live ..... epic

Not working for me, what's the name of the song?

One of the first songs of Townsend that I liked was also Strapping Young Lad - You Suck a few years back it sounded like something between Ministry and RATM to me

Strapping Young Lad - You Suck
Album: The New Black 2006

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ0xZDuuJjA

weisses

Waara Rex wrote: »

Not working for me, what's the name of the song?

Aftermath ... (fixed the link)

I liked him more during his "pissed off" period

Liam McPoyle

I've never been able to get into all the side projects he has but SYL's City is one of the greatest metal albums of all time and I've loved it since I first heard it on the John Kenny metal show on 2FM two decades ago.

Pure, unadulterated aural brutality.