DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT – Transcendence (2016)

With each new album DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT shows another side of itself and “Transcendence“, to be released next September 9, is no exception. What was once Townsend’s backing band has now become something just as large and majestic as the legacy that he created, and “Transcendence” proves that with just a single listen.

Though the record itself is not overly heavy and seldom uses harsh vocals, it is a deeply complex and heavily passionate progressive album that seems much stronger to me that their previous effort, ‘Z² (Sky Blue)’ (featured here on the blog).

Though it has a slow start with a new version of “The Truth,” which originally appeared on Devin’s solo album from 1998 Infinity and which was re-arranged for the new album, things really kick into gear with the explosive and spacey “Stormbending.” There were this kind of tracks in past Townsend’s albums where the epic vibes turned up a notch while the music became dominated by a dizzying blend of synths, guitars and drums.
This is what “Stormbending” is and so is a lot of the rest of the album; from the get go, Townsend amplifies these emotions with his trademark lyrics (“Time is a human construct” has never sounded better), lending a dream-like quality to the whole thing. By the time the post-chorus bridge arrives, with its optimistic guitar and Rush-like synths, the technicolor beast that is “Transcendence” is in full swing.

“Failure” starts out rather softly, but builds into one of the most threatening songs on the disc. It’s grandiose thanks to the huge walls of sounds built from the ground up by the symphonic backbone, Devin’s impeccable singing and a top-level execution by the band.
Then “Secret Sciences” is one of may favorites, very melodic and almost Neo-Prog with clean electric guitars and a punchy rhythm section.

The strongest point I feel on this record is that of a vocal one — this is odd for me to say, as Devin Townsend Project has always been about its massively entwined structures, but it’s a safe bet that “Transcendence” is the project’s catchiest recording in their career, although Devin stands for one of the best and most diverse vocalists in the world of progressive metal and beyond.

Songs like “Higher,” “Stars” and “Offer Your Light” are all incredibly catchy numbers that should appeal greatly to a wide range of listeners, no matter their preferred genre.
Anyway, I think that fans of progressive rock will flock to this album far more than those who prefer heavier extremes, even though I can say in no uncertain terms that this record as a whole is quite extreme regarding the amount of passion, precision and performance utilized with it.

For some time there’s been a strong chance that Devin Townsend would choose to fold the Devin Townsend Project. I’m glad he didn’t.
This Canadian prog mastermind takes us higher on “Transcendence” with an album plenty of captivating sounds and yes, some ground-breaking songwriting / arrangements.
One cannot say where Devin Townsend Project goes after this, but I can assure you that there is more than enough material to chew on and any fan of defiant rock music should be pleased. This is music without boundaries, without barricades and without limits.
Highly Recommended

01 – Truth
02 – Stormbending
03 – Failure
04 – Secret Sciences
05 – Higher
06 – Stars
07 – Transcendence
08 – Offer Your Light
09 – From The Heart
10 – Transdermal Celebration

Devin Townsend – Vocals, Guitar, Synths and Ambiance
Dave Young – Guitar, Keys, Mandolin
Mike St-Jean – Keys, Synths, Programming
Brian ‘Beav’ Waddell – Bass
Ryan Van Poederooyen – Drums

PRE ORDER:
www.amazon.co.uk/Transcendence-Devin-Townsend-Project/dp/B01HOGKV74
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