Some live albums are bona fide classics that are still revered decades after their release, having captured bands at the absolute peak of the powers with epic performances of rock and metal anthems in front of huge fervent crowds. For me ‘Live After Death’ and ‘Decade of Aggression’ spring to mind but there are of course many more and we could debate a top ten for hours.
Let’s be clear from the outset, this is not one of those behemoth live albums. This is a recording of an intimate acoustic ad hoc show by the musical genius that is Devin Townsend. It is a great capture of the songs but perhaps more importantly captures the atmosphere of the show, which feels more like Devin jamming with a small group of friends.
The album begins with an introduction to the evening and some banter with the crowd, explaining the thoughts behind the show and that the first half will be made up of impromptu songs, followed by a Q&A session and I believe these were followed by more tracks at the gig, although these aren’t included here. This recording captures the first half of the show up to the Q&A.
Following the initial welcome, there is some tuning and teasing before going into the first of two Devin Townsend Band tracks on offer, ‘Let it Roll’ which is of course sombre and downbeat before an evocative stripped back ’Funeral’. The intensity increases on ‘Deadhead’ which really sees Devin pushing his vocal range to great effect.
By far the standout track on the album is the magnificent ‘Ih-Ah!’. This track is always great live, but this rendition really does send a shiver down the spine. Following more crowd banter, we are taken back to Strapping Young Lad in the form of ‘Love?’ which slowly unravels itself, leading into ‘Hyperdrive’ and a minimalistic ‘Terminal’. The pensive ambience is kept upon with ‘Coast’ before ‘Solar Winds’ and ‘Thing Beyond Things’ bring the album to a close, remembering that this was not the end of the actual gig.
I have focussed on the music here, but this is perhaps downplaying a key ingredient of the show, which is the interaction and conversation with the crowd, where Devin explains some of the song’s origins and his thoughts and emotions. This doesn’t sound at all scripted and comes across as someone having a chat over a pint, bringing a real level of intimacy to proceedings and is what makes this of real interest.
Devin Townsend if a hugely talented musician and performer and this album allows him to really explore his more mellow material. This is exquisite at times while at others it can perhaps become a little self indulgent, but all in all this collection of acoustic oddities is well worth a listen.
Hardcore fans will no doubt love it, but more casual listeners or those meeting Devin for the first time might be better exploring other areas of his extensive back catalogue. It will be interesting to see what the rest of the Devolution Series brings……
(For fans 9/10, for others 7/10 Andy Pountney)
Leave a Reply