As the final hours of 2022 tick away and all eyes and hopes look forward to 2023, there is still a little bit of time to look back on the year that is now ending in regards to the year’s top new albums. This year produced so many impressive new albums across the musical universe, from rock to rap to jazz, blues, classical, world, and even family music, as Phil’s Picks has shown. Looking at all of those genres, many of them have produced records that are clearly among the best of the best, and they are presented here in the last of this year’s new music lists.
This year’s list of the year’s top new albums includes Machine Head’s new album, Of Kingdom and Crown, percussionist Tom Collier’s new album, The Color of Wood, and even Pimps of Joytime’s new album, Reachin’ Up among so many others. Between these and all of the other albums included in this final music list for the year, it is clear that this year’s overall field of new music was rich with enjoyable content. It made creating this list so difficult, but the list was created, nonetheless.
As with each Phil’s Picks list, this one consists of the year’s top 10 new albums and five additional honorable mentions for a total of 15 titles. The top 10 records are the best of the best and the honorable mentions are records that are appealing in their own right and deserving of attention, too, thus their inclusion here. Without any further ado, here is Phil’s Picks’ 2022 Top 10 New Albums of the Year.
PHIL’S PICKS 2022 TOP 10 NEW ALBUMS
Bloodywood – Rakshak
Danilo Perez – Crisalida
Derek Sherinian – Vortex
Machine Head – Of Kingdom and Crown
Mickey Leigh’s Mutated Music – Variants of Vibe
Devin Townsend – Light Work
Joe Satriani – Elephants of Mars
Sabaton – The Symphony to End All Wars
Pimps of Joytime – Reachin’ Up
Tom Collier – The Color of Wood
The Jorgensens – Americana Soul
Mark Tremonti – Tremonti Sings Sinatra
Playing For Change Band – The Real Revolution
Old Crow Medicine Show – Paint The Town
Bobby Watson – Back Home in Kansas City
That’s it for this year’s new music year-enders. There is still time for at least a couple of TV pieces to go through before the year officially ends, so stay tuned!
Devin Townsend has kept himself quite busy and his audiences just as happy in the past couple of years or so. Between the release of his then latest album, Empath in late 2019 and its re-issue less than a year later, and a live recording to accompany those two releases a year after that, Townsend has offered audiences quite a bit to enjoy. Now early this month, he has returned again with yet another new offering in the form of Lightwork. Released Nov. 4 through InsideOut Music, the 10-song record is everything that audiences have come to expect from Townsend, musically and lyrically. The record’s musical arrangements make for their own interest and will be examined shortly. The lyrical content that accompanies those arrangements is just as interesting and will be examined a little later. The record’s production rounds out its most important elements and will be discussed a little later, too. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of this album. All things considered they make Lightwork a shining addition to this year’s field of top new overall albums.
Lightwork, the latest studio recording from Devin Townsend, is a welcome addition to this year’s field of new overall albums and rock albums alike. It is everything that audiences have come to expect from Townsend. That is proven in part through its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements in question feature even more of the hybrid symphonic/experimental approach and sounds for which Townsend has come to be known throughout his career. They don’t necessarily break any new ground, as audiences got a healthy sampling of that approach and sound in Empath most recently. It is also an approach that he has taken as far back as his 1997 album, Ocean Master and at points after. The key here is that even with that familiar style in mind, the arrangements here still manage to hold their own identity separate from those other works. That even includes the works that he has composed under the moniker of Devin Townsend Project. To that end, the arrangements featured throughout this record make for plenty of appeal in their own right and form a strong foundation for the album.
Building on that foundation is the lyrical content that accompanies those arrangements. As usual, Townsend has presented lyrical content that speaks quite a bit in metaphors and such poetic fashion that each song presents such depth just in that avenue. Case in point is the early entry, ‘Call of the Void.’ The song comes across, lyrically, as a very contemplative work, as Townsend sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Shapeshifter to the weary-eyed/With nothing left/We take it all and run and hide/Take a walk down by the river/Revelations/Paranoia/And the thoughts that pull us under/Are they calling?/’Cause when you see the world’s insane reaction/To follow your heart/The worst reaction is to freak out/So don’t you freak out.” It is almost as if Townsend is addressing the effect that the world has on a person and reminding listeners to take on those thoughts and feelings in a calm manner so to speak. He seems to be reminding audiences that what they are thinking and feeling is normal, and in connection, they can control their own situations despite the outside world. This is especially inferred as he sings in the song’s brief second verse, “Collide into your interior/You doubted for so long/It took control.” He further adds in the chorus’ refrain, “‘Cause when you feel the urge to feign reaction/Just follow your heart/The worst reaction is to freak out/So don’t you freak out.” Again, this further seems to illustrate a message of hope and positive vibes. If in fact that seeming positive message is what Townsend is trying to deliver, then he has succeeded in so doing. The gentle musical arrangement that accompanies that seeming message makes it all the more powerful and moving in its delivery. The whole makes the song its own standout addition to the album.
‘Moonpeople,’ which opens the album, is another notable addition to the record, in regards to its lyrical content just as much as its musical arrangement. Townsend said of the song during a recent interview, that is it in fact a contemplative work. He said that the song’s lyrics that they are al allusion to someone looking forward while also looking backward.
“Post pandemic…kids are now teens…50 years old, who am I now?,” he said. “Beyond any platitudes or delusions, who am I now that the smoke is clearing and what do i want to do, and who do I want to be moving forward?”
He added the to him, ‘moonpeople’ are introverts; those people who would rather watch things happening rather than interact.
Townsend’s comments are illustrated through the song’s lead verse and chorus, which state, “Ode to the unknown/If we’re gonna face it alone/Don’t trust the fearing/of revealing/Off to the unknown/I’ve often wandered alone/It don’t bother men/Talk the talk/You’ll find there’s no place in the city/Let the moon clear slowly on your day.” He adds in the song’s second verse, “Ode to the unknown/We’re gonna take the high road/Though what is appealing/Is the act of disappearing/Stop it/Walk the walk/You’re finally free from it all/Let the mood keep clearing for today/Moon people challenge the ways of the sun/But the Earth moves for you, babe/So breathe now.” Again, here is that poetic, metaphorical language for which Townsend has come to be known. Even with the understanding of the song’s theme, the very approach taken here is sure to generate its own share of interest among audiences. To that end it is another example of the importance of the album’s lyrical content.
‘Celestial Signals,’ another later entry in the album’s run, is yet another example of the importance of its lyrical content. Yet again, Townsend sings in metaphors here, leaving plenty of room for interpretation. He sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “You know where to find me/In my room at night as I retire/Say you’ll find me/redefine me/Awake again/No Shangri-La/No change at all/You’re like a butterfly/Caught in the middle/You’re like a star/Oh, when all we do/Cries out with all that’s true/Never regret for a minute/Now all is new.” He continues in the song’s second verse, “Pain, are you here to remind me/No Shangri-la/No shame in failure” before adding in the chorus’ refrain, “We’ll never regret for a minute/When all is new/Just say your goal/When all we do/Cries out with all that’s true/We’ll never regret for a minute/When all is new.” The whole of this content paints a progressing story of sorts, starting out as someone who maybe feels alone and is asking for someone to reach out. Eventually in the second verse and chorus refrain, that person seems emotionally stronger after being told in the pre-chorus to “hold on” because “when all we do/Cries out with all that’s true/We’ll never regret for a minute.” It really all comes across as a message of hope. That is at least this critic’s interpretation. Whether the inferred theme is the case or something else, the fact of the matter is that the depth that Townsend uses here is certain to lead to its own share of discussion among audiences, just as with so many of the album’s other songs. Keeping all of this in mind, there is no doubt that the overall lyrical content plays its own pivotal role to the album’s presentation. It is still not the last of the album’s most important elements. The album’s production rounds out its most important elements.
The production that went into the album’s presentation is important because it clearly showed the attention that was given to each arrangement. From the smallest nuances to the fullest orchestral arrangements, it is clear that painstaking efforts were taken in the production to make sure each song’s instrumentation was expertly balanced. What’s more it ensured those expertly balanced instrumentations also brought forth the fullest emotional impact on listeners. Those painstaking efforts paid off all the way around. The result of that work is a general effect that makes the album all the more enjoyable if only for that item. Thankfully that item is, as noted, hardly the only important element here. When it is considered alongside the album’s musical and lyrical content alike, the whole makes Lightwork one of the best of this year’s new overall albums.
LIghtwork, the latest new album from veteran musician Devin Townsend, is another impressive new offering from a figure who is one of the greatest minds of the current musical era. That is proven in part through its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements do not necessarily break any new ground for Townsend, but still boast their own unique identity separate from the works in Townsend’s other most recent albums. The album’s lyrical content is certain to generate plenty of discussion among listeners because of its depth and general presentation. The production that went into the album’s presentation rounds out its most important elements and completes the presentation. Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of Lightwork. All things considered they make the album a complete success that is among the best of this year’s new albums.
Lightwork is available now through InsideOut Music. More information on the album is available along with all of Devin Townsend’s latest news at:
Devin Townsend is scheduled to release his latest album this fall.
Lightwork is scheduled for release Oct. 28 through InsideOut Music and will be accompanied by a companion record, Nightwork in the record’s deluxe version. The record’s cover art was designed by Townsend’s longtime friend and album cover designer, Travis Smith.
In support of the record’s release, Townsend has announced a series of live European and United Kingdom dates for 2023 starting Feb. 21 in Oslo, Norway. The full schedule for the dates is noted below. Tickets are available here.
Feb 21st – Oslo, Sentrum Scene Feb 27th – Stockholm, Cirkus Feb 28th – Gothenburg, Pustervik March 1st – Copenhagen, Amager Bio March 3rd – Tilburg, 013 March 4th – Cologne, Carlswerk Victoria March 5th – Lille, Le Splendid March 7th – Leipzig, WERK 2 March 8th– Frankfurt, Batschkapp March 10th – Zurich, X-tra March 11th – Munich, Backstage Werk March 13th – Dornbirn, Conrad Sohm March 14th – Milan, Live Club March 16th – Barcelona, Razzmatazz March 17th – Madrid, La Riviera March 18th – Lisbon, Cineteatro Capitólio March 20th – Toulouse, Le Bikini March 21st – Marseille, Le Moulin March 22nd – Clermont Ferrand, La Coopérative De Mai March 24th – Brussels, Ancienne Belgique March 25th – Stuttgart, LKA-Longhorn March 26th – Paris, L’Olympia
March 28th – Bexhill-on-Sea, De La Warr Pavilion March 29th – Bristol, Academy March 31st – Manchester, Academy April 1st – Nottingham, Rock City April 2nd – Newcastle, University April 4th – Wolves, KK’s Steel Mill April 5th – Norwich, UEA
More information on Devin Townsend’s new album and tour is available online along with all of his latest news at:
And then there was one. That’s right, Phil’s Picks is finally down to the last of its annual music ear-ender lists. The last of this year’s music-related “best of” lists is the proverbial peak of the mountain in the form of the year’s top new albums.
This year’s list of the top new albums is diverse to say the least. It features new releases from across the musical universe. From jazz to world to rock and even some bluegrass, this year’s list represents how much the musical universe produced this year.
As with every other list from Phil’s Picks, this final music-related list for this year features the Top 10 new releases and five additional honorable mention titles for a total of 15, all of which deserve their own share of applause. Without any further ado, here for your consideration is this year’s Top 10 New Albums.
PHIL’S PICKS’ 2021 TOP 10 NEW ALBUMS
Liquid Tension Experiment – 3
Gabor Lesko – Earthway
Devin Townsend – The Puzzle
Doug MacDonald Trio – Toluca Lake Jazz
Allison Russell – Outside Child
Walking Papers – Light Below
Dobet Gnahore – Coleur
Brasuka – Life With Passion
Peter Welker — Sidemen
Nik Bartsch – Entendre
Madre Vaca – The Elements
Billy F. Gibbons – Hardware
Marc Ribler – The Whole World Awaits You
Kris Rodgers & The Dirty Gems – Still Dirty
Gordie “Crazylegs” MacKeeman – Folk For Little Folk Volume 1
That’s it for this year’s music lists, but it’s not the end for this year’s “best of” lists. From here, the attention turns to the best of this year’s new TV and movie offerings, beginning with the year’s top new documentaries. Stay tuned!
Sepultura’s new “live” recording, SepulQuarta is now available.
The band released the collection of quarantined performances Friday through Nuclear Blast Records. The semi-live recording culls performances that the band recorded during its “SepulQuarta” video podcast throughout the pandemic. The performances were by famous figures, such as Phil Campbell, Devin Townsend, and Alex Skolnick.
Guitarist and founding member Andreas Kisser spoke highly of the collection of performances in discussing its release. “The SepulQuarta album is probably the one I am most proud of!,” said Kisser. “2020 was the most difficult time for a band to survive, without the stage and the direct contact with the fans, but we managed to keep going strong and the album is a consequence of the unity plus the positive attitude from the band. The album sounds great, alive, and very real! All the guests did an amazing job and we feel more than ever that we have a huge Sepultura family out there. Thank you so much for everyone’s support and hope to see you all soon. This album is for you! Enjoy the music!”
In correlation with the recording’s release, the band premiered the video for its quarantine performance of its song, ‘Slave New World’ Friday with Trivium front man Matt Heafy. The video is the third from the recording. The band has also released videos for its quarantine performances of its songs, ‘Mask‘ and ‘Apes of God.’ Devin Townsend guested on ‘Mask’ while Death Angel’s Rob Cavestany appeared on ‘Apes of God.’
The full track listing for SepulQuarta is noted below.
This is the full tracklist featuring all international guest musicians:
01. Territory (feat. David Ellefson) 02. Cut-Throat (feat. Scott Ian) 03. Sepulnation (feat. Danko Jones) 04. Inner Self (feat. Phil Rind) 05. Hatred Aside (feat. Angélica Burns, Mayara Puertas & Fernanda Lira) 06. Mask (feat. Devin Townsend) 07. Fear, Pain, Chaos, Suffering (feat. Emmily Barreto) 08. Vandals Nest (feat. Alex Skolnick) 09. Slave New World (feat. Matthew K. Heafy) 10. Ratamahatta (feat. Joao Barone & Charles Gavin) 11. Apes Of God (feat. Rob Cavestany) 12. Phantom Self (feat. Mark Holcomb) 13. Slaves Of Pain (feat. Fred Leclercq & Marcello Pompeu) 14. Kaiowas (feat. Rafael Bittencourt) 15. Orgasmatron (feat. Phil Campbell)
The limited edition, marbled pressing of the recording is already sold out, but black vinyl pressings are still available along with CD pressings. Additionally, the album is available digitally.
Courtesy: Nuclear Blast Records
In other news, the band announced last month, it hopes to finally launch its “Quadra Tour” next spring. The band has scheduled the tour’s launch for March 4 in Sacramento, CA.
The tour was originally scheduled to take place in spring 2020, and was initially postponed until this year as a result of the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 tour was then postponed because of the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.
The month-long tour, which is in support of the band’s most recent album, Quadra, is scheduled to run through March 9 in Berkeley, CA. It features performances in cities nationwide, such as Atlanta, GA; Minneapolis, MN and Greensboro, NC. Sacred Reich will serve as support for the tour, along with Crowbar and Art of Shock.
Front man Derrick Greene was optimistic about the tour finally getting off the ground as he talked about it during a recent interview.
“We are extremely excited to reconnect with everyone in North America for this upcoming tour,” he said. “We look forward to seeing all the people who have been anxious to see shows for the past two years. We will celebrate this re-connection of life and music together. See you soon!!”
Kisser echoed Green’s sentiments with his own comments.
“We can’t wait to go back on stage. We are very happy to announce our North American tour for 2022. We will see you all on the road, jamming old stuff new stuff and having the greatest time of our lives. See you all soon stay safe!”
The upcoming tour’s schedule is noted below. Tickets are available here.
Confirmed dates for SEPULTURA‘s “North American Quadra” 2022 tour with SACRED REICH, CROWBAR, and ART OF SHOCK are: 3/04/2022 Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA 3/05/2022 The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT* 3/06/2022 Oriental Theater – Denver, CO* 3/08/2022 Wildwood – Iowa City, IA 3/09/2022 Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN 3/10/2022 The Rave – Milwaukee, WI 3/11/2022 Harpo’s – Detroit, MI 3/12/2022 The Forge – Joliet, IL* 3/13/2022 Thunderbird Music Hall – Pittsburgh, PA* 3/15/2022 Irving Plaza – New York, NY 3/16/2022 Opera House – Toronto, ON CANADA 3/17/2022 Corona Theater – Montreal, QC CANADA 3/18/2022 Big Night Live – Boston, MA 3/19/2022 Theatre Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA 3/20/2022 Soundstage – Baltimore, MD 3/21/2022 House of Blues – Cleveland, OH 3/23/2022 Blind Tiger – Greensboro, NC* 3/24/2022 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA 3/25/2022 Culture Room – Ft Lauderdale, FL 3/26/2022 The Orpheum – Tampa, FL* 3/28/2022 Southport Music Hall – New Orleans, LA* 3/29/2022 Come and Take It Live – Austin, TX* 3/31/2022 Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK 4/01/2022 Warehouse Live – Houston, TX 4/02/2022 GMBG – Dallas, TX* 4/03/2022 Rockhouse – El Paso, TX 4/05/2022 The Nile Theater – Phoenix, AZ* 4/06/2022 House of Blues – San Diego, CA 4/08/2022 Belasco Theater – Los Angeles, CA 4/09/2022 The UC Theatre – Berkeley, CA * New shows and not rescheduled
More information on SepulQuarta and Sepultura’s planned live dates is available along with all of the band’s latest news and more now at:
Devin Townsend will release a “new” live recording next month.
Townsend is scheduled to release Acoustically Inclined, Live in Leeds March 19 through InsideOut Music. Originally released as part of Townsend’s recently released EmpathUltimate Edition, the 11-song recording is the first in a series of content that Townsend has planned for release this year dubbed the “Devolution Series” as he awaits the return of live music. That is according to a news release distributed to the press Friday.
The forthcoming release marks the first time that the Leeds acoustic show has released exclusively on an audio-only format. Its previous release with the Empath Ultimate Edition was a full audio-visual presentation. The recording’s forthcoming release will come separately on Limited Edition CD digipack, Gatefold 2LP/CD, and digital. Pre-orders are open now.
In anticipation of the recording’s release, Townsend debuted his performance of ‘Hyperdrive‘ Friday.
The track listing for Acoustically Inclined, Live in Leeds is noted below.
DEVIN TOWNSEND “Devolution Series #1 – Acoustically Inclined, Live in Leeds” track listing: 1. Intro (06:30) 2. Let it Roll (03:48) 3. Funeral (08:17) 4. Deadhead (07:51) 5. Ih-Ah! (04:44) 6. Love? (08:06) 7. Hyperdrive (04:27) 8. Terminal (04:58) 9. Coast (04:37) 10. Solar Winds (03:25) 11. Thing Beyond Things (04:34)
More information on Devin Townsend’s upcoming live recording is available online along with all of his latest news at:
Live music and live music venues took a big hit this year thanks to the global COVID-19 pandemic. That goes without saying. Music acts and venues from the independent level all the way up to the big names were force to put their live music plans on hold indefinitely as a result of the pandemic. However a glimmer of hope rose this week when Live Nation head Joe Berchtold was quoted by major media outlets as saying that he believed live music would return by summer 2021. One can only hope that Mr. Berchtold is right, and that when it does return, audiences will welcome its return rather than let the germaphobes control their minds. Until then, audiences do have lots of live music to enjoy on CD, DVD and Blu-ray that was released this year. Hammerfall released its latest live recording Live!Against The World this year. Dream Theater also dropped its new live recording Distant Memories: Live in London. Metallica even celebrated the anniversary of its landmark S&M show with the release of S&M2. These are just some of the recordings that made Phil’s Picks 2020 Top 10 New Live Recordings. They were joined by new live material from the likes of Myrath, The Rolling Stones, and Kamelot.
As with each list from Phil’s Picks, this collection features the Top 10 new titles in the given category and five additional honorable mention titles for a total of 15 titles. Without any further ado, here is Phil’s Picks 2020 Top 10 New Live Recordings.
PHIL’S PICKS 2020 TOP 10 NEW LIVE RECORDINGS
Hammerfall – Live!Against The World
Jimi Hendrix – Live in Maui
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra – A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration
Def Leppard – London to Vegas
The Rolling Stones – Steel Wheels Live
Devin Townsend – Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1
John Lee Hooker – Live at Montreux 1983 & 1990
Waylon Jennings – The Outlaw Perrformances
Myrath – Live in Carthage
Kamelot – I Am The Empire Live from the 013
Dream Theater – Distant Memories: Live in London
Metallica – S&M2
Delta Rae – Coming Home To Carolina
Bush – Live in Tampa
Dee Snider – For The Love of Metal
Up next from Phil’s Picks is one of the last three music categories of the year, Phil’s Picks 2020 Top 10 New Rock Albums. After that will be the year’s top new hard rock & metal albums, and then last but not least, the year’s top new albums overall. From there, it’ll be on to the DVDs and Blu-rays in all of their categories. Stay tuned for all of that.
Devin Townsend has unveiled another live clip for his new live recording.
Townsend debuts a live clip of his performance of the song ‘Why?’ Friday. Its debut comes a week ahead of the release of Townsend’s latest live recording, Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1. Additionally, the clip’s debut comes a week after Townsend debuted a teaser for the documentary that accompanies the live performance in its Blu-ray presentation.
The ‘Why?’ live clip is the third from Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1 and is one of the most comical moments from the performance, highlighting Townsend’s famous oftentimes light on-stage presence. It shows why he is such a favorite of fans. The clip follows the premiere of the live clips of ‘War‘ and ‘Genesis.’
Townsend talked about the latest clip and the recording in whole in prepared statement.
“So once upon a time, in a land not much different than the one we’re living in now, there used to be things called ‘concerts’ where a bunch of human beings would assemble to watch awkward performances and get s***faced on overpriced beer,” he said. “Tour managers would solve problems while simultaneously hitting on women, and musicians would complain about not being home (until getting home, where they would then complain about not being on tour). During one of these ‘tours’, I myself assembled 10 brilliant people, confident enough to play challenging material, while simultaneously acting like goofs with me onstage. This is from the upcoming Order Of Magnitude DVD, and the song is called ‘Why’.”
Kudos to Diego for being able to pull off a full symphony with only 4 limbs, and the rest of the band for not batting an eye when I presented the ideas I had for this show,” he added. “Che, Samantha, Anne and Arabella came to me and said ‘look, if we have to wear this stuff, you have to as well…’ so my Tutu was a show of solidarity with band members, but as the saying goes ‘I’ve seen better legs hanging out of a nest.’ ‘I look forward to a time where we get to do this again, but if that’s not meant to be, I loved this, so thanks to everyone involved.”
The concert featured in Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1 was recorded in December 2019 in London, UK. The concert was the penultimate show in Townsend’s tour in support of Empath. Empath was re-issued June 5 through InsideOut Music with a bonus disc and two Blu-ray discs.
The first Blu-ray features a 5.1 Surround Sound mix of Empath crafted by Townsend himself, with visuals for the entire album, plus a stereo visualizer. The second Blu-ray contains a bonus live performance titled Acoustically Inclined — Live in Leeds. the concert, captured during Townsend’s April 2019 acoustic tour, features performances of some of Townsend’s most beloved songs, such as ‘Love?,’ ‘Deadhead,’ and ‘Things Beyond Things.’
Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1 will release on a limited deluxe 2CD/Blu-ray/DVD artbook; Limited edition 2CD/DVD package; Blu-ray; gatefold 3LP/2CD vinyl box, and digital album. The Blu-ray features the noted behind-the-scenes documentary and 5.1 surround sound mix. The DVD features a 5.1 surround sound mix. Pre-orders are open now.
The recording’s track listing is noted below.
The track-listing is as follows: 1.Borderlands 2.Evermore 3.War 4.Sprite 5.Gigpig Jam 6.Coast 7.Gato 8.Heavens End 9.Ain’t Never Gonna Win 10.Deadhead 11.Why? 12.Lucky Animals 13.Castaway/Genesis 14.Spirits Will Collide 15.Disco Inferno 16.Kingdom
More information on Devin Townsend’s forthcoming live recording is available online along with all of his latest news at:
Devin Townsend is giving audiences their first glimpse at the documentary that will accompany his new live recording.
Townsend premiered a teaser clip Thursday, for the documentary that will accompany Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1. The two-minute teaser clip features Townsend discussing live performances. Audiences also get a glimpse into pre-show preparations and the actual show.
Townsend talked about the tour that produced the documentary and upcoming live recording during a recent interview.
“The whole objective was that I wanted to make that statement: This is by the seat our pants,” he said. “Because it’s important to me to represent this hyper anal-retentive music that I’ve made over the years, but in a human way. Rather than it just being, ‘Well, here it is, perfectly done.’”
“I was overwhelmed by the fact that all these brilliant people that I have so much respect for were willing to come together and play this weird s*** with me,” added Townsend. “I had these unique players and this interesting instrumentation that allowed us to interpret the music in different ways. It was clear to me that I could just have fun and be me and know that they would be effortlessly be able to follow that.”
The documentary that will accompany Townsend’s new live recording will come exclusively with the recording’s Blu-ray presentation. It is just the latest video to come from the recording. It has already produced live clips of ‘War‘ and ‘Genesis.’
The concert featured in Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1 was recorded in December 2019 in London, UK. The concert was the penultimate show in Townsend’s tour in support of Empath. Empath was re-issued June 5 through InsideOut Music with a bonus disc and two Blu-ray discs.
The first Blu-ray features a 5.1 Surround Sound mix of Empath crafted by Townsend himself, with visuals for the entire album, plus a stereo visualizer. The second Blu-ray contains a bonus live performance titled Acoustically Inclined — Live in Leeds. the concert, captured during Townsend’s April 2019 acoustic tour, features performances of some of Townsend’s most beloved songs, such as ‘Love?,’ ‘Deadhead,’ and ‘Things Beyond Things.’
Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1 will release on a limited deluxe 2CD/Blu-ray/DVD artbook; Limited edition 2CD/DVD package; Blu-ray; gatefold 3LP/2CD vinyl box, and digital album. The Blu-ray features the noted behind-the-scenes documentary and 5.1 surround sound mix. The DVD features a 5.1 surround sound mix. Pre-orders are open now.
The recording’s track listing is noted below.
The track-listing is as follows: 1.Borderlands 2.Evermore 3.War 4.Sprite 5.Gigpig Jam 6.Coast 7.Gato 8.Heavens End 9.Ain’t Never Gonna Win 10.Deadhead 11.Why? 12.Lucky Animals 13.Castaway/Genesis 14.Spirits Will Collide 15.Disco Inferno 16.Kingdom
More information on Devin Townsend’s forthcoming live recording is available online along with all of his latest news at:
Devin Townsend debuted another live clip from his latest live recording this week.
Townsend debuted his live performance of the song ‘War‘ Friday. The performance clip is the second from Townsend’s forthcoming live recording Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1, which is scheduled for release Oct. 23 through InsideOut Music. He debuted the recording’s first live clip — that of ‘Genesis‘ — in August.
The concert featured in Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1 was recorded in December 2019 in London, UK. The concert was the penultimate show in Townsend’s tour in support of Empath. Empath was re-issued June 5 through InsideOut Music with a bonus disc and two Blu-ray discs.
The first Blu-ray features a 5.1 Surround Sound mix of Empath crafted by Townsend himself, with visuals for the entire album, plus a stereo visualizer. The second Blu-ray contains a bonus live performance titled Acoustically Inclined — Live in Leeds. the concert, captured during Townsend’s April 2019 acoustic tour, features performances of some of Townsend’s most beloved songs, such as ‘Love?,’ ‘Deadhead,’ and ‘Things Beyond Things.’
Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1 will release on a limited deluxe 2CD/Blu-ray/DVD artbook; Limited edition 2CD/DVD package; Blu-ray; gatefold 3LP/2CD vinyl box, and digital album. The Blu-ray features a behind-the-scenes documentary and 5.1 surround sound mix. The DVD features a 5.1 surround sound mix. Pre-orders are open now.
The recording’s track listing is noted below.
The track-listing is as follows: 1.Borderlands 2.Evermore 3.War 4.Sprite 5.Gigpig Jam 6.Coast 7.Gato 8.Heavens End 9.Ain’t Never Gonna Win 10.Deadhead 11.Why? 12.Lucky Animals 13.Castaway/Genesis 14.Spirits Will Collide 15.Disco Inferno 16.Kingdom
More information on Devin Townsend’s forthcoming live recording is available online along with all of his latest news at:
philspicks 