DEVIN TOWNSEND Will Not Perform Any STRAPPING YOUNG LAD Material On Upcoming Tour

Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, STEVE VAI, LAMB OF GOD, DARKEST HOUR, GWAR) will release "Addicted", the second in a series of albums to be made available under THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT moniker, on November 17 in North America via InsideOut Music.

A song from the "Addicted" CD, "Bend It Like Bender", is available for streaming at this location.

Townsend, easily one of metal's most intriguing, ominous and immensely talented figures, is taking this project to the masses as he will join genre visionaries BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, CYNIC and SCALE THE SUMMIT for a massive North American trek which kicks off January 8.

Commented Devin: "So I'm starting to tour again, officially. I have a great team together, and we are performing selections from all my solo albums. However, I will not be playing STRAPPING material. I love that band and everyone involved and respectfully leave the legacy. However, through all of my solo albums (and the current DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT with the next record 'Deconstruction') you can count on there being a ton of heavy material. From 'Ziltoid', 'Physicist', 'Deconstruction' etc, mixed with 'Addicted', 'Ki', 'Terria', 'Infinity', 'Ocean Machine' etc.

"The first tour I'm doing to get my sea legs back is with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, who I met on Ozzfest and are a FANTASTIC band, CYNIC, who I have been a fan of for many, many years and are masters, and SCALE THE SUMMIT, a really cool new instrumental band. I am playing second, and it's a relatively short set, but for my first tour back it's a total honor. It will be a different style of performance for me, as there is no 'mask.' However, this incarnation is very different from the DTB (DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND); this is definitely heavier...somewhere between SYL and DTB. And in truth, that's pretty much where I feel I was meant to be all along.

"I'm honored to be invited on such a GREAT bill for the first tour back. Hopefully see you all then.

"The plans for the video for 'Bend It Like Bender' are currently underway, the director is none other than the mighty Konrad Palkewicz, who directed 'Almost Again' by STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, and 'Coast' off of 'Ki'. It's an all animated affair that is not nearly as 'puffy' as the song, it's a mini-movie with his incredible skills once again making my music seem much more poignant than it really is. I've seen some clips and it's crazy good."

In a recent interview with AOL's Noisecreep, Townsend stated about the musical direction of "Addicted", "Every time I put something out, folks are like, 'Oh well, that's the direction you're going in,' or, like, 'That's your identity now.' I'm just trying shit out. I've always been into easy music. When I was 15, the record for me was 'Hysteria' by DEF LEPPARD. I loved it, dude. But we go through our adult life, and it becomes a little less en vogue to state your appreciation for pop music.

"But at the same time, this isn't the last record I'm going to ever do. I wanted to do a record like this, and during the process of this whole DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT thing, and putting together all these songs, there was a record full of that shit."

"Addicted" features vocals from both Townsend and Anneke van Giersbergen, who is best known for her work with THE GATHERING.

"I've always loved the sound of female vocals," Townsend told Noisecreep. "Not only was it DEF LEPPARD I was into when I was 15, but 'Watermark' by ENYA. I loved it. I remember when I was a kid, I was like, 'Man, if I could make, like, heavy ENYA. That would be awesome. Anneke just kind of came into my life and the thing about her is, we're kind of the same age, and we both have a kid, and...I guess I'm not really into female vocals that sound masculine, I guess. A lot of times, the heavy female vocalists always end up sounding like they're screaming or whatever. Anneke has a really solid voice, but its clear and straight-up feminine, but it can totally cut through heavy music, and for me, that was ideal."

"Ki", the first in a series of albums from Devin Townsend to be made available under the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT moniker, was released in Europe on May 25 in North America on June 19 via InsideOut Music.