Listen To New DEVIN TOWNSEND Song 'Genesis' From 'Empath' Album

The official music video for "Genesis", a brand new song from the Canadian heavy music artist Devin Townsend, can be seen below. The track is taken from his upcoming album, "Empath", which will be released on March 29 via InsideOut Music.

Devin comments: "It's with great pride (and a healthy dose of trepidation) that I can finally present to you a song from the 'Empath' record. In each album cycle there is the dilemma over which track we 'lead' with, not only to get people excited, but also to give an accurate overview of the project.

"As the musical nature of 'Empath' shifts from track to track, (from musical theater, death metal, prog free jazz and more commercial things) it was a hard decision. Some people wanted the relatively straightforward song 'Spirits Will Collide' while others wanted a more cinematic banging track like 'Evermore'. We ultimately chose to go with the opening track, 'Genesis', as it not only features around five different stylistic shifts (some quite jarring, to be fair :) but also includes all three drummers, the choir, the orchestra, and basically the kitchen sink as well. This song is ultimately about facing fear, as well as analyzing one's relationship with one's past in order to progress.

"The record has an overarching theme of what I like to view as 'hope' in chaotic times.

"I have been working on this record for more than a year, and it represents a kind of shift for me in my personal and professional world that I am quite proud of. It's the first time in quite a few years I have made an album like this, and I think if nothing else, 'Genesis' represents the chaotic nature of the project (and the world at large currently) in the most accurate way I can do at this stage of life.

"I'd like to thank the entire team of wonderful musicians and artists who helped me actualize this material, as well as InsideOut and Northern Music for their help and support."

Over the past few years, the success that Devin has slowly worked for has fortunately come with the power to control his own creative destiny. The recent successes with the DVD from a sold-out Royal Albert hall, or his 2012 "Retinal Circus", or last year's "Ocean Machine" live DVD with the Orchestra And Choir Of State Opera Plovdiv has put him in a position where with the new album "Empath", he will once and for all define himself as a musical force outside of any particular genre classification.

On this album, Devin has decided to see what would happen if all the styles that make up his current interests were finally represented in one place. To finally shake the fear of expectation, and just do what it is he was meant to do creatively, "Empath", true to the name, is about allowing the audience a feeling for a variety of musical emotions. The musical dynamics represented on this single album are broad, challenging, and immense. To approach this sort of work with a long history of what makes heavy music "heavy," allows this to be done with a type of power rarely heard.

Joining Devin on this album is Frank Zappa alumni Mike Keneally as music director, as well as Morgan Ågren (MATS AND MORGAN, FRANK ZAPPA, FREDRIK THORDENDAL),Anup Sastry (MONUMENTS, PERIPHERY),Samus Paulicelli (DECREPIT BIRTH, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS),Nathan Navarro, Elliot Desagnes, Steve Vai, Chad Kroeger, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Ché Aimee Dorval, Ryan Dhale and the Elektra Women's Choir.

A bold statement with massive production values and dynamic, uncompromised musicality. This is a statement about not only pursuing creative freedom in a conservative scene, but also trying to show that heavy music is truly a valid musical tool.

"Empath" will be released on limited 2 CD digipak (including an entire disc of bonus material),standard CD jewelcase, gatefold 180-gram 2LP vinyl + CD + LP-booklet and as digital album.

The full track listing is as follows:

01. Castaway
02. Genesis
03. Spirits Will Collide
04. Evermore
05. Sprite
06. Hear Me
07. Why
08. Borderlands
09. Requiem
10. Singularity Part 1 - Adrift
11. Singularity Part 2 - I Am I
12. Singularity Part 3 - There Be Monsters
13. Singularity Part 4 - Curious Gods
14. Singularity Part 5 - Silicon Scientists
15. Singularity Part 6 - Here Comes The Sun