THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT: Rehearsal Footage Posted Online
January 1, 2010Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, STEVE VAI, LAMB OF GOD, DARKEST HOUR, GWAR) has posted a three-minute video clip shot during a recent THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT rehearsal. He says, "[the clip contains] no overdubs, no fixes.
"We plan to have a choir for the tours coming up after January to cover the background vocals.
"My plan was ALWAYS to make the live experience tight, and like the record (with a few surprises...).
"This was our first take of 'By Your Command' that day.
"I am thrilled to be able to come play for you, thank you for allowing me to continue doing whatever it is I do. I believe now is the start of it all.
"What I want to do is pretty epic in terms of live concerts.
"I think my dissatisfaction with shows in the past is that I want to see and provide people with an EVENT, a spectacle... and the music is the soundtrack to the experience.
"First things first is getting the new band tight and disciplined.
"We're ready to play this first tour (our first one) with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, CYNIC, and SCALE THE SUMMIT. When I complete 'Deconstruction' [the next THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT album], I believe we'll have every musical base covered to make a heck of a statement."
"Addicted", the second in a series of albums from Townsend to be made available under THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT moniker, sold 3,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 168 on The Billboard 200 chart. It also landed at position No. 2 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
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."
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