DEVIN TOWNSEND

Many years in the making and very much subject to the restless whims of its creator, "The Moth" is a determinedly off-kilter entry in Devin Towsend's increasingly monolithic catalogue. The long-awaited studio incarnation of a project that he took to the stage in March 2025, to great acclaim and not a little mad-eyed bewilderment, this is easily the most ambitious and extravagant thing that the Canadian polymath has ever put his name to. In truth, it is much easier to say what "The Moth" isn't, than to neatly encapsulate what it is in a few pithy phrases. Primarily an orchestral work, it has virtually nothing in common with anything Devin has released, and particularly with the more straightforward, futuristic prog metal splendor that has typified many of his most beloved albums. There are no razor-sharp pop metal bangers in the vein of "Addicted!" or "PowerNerd". There are none of the elaborate, crushing prog metal epics that made "Deconstruction" and "Empath" so mesmerizing. No space-country, "Casualties Of Cool"-style dream-pop diversions, no goofy, coffee-stained Ziltoid exploits, nor any of the blissful, artful rock that defined 2022's underrated "Lightwork". Anyone expecting a melodic tour-de-force like "Epicloud" or "Synchestra" will be moderately disappointed. But as a glimpse into the feverish creative whirlwind of Devin's mind, expressed as a doggedly left-field, neoclassical explosion, "The Moth" is unlikely to be topped, either by the great man himself, or the countless artists that have been influenced by his last 35 years of relentless ingenuity. "The Moth" is a huge undertaking, brought to life by the only man on this planet that would know where to start with such an indulgent (and yet determinedly outward-looking) enterprise.

Ostensibly a concept piece, with its own detailed internal narrative that works in tandem with the more instantly relatable theme of liberated artistry and its never-ending battle with the artist's own self-imposed limitations, "The Moth" unfolds like a high-spec theatrical experience. There are few breadcrumbs of familiarity to lure in the faithful: the knotty, symphonic metal euphoria of "War Beyond Worlds", the quirky, fidgeting pop-metal pulse of "Lexin", the epic, Anneke Van Giersbergen-augmented "Covered By Causes", and kaleidoscopic, freeform interludes like "Stay There" and "The Mothers". But as it drifts serenely through each episodic eruption of strings, brass, woodwind and maximalist ambience, "The Moth" stakes a clear claim to be a unique, stand-alone statement that wields its many secrets like weapons of magic and wonder. Veering wildly from operatic pomp ("Enter The City") to expansive avalanches of beatific, droning weirdness ("Intermission"),this is an exploration of the outer limits of Devin's idiosyncratic musical vision, with all the emotional crescendos and ferociously intelligent twists and turns that any fan could possibly desire.

The finest moments are truly jaw-dropping. "Orion" may begin with a loud fart, but its processed beats and gorgeous, naturalistic flow are as elegant and profound as it gets. An extended wait for a killer hook that never comes, it is a triumph for atmosphere and world-building in music untethered from expectation. Similarly, "Home At Night" is arguably the most conventional song here, but one that aspires to the long-form languidness of highbrow opera, with melodic motifs swimming in a turbulent rush of immaculate, sonic debris, as strings, woodwind, brass and vocals blend seamlessly and with a meticulous regard for the coherence of the whole. Elsewhere, the two-headed trip of "Prepare For War" / "The Big Snit" comes closest to evoking the next-level prog metal of past achievements, with accidental nods to Holst's "The Planets" and disarming surges of guitar and drums that ebb and flow like circular thoughts amid a rare moment of emotional tranquility.

"The Moth" is intricate, challenging and demands to be listened to in its overwhelming entirety. It will delight many, while simultaneously confusing the hell out of many more. Nobody else in the rock and metal world is capable of making a record like this, and how much sense it all makes may depend on listeners' ability to suspend their usual frame of reference and dive into something unprecedented and unpredictable. It is obviously fucking brilliant, and yet frequently impenetrable. Just like Devin himself.