Devin Townsend – PowerNerd

Written by on 27-10-2024 at 06:44.

In March next year, Devin Townsend will bring The Moth with the North Netherlands Orchestra. It’s a piece he has been working on for years and that represents his life’s ambition. And because the Canadian music professor is a man of extremes, he’s now first releasing PowerNerd, an album for which he “quickly” wrote the music in just eleven days. This was a conscious choice to see what happens when he doesn’t painstakingly analyze every aspect of his work over and over. Such an approach could easily result in Townsend sounding like a too comfortable version (or even a parody) of himself. Let me assure you right away: no chance!

PowerNerd doesn’t walk many new paths either, unless you count those touches of ’80s hard rock in the opener PowerNerd and third track Knuckledragger as such. These songs sound straightforward and even somewhat reckless, living up to the expectations you’d have for an album written in eleven days. Yet, the tracks are much more developed, with a lot more happening than you’d think possible within such a short writing span.

In the title track, alongside the seemingly straightforward riff, the sing-along chorus “Time for life and rock and roll” and the hard rock solo, we hear some bleeps that break up the theme and even a small reference (intentionally or not) to Zakk Wylde. Similar electronic bleeps kick off Knuckledragger, leading to a wall-to-wall chorus (it is, after all, a HevyDevy production) and a freaky passage with percussion and growling basses. It quickly becomes clear that what feels direct for Townsend is on another level for most other musicians. The same goes for the lyrics, by the way (more on that later): our big talker confides in us that he’s got “huge balls,” but then seems to get a lot more serious (and introspective) as he sings: “I can’t play dumb, if you’re not dumb. It’s making me numb, the way we’re supposed to be.” Enough reason to scream out some frustration.

But, as TellSell would say, there’s more, much more. Falling Apart practically does what the title suggests with some distorted noises at the start, but then unfolds as a multi-layered banger that, with its beautiful melodies, could easily fit on Addicted — though Townsend goes much deeper here, with lyrics that evoke emotions as intensely as Spirits Will Collide did and still does. And that’s high praise because that song will always hold a special place for me. Once again, he’s done it: goosebumps!!

While we’re on the subject of lyrics: while the brilliant coffee lover stuck strictly to his plan for writing the music in a short time, things went differently with the words. As he tried hard to make a simple, festive album, he was overtaken by the raw reality of loss and acceptance (not of his “huge balls”, I’d guess). This found its way into the lyrics, partially captured in the line “You’ve gotta believe that things will only get better” from Gratitude, lifting you out of daily worries with its magical chorus to show you what truly matters.

Dreams Of Light, then, are not heavy, but apparently don’t last long either. The meandering pause is fiercely interrupted by the solid opening riff of Ubelia, which nearly sinks into a swamp of thick synths. The theme works and thankfully returns a few times: We carry on…, but the sense of loss is omnipresent. In Jainism the guitar even picks up more intensely before a light industrial sound takes over, with Townsend’s most tender vocals falling on us like sunlight on a warm summer’s day. Appearances are deceiving because All we are is a fading madness.

Younger Lover may be less musically engaging, given its acoustic ballad foundation and rather repetitive nature, but it’s certainly an essential part of the story of mortality and leaving loved ones behind. Glacier lives up to its name with its crushing shifts (we even hear brief “snippets” of doom-death), followed by stillness and a grand, almost operatic chorus. Let The Chaos roll!

And then there’s Goodbye. For me, the album’s highlight, both musically and emotionally. Letting go, falling in love, and letting go again… What a beautiful yet painful journey. Music can be so powerful because, amidst the daily race of reality, we are once again—straight from Canada—reminded of our mortality and (perhaps even worse) the mortality of everyone around us. I’m not crying; you’re crying!

But wasn’t PowerNerd supposed to be a party too? Well, parody (or at least humor) can indeed be found in the honkytonk/death-metal love letter to coffee Ruby Quaker. He’s done it before with two full Ziltoid albums, but here it takes shape in a melody that’ll stick in your head for hours. Maybe a strong cup of coffee will help, but I doubt it, so here we go: “Coffee, coffee, I love the coffee! All together now! And after this track, I’d love to hear Townsend make a full death metal album!

Given the “quick and dirty” setup, previous album Lightwork may be “better” by certain objective criteria. This due to the strict way Townsend adhered to the concept of light in a dark world for that record. Still, I’ll spin PowerNerd much more often. In fact, I’ve already played it more. The energy practically leaps out, and the madness returns. So, the fan who (like me) missed “the haha” in Lightwork can dive right in. I’m pressing play again.

Oh, and the man has already written his next two albums! The Moth will be orchestral, over-the-top, dark, and unsettling (Groningen, get ready!), and the final piece of this trilogy Axolotl will be filled with extraterrestrial madness. Bring it on!

Score:

88/100

Label:

InsideOut Music, 2024

Tracklisting:

  1. PowerNerd
  2. Falling Apart
  3. Knuckledragger
  4. Gratitude
  5. Dreams of Light
  6. Ubelia
  7. Jainism
  8. Younger Lover
  9. Glacier
  10. Goodbye
  11. Ruby Quaker

Line-up:

  • Devin Townsend – Vocals, guitars, synths, bass, computer
  • Darby Todd – Drums
  • Diego Tejeida – Keyboard, synths
  • Mike Keneally – Keyboard
  • Jean Savoie – Bass
  • Aman Khosia – Vocals
  • Tanya Gosh – Vocals
  • Jamie Jasta – Vocals

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