Almost two years ago, when tickets for the The Moth concerts by Devin Townsend and the Noord Nederlands Orkest went on sale, I secretly assumed that the album at the heart of the project would have been released by the time the concerts took place (March 2025). Nothing could have been further from the truth. The album was not even finished. In fact, our favorite nutty professor ended up attaching fragments of old lyrics to the new music here and there during the performances themselves. In the Facebook post I wrote about the show, I therefore remarked somewhat bewildered: “The wildly enthusiastic audience is still hoping for an encore in the form of an older song performed with choir and orchestra. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen, but we have already seen and heard so much. It is difficult to describe exactly what it is we have witnessed (and especially whether everything was performed as intended). It was a surreal experience nonetheless. One that I will not soon forget and would very much like to hear again on some kind of audio format.” That moment has finally arrived, and even now it is not easy to put into words exactly what The Moth is.
Some people at Zware Metalen apparently had less trouble with that and quickly labeled it “Disney metal” and “Efteling music.” And yes, the work is symphonic. At times, extremely symphonic. Did you expect anything else when you give Townsend access to an entire orchestra and a choir of dozend of voices? Come on, we know him too well for that. He is, above all, an “all-in kind of guy,” and he certainly did not hold back this time. Musical boundaries were of no concern either. There are transitional passages where the label “Disney metal” simply does not apply for practical reasons: because there is no metal whatsoever. There are, however, layered musical expressions featuring strings, brass, and choir singing. Paradoxically, these passages both help The Moth function as one grand narrative (dare I say: one great journey?) and make it hard to find an entry. It is so enormous, in fact, that revisiting the album initially felt somewhat daunting. There is simply a lot to digest.
Let us begin at the (semi-)beginning: Semi-Prologue is fantastically sung. In fact, I wonder whether I have ever heard our slightly neurotic friend sound better. It is particularly enjoyable when he keeps things restrained, although he also goes full musical theatre (“turns out the thing he hates the most is musicals. Who saw that coming?”). Not entirely surprising, considering he immediately tackles a weighty theme: “I’m so in love with you, … We’ll find a way?” It sounds hopeful, yet full of doubt. And we have not even heard a guitar yet! That changes with War Beyond Words, which takes on a far more militaristic character and sounds like a more symphonic version of Deconstruction, with its colliding atmospheres, attacks, and deep growl: “I am barely controlled!” An excellent summary of the musical violence unleashed on the second track. The barked “Back to the front, Back To The Front” is playfully echoed by Anneke van Giersbergen. She was absent from the concert in Groningen, but fortunately her crystal-clear and heartwarming voice found its way into the studio a lot.
The title track is painted in rich, dark yet warm colors by the many-headed orchestra. At only one minute and forty-six seconds, it does not feel like the central piece around which the entire album revolves. Strangely enough, it is followed by another transition in the form of Ode To My Eye, which lasts less than a minute and, like the title track, contains only five short lines of lyrics. But once we cross this double bridge, we arrive at one of the absolute highlights. Enter The City features the captivating melody of “Awfull lot depending in the weather,” instantly recognizable as a product of Devin’s musical mind. It is wonderful to hear him reinforce it with the dozens of golden voices at his disposal in the choir. These powerful melodies are precisely what will keep drawing me back to this album, even if perhaps not every day or every week.
Covered By Causes begins with a completely overdriven blow in which the lower registers of the orchestra are also allowed to shine, before shrinking into a small song in which Townsend and OU vocalist Lynn Wu sing to one another. When Anneke takes over, we encounter the first genuine goosebump moment, which lingers pleasantly as she continues to dream behind Townsend’s lead vocals. By the time we reach the 3:15 mark, it becomes clear that this is no simple little song, as a carefully constructed climax emerges in which the choir is allowed to go full throttle, while restrained brass arrangements elegantly fill the spaces in between. “Arise and conquer the morn!” And that wonderfully soaring “Hearts on fire!” is yet another moment that firmly grabs the listener. You could argue that an album like this cannot do without such moments, and fortunately there are plenty of them.
In Lexin, a major role is reserved for Lynn Wu’s helium-like voice. I already struggle with it in her own band, and here it does not win me over either. Townsend clearly hears something in it that I do not, and of course Devin is always right (she definitely does add another colour). What I do appreciate is the crushingly compressed low-end sound, which apparently cannot be omitted even from an orchestral album. Musically, too, the tension and friction are masterfully executed. The short but beautiful Runaways harkens back to the opener and serves as a welcome anchor point for the rest of the journey thanks to its lovely melody—a moment of stability, if you will. A Proxy For God then blows all the dust from your ears with orchestra, choir, Anneke van Giersbergen, and Devin Townsend all operating at full force, the latter even unleashing a fiercer scream. Efteling music? I do not think so.
By now, you have probably gained a reasonable impression—at least as far as digital paper allows—of both the layered complexity and absolute quality of The Moth, as well as its challenging nature. It therefore seems of little use to continue discussing the album track by track. From here on, I will focus only on the most striking elements (besides the fart at the beginning of Orion—it is still Townsend, after all). That way, there remains something left to discover, although I am not worried about running out of discoveries anytime soon.
Townsend seems to include subtle references to earlier themes in his work. For example, the waltz motif in The Mothers practically invites you to sing the lyrics of Babysong over it. Such moments work wonderfully to recapture the listener’s attention should it begin to drift. Orion immediately captivates though, with its stirring vocal theme and its encouragement to believe in yourself. Yet another lyric that will undoubtedly provide strength to many fans when they need it most. Suddenly, the emotion cuts straight through all the layers and tracks. There is also a delightfully intricate guitar line that carries the choir along with it.
Wait, I am discussing every track again. That must be a sign that the album is slowly but surely tightening its grip on me. Stay There is no exception. “If that’s where you are: stay there” offers a sense of mental calm, and after only one listen you will already be singing along. The chorus of Home At Night possesses the same gently enchanting qualities. That is, if you are open to it, because things once again venture heavily into musical-theatre territory, complete with a fully soaring Devin. That does not mean the heaviness of our favorite genre is absent. It remains present in Townsend’s soul-searching journey through the darkness, but also in several thunderous passages. Make no mistake: an orchestra can hit hard. The orchestral storm in Prepare For War, for example, lands with considerable force, once again accompanied by a wonderfully scratching guitar contribution from Mike Keneally. We can almost see the troops marching past until, very briefly, a black-metal tempo emerges, after which one tempo change follows another. The Big Snit reaches a similarly intense level of heaviness, the kind so important to us metal fans. “And Jesus is learning the cause!” Just listen to that choir explode!
And so the Canadian wonder once again places a formidable challenge before us. The Moth is a work that, for me, will only gradually reveal all of its secrets over the coming years, during recurring periods in which I will play the album frequently because of all the beautiful melodies it contains, only to set it aside again because this is not a journey you will always want to undertake. Until curiosity draws you back once more, allowing you to immerse yourself in a sea of musicianship whose depths remain difficult to fathom. Well, sometimes a little courage is required. “And through it all we landed on our feet.”
Score:
90/100
Label:
InsideOutMusic, Hevy Devy Records, 2026
Tracklisting:
- Semi-Prologue
- War Beyond Words
- The Moth
- Ode To My Eye
- Enter The City
- Covered By Causes
- Lexin
- Runaways
- A Proxy For God
- The Mothers
- Orion
- Stay There
- Home At Night
- Intermission
- Lexin Returns
- The Clergy
- Prepare For War
- The Big Snit
- Silver Princess
- A Life In Review
- Metamorphosis
- Stained Hearts
- Let Go
- We Don’t Deserve Dogs
Line-up:
- Devin Townsend – Vocals, guitar
- Noord Nederlands Orkest – Instrumentation and choir
- Anneke van Giersbergen – Vocals
- Darby Todd – Drums
- Mike Keneally – Synthesizer, guitar
- James Leach – Bass guitar
- Lynn Wu – Vocals
- Aman Kohsla – Guitar
- Ben Searles – Synthesizer
- Morgan Ågren – Drums
Links: