The latest release, Z² (short for Ziltoid 2; pronounced "Zed squared") is a double album released on October 27, 2014. It consists of two albums released together: a Devin Townsend Project album, Sky Blue, and a "Ziltoid" concept album, Dark Matters, a sequel to Townsend's 2007 solo album Ziltoid the Omniscient. The main theme of the double album is, according to Townsend, "Ziltoid against the world".
The first album, Ki, was released in May 2009. For Ki, Townsend recruited veteran jazz drummer Duris Maxwell, local bassist Jean Savoie, and the former keyboardist for The Devin Townsend Band, Dave Young. Devin has also recruited Ché Dorval as an additional vocalist.
The second release was titled Addicted. Intended to be a heavy, simplistic, and straightforward rock album, it serves as the bridge from the quieter Ki to the expected zany metal tones of the album following it. The line-up for this album was Ryan Van Poederooyen (also a veteran of The Devin Townsend Band) on the drums, another member of the DTB Brian Waddell on the bass, and Anneke van Giersbergen (notable from The Gathering, Agua De Annique and Ayreon) on guest vocals.
There was an EP released in early 2011. It was only available online (free to download) and named European Tour EP. It featured five live songs, mostly consisting of material from Devin Townsend's solo albums. See more here: http://www.discogs.com/Devin-Townsend-Project-European-Tour-EP/release/2718333
The third and fourth albums were called Deconstruction (which features an array of notable metal musicians and vocalists) and Ghost. Deconstruction and Ghost were released on June 20th, 2011 for both.
Deconstruction features a number of prominent metal musicians as guest vocalists, including Mikael Åkerfeldt, Tommy Giles Rogers, Fredrik Thordendal, Paul Masvidal, Joe Duplantier, Greg Puciato, Ihsahn and other members, including the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Conversely, Ghost has a static lineup and "is the mellowest (by far) and prettiest record I've done so far" according to Townsend. The album features Katrina Natale, Mike St-Jean, Dave Young, and Kat Epple along with Townsend himself.
The fifth album, Epicloud, features the widest array of sound for the Devin Townsend Project. A full-length pop-metal album, akin to Addicted, Epicloud boasts 13 positive, in your face, pop-metal songs that distinguish Devin from the large majority of contemporary metal bands. Epicloud's line-up features no new musicians for Devin Townsend, and sees the return of Anneke Van Giersbergen on vocals, Ryan Van Poederooyan on drums, Brian Waddell on bass, and Dave Young on guitar and additional keyboards.
On January 31st 2018, Devin stated on his Facebook profile that the Devin Townsend Project was going on a 'break', while he focuses on a number of other projects he's working on.
Winter
Devin Townsend Project Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The opening line of the Devin Townsend Project's song Winter is a poignant reflection on the fragility of life and nature. It is a powerful statement that introduces the listener to a tale of sorrow and loss set against a backdrop of the cold winter months. The entire song is a metaphor for the human experience of heartbreak and the sense of isolation that often follows. The line "How in the world can the winter fall apart?" is particularly poignant, suggesting that even the most enduring forces of nature can crumble in the face of intense sorrow.
As the song progresses, Townsend's lyrics delve deeper into the emotions that arise when we lose someone we love. The imagery of snow and ice serve to underscore the feeling of numbness and emptiness that one can feel in the aftermath of a loss. The line "Can you hear it coming?" is particularly striking, evoking the suddenness with which tragedy can strike us, leaving us reeling and searching for answers. Yet despite the bleakness of the subject matter, there is a sense of catharsis and release in the song, as if by confronting these difficult emotions head-on we can begin to heal and move forward.
Overall, Winter is a haunting, beautifully crafted piece of music that speaks to the universal experience of grief and loss. Its combination of poetic lyrics and powerful musicality perfectly captures the complexity and depth of human emotion, offering a window into the workings of the soul.
Line by Line Meaning
How in the world can the winter fall apart?
How is it possible for the season of winter, which is typically known for its stability, to suddenly become tumultuous and chaotic?
Contributed by Katherine Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Midibri
Devin Townsend is the best musician alive right now.
nenissaK
Perhaps, but I have to mention Igorrr, Snarky Puppy, Caravan Palace, Tool, Opeth (kinda :D), Leprous, Animals As Leaders, Steven Wilson and Meshuggah. In case you could like them too c:
worldcitizengrendel
No doubt, even better than Steven Wilson, for sure more enjoyable and empathic.
Jacob
Best musician, period. Even the classical composers themselves would be astonished by what Devin has written over the years.
Neil coburn
This song always reminds me of my grandmother she died 2 years ago nearly and this just reminds me of the quiet little beach near her house, in the back oend of nowhere it was so secluded and tranquill.
Jamie Robinson
Thumbs up if you think Devin Townsend is a Genius!
Daniel Daigle
For a long period of my life I was obsessed with music. This past year I kind of fell out of the loop until I recently discovered Devin Townsend. Simply amazing.
silentphil
This album is surprisingly sparse and far more simple throughout than his previous releases, but I feel like there's some beauty to be found in its simplicity, and this song is a perfect example of that. I do miss the chaotic beauty of albums like Ocean Machine though.
SrDeMaFp
*Stands up and claps* You nailed what I'm thinking (shit, and feeling, for that matter!). Dev is expressing himself through his music vividly, that's a fucking difficult thing to do. When you hear a song that completely changes your mood and puts you in the same place as the artist, they have succeeded. Dev's music does that to me. The man's a true artist and I'm forever indebted to him for that.
daywalker137
Devin = all round talent !