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Review: Devin Townsend Project, Colston Hall
Three hours of magnificent prog-metal at the Colston Hall? Bring it on! As we discovered at the Fleece back in October 2015, Norway’s Leprous are a really extraordinary live band. For Devin Townsend to bring them along as his opening act is either a sign of extreme confidence or abject foolhardiness. Dressed in black but defiantly non-metal in the tonsorial department, with keyboard player/vocalist Einar Solberg centre stage as usual, they waste not a second of their brief slot with six lengthy songs drawn mostly from current album, The Congregation.
It’s a highly effective way of setting out their melodic prog-metal stall to punters who may not have come across them before, with Solberg showcasing both his extraordinary vocal range and impressive ability to headbang and play keyboards simultaneously. The Price gets a huge cheer of recognition, suggesting that many here are at least familiar with what we used to call the single, and they conclude with a tremendous The Slave – all furious complexity and stunning choral vocals. New fans won. Job done.
is needed now More than ever
In the great Venn diagram of rock, Brits TesseracT have cunningly positioned themselves at the djenty overlap of math metal and prog-metal, appealing to audiences both hairy/uncool and beardy/hip. For a while, their main claim to fame was changing vocalists on an almost weekly basis. Now they seem to have settled on Daniel Tompkins, who’s enjoying his second stint with the band.
It’s a wise move given their decision to drop harsh vocals altogether, as Tompkins is perfectly well equipped to handle the more melodic path that TesseracT have now chosen to tread without compromising their musical sophistication. It’s this more mature work that they showcase tonight, delivering exactly the kind of ferociously well-drilled set that will take them to the next level.
“Are you ready for an evening of nerdy prog-metal?” demands Devin Townsend, tongue lodged firmly in cheek as usual. Hey – we’re already having one, thanks, but you’re more than welcome to join us. The Colston is packed for Hevy Devy’s biggest ever Bristol show, but it’s a more stripped-back affair than his previous DTP gig at the O2 Academy. Gone are the projections, posing podiums and huge jets of fog, with just a Transcendence cover art backdrop and straightforward if effective lighting. Creatively restless Devy’s stated intention this time was deliver a career-spanning set shaped as an exploration of the troubled psyche of a 44-year-old white Canadian male (i.e. Devin himself). High concept, huh? But it kind of works, taking us on a journey that pivots abruptly from the euphoric Where We Belong to the crushing, oppressive heaviness of Planet of the Apes, featuring that big black Flying V.
There are crowd faves aplenty too, from Hyperdrive to Supercrush! and the fab, oompah-ish March of the Poozers, which bring a huge grin of joy to every face in the hall, its many pleasures including Ryan Van Poederooyen’s inventive drum fills. Indeed, Devin’s Project have now been together far longer than originally projected, with guitarist Dave Young, lavishly bearded bassist Brian Waddell and keyboard player Mike St-Jean delivering a note-perfect recreation of their employer’s distinctive wall-of-sound recording technique.
Perma-gurning Devy remains an engaging metal frontman like no other, constantly trying to shut himself up as he gives logorrheic voice to his rib-tickling internal monologue. Who else would expound at length on his ‘tiny Canadian penis’? (It’s “like an uncooked prawn,” he over-shares.) Spotting a huddle of blokes waving Ziltoid glove puppets at him (it’s a Devin thing), he remarks, not unreasonably, that “grown men wearing glove puppets is a sign the end times are upon us.” And when one fella is overcome with adoration, Devin quips: “I love you too, buddy, in a totally platonic, non-giving-you-a-blowjob way.”
As usual, he makes fun of the absurd encore ritual (“We’re not coming back. Goodnight and fuck off!”), returning alone for an absolutely gorgeous acoustic Ih-Ah!, which sounds even better than when he performed it at the Trinity on his solo tour. The rest of the Project then troop back on to leave us on a high with, er, Higher – the great “don’t let the bastards grind you down” anthem from Transcendence. Chalk up another triumph for the wacky Canadian with the big mouth and little willy.
All photos by Mike Evans
Read more: Metal & Prog Picks: March 2017
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