Latest news with #PowerNerd
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Devin Townsend is taking an indefinite break from touring but promises 'dozens' of projects to come
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Devin Townsend has announced an 'indefinite' break from touring, advising anyone who is planning to see him onstage to come along to his forthcoming US dates. After that, well, it's vacation time. With the rising costs of touring, the logistics involved, and the amount of time spent away from his family, the prolific Canadian prog-metal guitar trailblazer released a statement, saying it was time to press pause. 'Over the years, I've heard it countless times: 'Dev, take a break… please.' But the flood of ideas, the excitement, and the support of incredible musicians and listeners have kept me going, kept me touring, and kept me grateful for a life on the road,' he writes. 'That said, things have changed – especially since the pandemic. Booking tours now means planning up to two years in advance. With fewer venues, fewer crews, and a saturated touring circuit, it's become more challenging than ever to line things up.' Townsend does not say how long he will be off-road for. But his upcoming dates in North America will be the only live shows in the foreseeable future. Those who can't make it could point can relive the live production of The Moth, Townsend's most ambitious – most audacious – work, and stream it in 4K UHD from On Air (priced £20.99), where it is available on demand until 28 May 2025. The Moth tells the story of life, from birth to death, and Townsend's performance of it in the Netherlands saw him accompanied by the NNO symphony orchestra and choir, plus his regular band featuring Mike Keneally, Darby Todd, and James Leach. That Netherlands show is and will be the only time he performs The Moth in its entirety. Townsend, however, will be back onstage. He just doesn't know when. Right now his priorities – familial and musical – are at home. 'Life has simply caught up with me,' he writes. 'My parents need help, my dogs are on their last legs, the kids have moved out, The Moth is nearly complete, and truthfully, I need some time to breathe and recalibrate.' And also he needs some time to devote to a the projects that have been pushed aside by Townsend's touring schedule, chief of which is The Ruby Quaker Show, a YouTube series to 'explore the dozens of creative ventures' that Townsend has prevaricated over. What sort of form will this take? All-sorts, says Townsend. There will be some weird stuff too. 'Albums, worlds, inventions, and strange, wonderful ideas I've postponed for years – now I'm making the time to bring them to life, without that familiar pressure of knowing I'll be gone again in a month,' he writes. Townsend's latest studio album, PowerNerd, is out now via Inside Out. His US dates start on 2 May in Nashville. See Devin Townsend for upcoming tour dates and ticket details.
CBC
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
'The Junos do their homework': Award nominations pay special attention to B.C.'s metal scene
British Columbia and the Juno awards are having a bit of a moment; the awards will be hosted in the western province this year by a B.C. artist, and local musicians make up about 13.5 per cent of the nominees — up from last year and impressive given that Ontario and Quebec typically dominate the music scene in Canada. But the province has seen a strong showing in a particular category that may surprise some: metal. Of the five nominees for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year, three are from B.C., and a fourth is from Edmonton. Remarkable, given that Montreal has long considered itself a hub for metal music; in 2019, the city declared itself a "city of excellence for heavy metal music." Joey Hawkin, who organizes two metal music festivals in B.C. each year, says he wasn't surprised at all to see Western Canada metal acts get a little love from the Junos. "B.C. has an incredible metal scene," he said. "There's always local shows going on you can go to. There's always local bands working really hard to get to the next level." Hawkin said the Junos have a good reputation, and the judges "know what they're talking about." "The winner of the metal award is decided on primarily by metalheads," he said. "The Junos do their homework." Vancouver's Anciients, which won Metal Album of the Year at the Junos in 2018, is up for the award again for their album Beyond the Reach of the Sun. "It's definitely always a surprise to be recognized on a national level," vocalist and guitarist Kenny Cook said. "When we're making albums, it's never with thoughts of winning an award in mind. We're very honoured to be recognized." Fellow nominees Spiritbox, also up for Group of the Year, hail from Victoria. They were nominated for metal album and breakthrough group in 2022. Their album The Fear of Fear earned them this year's nomination. "When we were kids growing up in Canada, some of our favourite Canadian bands were nominated for Junos, and it was always such a huge deal," said guitarist Mike Stringer. "When I was in high school I was voted most likely to win a Juno, and I've been nominated a couple years ago, but I've never won. We'll see if they were right." Vocalist Courtney LaPlante said it's exciting to see music that isn't mainstream get recognized. "Some pretty-out-there heavy and metal acts have been nominated for major awards, and that's very inspiring to us." The third B.C.-based Juno-nominee in the metal category is musician Devin Townsend of New Westminster for his album PowerNerd. He's been making all kinds of music for decades and won the award in 2015. Nominees from outside B.C. in Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year include Edmonton's Kittie and Striker of London, Ont. Listen to the B.C. nominees below. WATCH | The title track from Devin Townsend's PowerNerd: WATCH | The music video for Jaded, off Spiritbox's The Fear of Fear: WATCH | Anciient's Forbidden Sanctuary, from their album Beyond the Reach of the Sun:
