Devin Townsend announces new studio album ‘PowerNerd’; video launched for title track

23rd August 2024 0 By Jon Deaux

POWERNERD – noun

A person of any gender who has, through tenacity and perseverance, turned what society may deem as a ‘weakness’ into a superpower.
A total fucking badass.
You.

Devin Townsend is pleased to announce the release of his forthcoming new studio album ‘PowerNerd’ on the 25^thOctober 2024 (InsideOutMusic). Devin Townsend’s career is one of many distinct eras. He’s been the leader of Strapping Young Lad, the lynchpin of the Devin Townsend Project and the co-architect of country duo Casualties of Cool, all while maintaining his prolific and lauded solo project. Now, the polymath’s newest era starts with ‘PowerNerd’.

“It was a conscious thing,” Devin says of his brand-new album, the music on which he wrote in just 11 days. “I thought, ‘I’ve spent so much time overthinking every aspect of my work – what would happen if I didn’t?’ Maybe I would have the opportunity to be a bit more direct with what it is that I’m trying to do. I really wanted to see if I could cut through some of the meandering.”

A song that embodies that, is the album’s title track (which features a guest spot from Jamey Jasta)

Stream the track and pre-order the album here: https://devin-townsend.lnk.to/PowerNerd

However, that aggression is far from the only thing to come from PowerNerd’s 11 episodic tracks. ‘Dreams of Light’, by comparison, is an evocative and dynamic four-minute ballad. ‘Younger Lover’ calms down from an explosive opening to lush verses of synths and singing, whereas ‘Falling Apart’ and ‘Jainism’ add texture after texture on top of dulcet, acoustic introductions.

Where PowerNerd’s music was written in less than a fortnight, its lyrics were refined over a far longer period of time into a narrative about strength and healing. On ‘Falling Apart’, Devin commands himself to “keep the tension under control”. “You’ve got to believe that things will only get better,” subsequent song “Gratitude” powerfully declares. These uplifting messages even play into the record’s title.

Devin offers as a definition: “I would say that a powernerd would be somebody that has a tendency that society has deemed weak or not valuable, whether that’s empathy or being an insular person or an introvert, and turns that into a type of personal power. It’s like, ‘OK, yeah, I’m sensitive to this, that and the other thing, but man, I am going to pull through! I am going to do things with that sensitivity that are rooted in strength.’”

‘PowerNerd’ will be available on several different formats, including a Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (featuring the album, bonus tracks and Devin’s first ever Dolby Atmos mix), Limited 2CD Digipak in O-card, Standard CD, Gatefold LP & Digital Album. The full tracklisting for the main album is as follows:

PowerNerd
Falling Apart
Knuckledragger
Gratitude
Dreams of Light
Ubelia
Jainism
Younger Lover
Glacier
Goodbye
Ruby Quaker

The album’s artwork was created by longtime collaborator Travis Smith, and can be seen below:

As well as express strength through adversity, PowerNerd will open the door to Devin’s immediate future. Its positivity and succinctness will soon be contrasted by follow-up The Moth – self-described as “orchestral, over-the-top, dark and uncomfortable” – and the “alien weirdness” of finale Axolotl. Both efforts have already been written, and together the trilogy will express the mind-boggling range of this man’s musical talent.

Acoustic tour dates Myles Kennedy:

Nov 25: Glasgow SWG3

Nov 27: Manchester Academy

Nov 29: Nottingham Rock City

Nov 30: Birmingham, O2 Academy

Dec 02: Cardiff, Great Hall

Dec 03: London O2 Forum Kentish Town

Tickets – https://hevydevy.com/tourdates/