2. April 2025
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Media Review

Devin Townsend – PowerNerd

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Devin Townsend - PowerNerd

Devin Townsend - PowerNerd
3.7

Rating

 3.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Unique, crazy blending of different rock, metal and pop sounds
  • Unique style
  • Entertaining album

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Sometimes, it is just pushing too much

52 year old Devin Townsend is in the metal music business since the late 1980’s. Between 1994 and 2007, he was a founding member and the primary songwriter of the extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad. However, he is releasing solo music since 1997 as well. On 25th October 2024, Townsend released his 22nd (!) solo album already, named PowerNerd. I had to have a listen to his music.

 

Devin Townsend – About The Artist

Devin Garrett Townsend was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, on 5th May 1972. Apart from Strapping Young Lad already mentioned, he was past of multiple other band projects. He is internationally very well reputed. For example, five of his albums made it to the (non-genre specific) Top 10 albums in Finland. However, he also had chart-toppers in the US Heatseekers charts and top placements in other countries.

 

Devin Townsend – PowerNerd – Track by Track

The eleven song album lasts 44 minutes.

1. PowerNerd

The titel track feels like a wake up call. No time to warm up for Devin Townsend, the Canadian goes for full metal energy from the very beginning. The song does not feel too smart or sophisticated, but is therefor producing a lot of fun. Maybe not the most characteristic song in his discography, but it does come with some nice potential.

2. Falling Apart

So it’s falling apart
Where the river goes and we must go again
Keep the tension under control…
You’re falling apart

No thrills, but a cool, atmospheric track, which is altering between rather quiet moments and episodes, which are perfect to brawl-a-long with Townsend. That’s about a short sum-up of Falling Apart, which also has this tiny element of fun and irony in it. The chorus is straight enough to enjoy from the very first listen.

3. Knuckledragger

Knuckledragger follows a similar concept. Due to very different sections of the song, the listen stays entertaining and catching. The chorus is a bit rougher than in the previous listen. The song also has an increased level of humor. Nice.

4. Gratitude

At the beginning, Gratitude rather feels like a mushy pop-rock track. The chorus, however, moves the soul of the song much more into the expected direction. At least, if you assume that there are expectations in a Devin Townsend album. Anything is possible. But he somehow turns that potpourri into an enjoyable listen.

5. Dreams of Light

I was initially a bit of confused about this mixture of a too present keyboard and some vocals in the back. But Dreams of Light is just a 54 second interlude track.

6. Ubelia

Sometimes, I just have to inspire my reviews by reviews from other websites. Uberlia has been a song which caused me to find the right words. I used the word potpourri before – this one is a mismatch of dream-pop, rock and synth sounds. And I just wonder about who might be a potential listener of this song. It is not that bad, but it feels (too) weird in the context of the album.

7. Jainism

After this episode of confusion, it is good that the next track is Jainism. The song is much straighter. Devin Townsend fans will like it, but even if you are rather into softer alternative rock and rock genres, you have an enjoyable time. This one also comes with a really good atmosphere.

8. Younger Lover

Anything is possible in the land of the PowerNerd. Thus, you should not be too surprised that Younger Lover welcomes you with a strumming acoustic guitar and a piano. While the stanzas feel like a strange cover version of an previously unreleased Simon & Garfunkel song, Townsend’s metal heart beats in the chorus.

9. Glacier

The acoustic guitar has quite some presence in Glacier again. Sometimes, the mixture of plushy pop and majestic metal works rather nicely in this album. In this ninth track, the spread is quite wide. Nonetheless, I cannot deny a little smile in my face during the listen.

10. Goodbye

Another song with really significant contrasts is Goodbye. Some of the changes between gentle sounds and heavy rock come so quickly that you almost start to frighten during the listen. However, once you get used to that, these almost six minutes are not too bad.

11. Ruby Quaker

And then, there is Ruby Quaker. The song at the end of Power Nerd is something very different. I would describe it as a mixture of country music and rock’n’roll. The topic? Coffee! The song is definitely quirky, not only in the context of the album. But it is also the most fun track of the album. The hard rock bridge turns it into something really weird, though.

Coffee, coffee I love the coffee
I love it so I drink it every day

 

Devin Townsend – PowerNerd – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Devin Townsend – PowerNerd – My View

Weird Al Yankovic is definitely not the weirdest musician in North America. Devin Townsend gives a lot of arguments for that during these eleven tracks of PowerNerd. The album is surprising, versatile, fun. But: it also comes with a downside. Sometimes, it is just pushing too much and rather feels random and confusing. Bad luck, there is much more potential in it.

Favorite Song: Ruby Quaker

 

Canadian Rock

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