Whether it’s writing ambient art projects, alternative space country albums, and ambitious conceptual tetralogies, or dreaming up stories about an alien obsessed with finding the universe’s ultimate cup of coffee, the one thing of which Canadian prog metal pioneer Devin Townsend can never be accused is musical inertia.
Devin Townsend – photo credit Tom Hawkins
A conceptual piece which relays the story of the human experience from birth to death, The Moth (InsideOut Music) follows the record’s protagonist on a quest to find some kind of meaning amongst all of life’s challenges, neuroses, and general existential dread. A cognitive and physical metamorphic transformation influenced by, among other things, the musicals and rock operas of the seventies and eighties, such as Jesus Christ Superstar and The Phantom of the Opera.
The journey begins with “Semi-Prologue,” a soothing intro comprised of gentle strings and choral backing, Devy’s voice growing stronger as the music becomes increasingly insistent. “War Beyond Words” follows with a playful bassline and pure sci-fi drama, eschewing any real traditional structure, building more like waves that eventually crash against the rocks.
The title track is a tranquil interlude which moves into movie score territory similar to “Ode to My Eye” which reaches a crescendo with the pure rock opera madness of “Enter the City.” “Covered by Causes” opens like symphonic death metal but quickly shifts to gentle vocals and quietly plucked strings. Clocking in at over eight minutes, this is the longest cut on the album, but it could just as easily have been five different songs for the amount of changes it goes through.
“Lexin” boasts a slow, lurching science fiction riff punctuated by shrill screeches and s prog effects. “Runaways” covers a lot of ground in under a minute, while “A Proxy for God” is total orchestral metal melodrama ending with Devy screaming his lungs out. Then there’s “The Mothers” – a bizarre operatic waltz sort of like Dmitri Shostakovich having a cheese dream about Middle Eastern caterpillars. Don’t look at me like that. You know what you signed up for.
Like the album as a whole, “Orion” does basically everything everywhere all at once. Contemporary beats play alongside strings, brass, synths, female vocals and… a chicken. Quite possibly a fun reference to how a young Devin developed his vocal fry technique by screaming at poultry in a walk-in freezer. Or maybe just because he wanted a chicken in there.
“Stay There” and “Home at Night” are more sumptuous rock opera moments, the latter blessed with one of the best vocal performances on the record. “Intermission” is all atmospheric ambience, while “Lexin Returns” is the same but with added female vocals. “The Clergy” has a moody and dark Jerry Goldsmith vibe, which carries over into the symphonic prog metal adventure of “Prepare for War,” while “The Big Snit” hits you with a massive chuggy riff, like Fleshgod Apocalypse took Pantera’s “Domination” and vomited a space opera all over it.
The upbeat insanity of “Silver Princess” changes into the oncoming storm of “A Life in Review” before “Metamorphosis” arrives as an ascending amorphous cloud of swirling instruments. “Stained Hearts” could have been taken from Epicloud with “Let Go” serving as its outro before the record finally comes to rest with the climactic breath of “We Don’t Deserve Dogs.”
Featuring vocalists Anneke van Giersbergen and Lynn Wu, guitar virtuoso Steve Vai also lends his services to the project, along with further contributions from guitarists Mike Keneally and Aman Khosla. Drummer Darby Todd and bass player James Leach make up the rhythm section, with the symphonic orchestrations and choral backing coming courtesy of the Noord Nederlands Orkest Orchestra.
A sprawling and gloriously overblown masterpiece, The Moth is both a perfectly formed jigsaw puzzle and a galaxy of bewildering contradictions. Laser-focused with a surgical eye for detail one moment, wandering off into side missions and Monty Python territory the next. Simply put, it’s the best intimate, extrovert, self-reflective, and wildly flamboyant ear-shattering explosion of peace and tranquillity this year.
Buy the album here:
https://dvn.lnk.to/TheMoth
10 / 10
GARY ALCOCK
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