Devin Townsend has never been a guy who just does 1 thing and sticks to it. The powerhouse singer and producer who is from Vancouver has built his career on not being predictable. Townsend’s ability to go from Straight Metal to regular rock is nothing short of incredible. Townsend has been all over the place from his early days being the lead in extreme metal and Strapping Young Lad and he’s had many solo opportunities as well with Ocean Machine and Lightwork. Devin is like that veteran who has been on every team in the league, but when he is on your team you love to have him. 

Now on Townsend’s most recent project “PowerNerd”, he returns to that crowd roaring loud and eccentric personality he’s had all these years. “PowerNerd”, is such a weird title, but it really feels like a representation of this album and Devin himself. This album and even its title celebrates what Townsend is a PowerNerd with his ability to go from metal to rock showing and also just being a student of the game like a nerd. The album itself is what he does, it is a fusion of genres bringing together all types of sounds and different levels of production. 

Tracks like “PowerNerd”, and “Knuckledragger”, showcase that ability that Devin has to be a high energy rocker kind of guy. While tracks like “Glacier”, and “Goodbye” show a kind of softer side of the music and a softer side of Devin. Something most people wouldn’t expect from a guy with his catalogue. This album is a relatively short one only having 11 songs, which seems like the new normal these days. I’m not complaining though the shorter these albums are the easier the listen and the easier you get to make your mind up if you like the artist or not.  

In PowerNerd, Devin Townsend presents an album that is more focused than some of his earlier crazier pieces. It also deeply reflects his identity as a musician, a creative thinker, and a “nerd” who has become a powerhouse like I said earlier. He’s got the power but he’s also a student of the game .This record invites both older generation fans and newcomers to explore his work in an easier way with this short, but memorable album.