DEVIN TOWNSEND

LIVE IN TORONTO

On this blessed day of May 14, 2025 us metalheads of Toronto are given a gift to remember. As the legend himself, Devin Townsend, makes a long overdue stop in our city. Never mind the Leafs playoffs, Hevy Devy is in town, and the 2,400 capacity Queen Elizabeth Theatre is quite full. With all of these overly stacked bills rolling in recently, this one is the opposite, only two bands. Good enough, I’ve never seen either live. I find a spot on the floor, and to my delight, a sloped floor! Hell yes, great view, off to a good start.

TESSERACT

Tesseract has the honour of opening the night. About 30 seconds into the set, I understand why this band has earned their place on this tour. The rhythms are intricate; drummer Jay Postones navigates them effortlessly, and with groove! His hand technique dances over the kit, while the guitars and bass lock in precisely. The sound is perfect. Daniel Tompkins’ vocals add the polishing lacquer over the raging sea of music beneath, dreamy singing, switching to growls back and forth seamlessly. The band reminds me of a modern-day version of Incubus. I wonder if they were an influence on them.

A few songs in and the set takes a turn. Bassist Amos Williams, up until now shrouded in a mysterious cloak, removes it to reveal what looks like a leather tank top. And not a moment too soon as the band goes into ‘Sacrifice’, now I know what a progressive metal ballad sounds like. The singer is breaking out some synced dance motions as well. Halfway through, Williams steps up to the front with a slap-bass break! Best thing is that it’s all working, powerful tune and a highlight of the set for me. My attention wanes until towards the end of the set, Tompkins showcasing some high pitched seagull-like screams (is there anything this guys can’t do?), and a slit-throat motion on the closing song to get the pit going strong for the finale. “Make sure you cheer 10 times louder for Devin Townsend” as they sign off.

Killer set. And they’ve done their job of warming up the crowd for Devin. The legend is up next!

DEVIN TOWNSEND

I don’t know how I’ve evaded seeing Devin Townsend in the past. I’ve listened to him since the early Strapping Young Lad days, and have enjoyed much of his ‘solo’ work. I admit there’s a high expectation; I’ve seen the live videos, and Devin’s reputation as a live performer precedes him. He comes out exactly as imagined, all smiles, all gratitude, and jokes strewn throughout the set. But the band isn’t what I expected; this is a new era of his career. This isn’t the big production of Live at Albert Hall. Is that David Gilmour on guitar? Nope, but he shreds, doing double duty on both guitar and keys. Bassist James Leach (from Sikth) fills in the sound while looking completely bored. “It is so nice to have these guys playing this stuff RIGHT”, says Townsend later in the set. They surely did, but I must say there’s something about a hired band that feels different. Good on Devin for not compromising on his creative journey, I get it, but it comes with its consequences.

Drummer Darby Todd does a good job of playing the Strapping stuff, and it grows on me throughout the set. And what about Devin! Well. I had heard the rumours of his voice not being in great shape on this particular day (we are near the end of their tour after all), and that is quickly apparent in the first couple of songs. “My voice is a little fucked up if you can help with this verse” admits Townsend as the crowd graciously complies. Despite all, his vocals are pretty good! Just a bit quiet, maybe being a little cautious. The good news is that it gets better, much better. Only Devin would be able to pull off playing a 14-song set with a rough voice and actually improving as it goes! After a mix of career-spanning tunes and Strapping material, Devin hits the audience with ‘Deep Peace’, ‘By Your Command’ and ‘Bastard’. By the time we get to ‘Why?‘ he is sounding mint. This is the Devin I’ve come to know. He shouts out Toronto multiple times, giving his thanks during ‘Gratitude’, he assures us we won’t be seeing him again for a long while, but it doesn’t feel like goodbye forever, thankfully.

They finish strong and after a parody walk-off return for a 2-song encore, closing the night magnificently. As the house lights turn on he goes up the entire front of the barricade, giving personal thanks to all. What a guy. We are truly blessed to be alive during the same time as Devin Townsend.