This is why you’re great too, I think you’re FINALLY the first reactor to point out how off the crowd were with the clapping and Devin’s comment on to “pick a tempo” 😂😂

@ChaseCarneson

4 жыл бұрын

Love this guy's personality.

@sapiensesciencecerveau2523

Жыл бұрын

I must second that... I rank the quality of the reaction videos by this moment.* This was S-Tear 🥺 * I have played in things from improvised jams to orchestra and I basically anyone who has experienced the need to pick a tempo can relate to this joke. I noticed that subtelty first time I watched this show, seems obvious to me... But not people who are not musicians. Thanks for letting them see that coming too !

Please do some more of Devin, I totally get that everyone wants deadhead and kingdom, but there is just so much more to his discography that is more rarely reacted to and is in my opinion more interesting.

@dubsfehr9574

4 жыл бұрын

Agreed!! March of the Poozers!!

@Esmeagolly

4 жыл бұрын

Dubs Fehr that is actually my favorite song. It always make me so happy

@jez_77

4 жыл бұрын

The Death of Music

@glassmasterflash

4 жыл бұрын

The Funeral.

@werewolf2003002

4 жыл бұрын

@@dubsfehr9574 Was going to suggest this as well!

Please hear Devin Townsend together with Anneke sing “Grace” from the Retinal Circus [orginal promo video] It’s awesome, one of the BEST.

@Acidbather

4 жыл бұрын

Yep, please do so! Everyone always goes to Deadhead after Kingdom and I rarely see anyone make it to Grace these days. Such a great performance!

@lisettefeenstra4240

4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely!!

@domc2909

4 жыл бұрын

Grace is fantastic

@jeremyhicks4522

4 жыл бұрын

Been trying to get him to react to Anneke! Mostly been asking for The Gathering - Travel Live, but i'll take anything! Maybe even the duet with Sharon....

@mariiiioh

4 жыл бұрын

Yes!!!!

As soon as you mentioned the clapping off time, I smiled in anticipation for you to get to the "pick a tempo" part haha.

@ChaseCarneson

4 жыл бұрын

He's such a character. Love his personality

@braindedpxl

4 жыл бұрын

Same! I grinned pretty wide...lol

@kodywatts6886

4 жыл бұрын

Me to As soon as he mentioned it i thought finally someone whose gonna get the joke 😂

Soooo relaxing! Exactly what I need right now. This song somehow reminds me of Minerva from Deftones. Same vibe 😌

@bonek350

4 жыл бұрын

It does have the same vibe as Minerva. Good call.

Fantastic insight and music IQ, my friend. I know this is old, but I hope you have gone down a Devin rabbit hole a few times. He's a huge compliment to any day you want to feel alive.

Goosebumps? Emotion? Vocals to blew your mind? A song emotionally will send you to some places? The Death Of Music from the Royal Albert Hall show. You will cry (probably not, but i did, almost every time i listen to that song i cry) and to mention, this was a 3h concert, he was with the flu (i guess) and the Death of Music was one of the last songs! You will not regret it!

Chase, the guitar Devy used here was Framus Stormbender, open tuning with high gain. The song just felt alive given the simplicity of the melodies. And you were right, he used a lot of reverb in his tones. Your reaction at 14:44 😆 if that didn't get your bum off your chair.

@monstercookies2726

4 жыл бұрын

"Alive". That's exactly what I thought of when it comes to high gain guitar tones. It's huge-sounding. Not sure if he was using his own signature Framus guitar here.

@juliettemcgee9055

4 жыл бұрын

@@monstercookies2726 I think it was custom-made for him, this one and the V-style 7-string he used in March of the Poozers performance.

@monstercookies2726

4 жыл бұрын

@@juliettemcgee9055 That 7 string baritone was a beast!

@scottishross91

4 жыл бұрын

@@juliettemcgee9055 It is a custom made one but I don't believe it went into production. It's not the Stormbender though, that's grey and red. His new Stormbender that's rainbow coloured is a breathtaking design.

Higher by Devin Townsend!!! I have a feeling you will absolutely LOVE it

Devin Townsend - The Death Of Music Live at Royal albert, All the goosebumps you need.

It's like we were all on a nice, leisurely stroll, at our own tempo. And then a large lion strolls up and roars at us for a bit. In a friendly, non threatening Canadian sort of way. 😂 That was fun!

I agree with sound engineers being like an extra band member. First time I saw Devin live it was easily one of the best sounding gigs I've been to. It was also by far the loudest.. It was a nice surprise to see a female sitting behind the FOH Desk. Lisa Affenzeller. Incredible live sound engineer

15:41 Devin is a master at screaming and he does it for a couple of decades, he is not damaging anything and its not intense at all.... he just makes faces for the show... his throat is actually really relaxed at all times

Hes what I call music with emotion. I was fortunate enough to see him live with out knowing he was opening act to Avatar. Simply magical

I'd love you to do the three in a row awesomeness of Funeral, Bastard and Death Of Music. He did them as a fan request at the end of this concert. Absolutely blew us away. Funeral is one of my favourites of his, Bastard is amazing, while Death of Music is him singing without his guitar (with the rest of the band though) stripped back, emotional, vulnerable, angry and incredible. All three songs are off the album Ocean Machine which is one of the first albums I ever really fell in love with.

@War624

4 жыл бұрын

The Live at the Plovdiv was a great show, where the second half was the entirety of Ocean Machine.

Really glad you did this one, Chase! Don't know much about this drummer, but agree that he is really good....they're all good! As others have said, Bastard and Death of Music from this same concert, are excellent, and the official video of Stormbending, also very good. Any of the songs he's done with Anneke Van Giersbergen are gold! Cheers for another great video!

Ah, Devy.... ❤️❤️❤️ He's had my heart since SYL days, and still does. I very much on board for any and all future Devin Townsend reactions. Thanks again for your insights Chase!

Brings me back to my 20s.. fun times . Loved the version on the accelerated dvd

I'm a simple man. I see Chase reacting to Devin, I hit the Like button. Please react to Supercrush! (Live version is best, with Anneke)

@ChaseCarneson

4 жыл бұрын

😂🙏👌

@nissyenarts

4 жыл бұрын

You should totally do Supercrush. So so good! Live version of course. 🙃

@thepuckmonkey

4 жыл бұрын

One of my favorite devy songs

@thepuckmonkey

4 жыл бұрын

The ending 🔥

The way you appreciate the beauty of this song will make you love "Death of Music" also from the Royal Albert Hall recording or in Plovdiv. Both are awesome..

I'm so glad that you finally managed to upload this video without being blocked .... and as always a great and interesting song analysis. thank you very much for your work.

Been looking forward to this ever since you did kingdom, amazing breakdown as always bud, such a great song and i always appreciate tracks that little more after your insight, keep up the good work 🤘

Chase, you're early today. I thought you mentioned before this one got blocked. I'm always intrigued by the palm-muting technique you mentioned earlier. This was definitely a straightforward piece and quite repetitive, yet effective and definitely monstrous live. Someone told me Devy himself was involved in the final mixing of this live recording. Thanks for this. Great one! Have a damn good day ✊

@ChaseCarneson

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah was blocked, but disputed it so restrictions lifted for now. Glad you enjoyed.

@LuiWallentinGttler

4 жыл бұрын

Without knowing it: Devin most likely was pretty heavily involved, because he's the one who designed this (wall of) sound for himself. So it would surprise me, if he didn't get his mits on the knobs ... so to speak.

@kcfacademy2496

4 жыл бұрын

@@LuiWallentinGttler Very likely indeed, if anyone is interested how he does it (in the studio) he's done quite a few videos on the subject for example this one kzread.info/dash/bejne/aoCmtqRyeqmofag.html

Listening to this song always brings me downright to tears, there's just so much emotion and energy here it's incredible. Thank you for all your insightful takes and breakdowns of all the videos you react to, you're one of the most musically versed reactors I've seen on this site, keep doing what you're doing my friend! \m/

@ChaseCarneson

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much. Promise we're only just getting started.

@matteblacke4635

4 жыл бұрын

@@ChaseCarneson yessir thank you. I'm checking out your bands stuff today as well man, as a musician myself I have the utmost respect for you

@matteblacke4635

4 жыл бұрын

@@ChaseCarneson oh shit before I forget this too. You should definitely react to a band called Archspire, their songs like Remote Tumor Seeker or Involuntary Doppelgänger are on the top tier there

Again and again I'm really impressed how fast and precise you can analyse a song. It's so refreshing to have somebody from whom you can still learn something. Just thank you!

You know, you are my absolute favorite music reactor because you can actually give a musician's perspective on the entire performance, not just the vocals, and you aren't over the top hyped up trying to freak out at every little thing just to seem blown away by everyone's favorite artist. When you are blown away by something it is genuine, and it shows. I appreciate that because so many reactors just seem like they are almost mocking the audience by how much "WOW!! AMAZING!! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" that goes on in every single video.

The song Bastard from the same concert, it has a very hypnotic riff. You can only get that tone with a massive stack (not 2 cabs but more like 8 or 10).That wall of sound is Devin's signature thing, a lot of his music is multi layered like that. at least on these last few records, Honesly I have not heard much of his earlier stuff he was also in a band called Strapping young lad...

A lot of his guitar playing makes me think of ROBIN TROWER. Way back in the 70s ,yes I was around back then.

What a stunning performance, truly dream-like; Devin is so damn good! The difference between his "Strapping Young Lad" days and now are immense, I'm glad my brother introduced me to his music some 7 years ago! Thanks for another great reaction! ^_^

Wow, it's amazing to hear someone put so much insight into music you enjoy, great content.

FINALLY!!!! This whole concert is amazing. He also played here one of my favourite songs, Bastard. I also recommend Stormbending (great music video) and Why, from his latest album.

You pretty much nails this Chase, thank you!I get goose bumps every time I listen to this song. The power, the presence, the passion... Devin has it all. I think Devin mixes his own stuff even on live settings, hence the killer sound stage. Also, fry screaming in tune is not an easy task. :D

@ChaseCarneson

4 жыл бұрын

It certainly isn't easy. Thanks for watching and supporting.

Now, who's going to tell him that Devin had a cold there?

Tons of reverb and echo. Dev loves that stuff

Chase ~ Loved the NW reaction yesterday & I'm betting most of the Army are as excited to watch/hear you react to the Greatest Show on Earth as you are. Enjoyed this reaction, as always. I wish I could have you teach me everything you know about music!! (P.S. Have a damn good day!)

You know music. You know when to pause. You see what's going on and explain it. And when you stopped to comment about the audience not clapping in time, right before Devin says: "Pick a tempo"... that's the mind of a musician at work. Listening to you is a pleasure!

Got to see him in Houston right before the covid stuff locked everything down. It was a great show, he commands the stage.

@monstercookies2726

4 жыл бұрын

Lucky you. His LA show got postponed.

@bknight3391

4 жыл бұрын

I was at that show too. First time seeing him live, and it was definitely one of the best concert experiences I've ever had.

@War624

4 жыл бұрын

Damn. That tour got postponed literally the week I was going to see him, Haken and The Contortionist in Baltimore. Then it was going to be KSE, Light the Torch and August Burns Red that weekend. Needless to say, I was devastated.

Really brings Pink Floyd to mind. The riff obviously but also the atmospheric vibe.

There’s over 20 years of Devin music out there. More than enough for you to react to, any live performance at Plovdiv is an amazing one.

Saw him play this in Toronto in February. Devin uses open c tunings often. CGCGCE. I love switching to that tuning every now and then. It opens up a whole different way of playing when you are in a rut. Also a Devin and Anneke song is in order. Grace, Numbered or Ih Ah or all great

Thanks, Chase!! I didn't realize you did Kingdom before, I love both reactions. Thanks for not only commenting on the vocals - I get it, they're something else - but also on the instrumentation and the whole songwriting. If you want to see more of the 'creative packaging" of his music, look at the music video to "Genesis". Really fun to react to!

Chase, if you EVER have the chance to see this guy perform live, DO IT!! I don't regularly listen to his music, but I've seen him live 3x now and they are by far the most entertaining and just overall best shows I've seen live. His stage persona is just so charismatic and fun.

The Death of Music at Royal Albert Hall should be your next Devin reaction. It’s just a stunning emotional roller coaster. Great reaction!!

I really enjoyed your reaction. Devin is Perfection. Very technical and has a great connection with the audience. He did this 2 hour concert with a cold. It's almost a haunting melody. Devin only works with the best musicians.

Fantastic Reaction

awe chase! lekker man!

Would love to see Devin and Tatiana play a game of vocal "Horse" together

@davguev

4 жыл бұрын

They would complement each other, since they have entirely different ways of screaming. Tatiana tries to emulate the Devil, while Devin tries to do a heavily distorted melody.

@mootkickee

4 жыл бұрын

Don’t compare her to a legend

@War624

4 жыл бұрын

Love the Ziltoid profile picture!

Grace from the Retinal Circus. So good

Devin is amazing, the band is amazing. So much talent

Same gig. Last song Universal Flames. Or March of the Poozers. Love them both. Or move onto Casualties of cool mountaintop with Che. Or willy wanka from empty if you want to see him really play. Great reaction though as always.

@SpamJavelinIV

4 жыл бұрын

EMGTv not empty. Damn auto correct.

@des_o7935

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah the Casualties of Cool Dunlop session was so well done. kzread.info/dash/bejne/eIiLkrefXZaacqQ.html

Funeral and also the song failure from the same concert are breathtaking. No need to review, just enjoy at your own leisure.

He’s so fucking good, he can punk his own audience….

I'm so glad you managed to get it unblocked. Thanks a lot Chase, you made my day for sure! My favorite song right now is Higher, from the Plovdiv concert. You say it's a pretty simple melody/sections which is simply gorgeous, close your eyes and drift away... He has some weird/more complex stuff too if you want to check out Devin on the different end of the spectrum. He's got a ton of different styles, never a boring moment. Genesis (official vid), The mighty masturbator, deconstruction from the top of my head. Note, the last 2 has videos on youtube that get out of sync after a while unfortunately but still an experience

@Zhgarr

4 жыл бұрын

BTW, not sure how suitable the last 2 I mentioned are for reactions. Either you'd end up making an hour long reaction because so much is happening, or you'd end up giving up after a few minutes and just going for the ride, lol. Genesis is a nicer one, going through a bunch of his different styles in 1 song.

Nice one, Chase. The RAH performance was 2 sets back to back. The first was Ziltoid 2, Dev's second gonzo rock opera thingy. The second set was voted for by the fans. Check out March of the Poozers from the first part and the show closer Universal Flame. (Maybe the copyright nazis will let you put them up as well!)

Devin is the master of the wall of sound. Also, he was getting over a cold at the time of this concert, interestingly enough. Please check out Stormbending, Bastard, or Death of Music next! They are all AMAZING songs!

@allenhuling598

4 жыл бұрын

+1 for all three of these!!

Hey boiiiii Wonderful video as always, Devin Townsend also has other projects, for example strapping young lad. But I would recommend some in flames finally :D maybe December flower

Thank you for finally doing more Devin. The man is my personal God. And I don't know if it's coincidence or not that you used the phrase "wall of sound" while describing the performance, but that's a term us Hevy Devy fans use to describe his music. Because he is famous for being such an amazing song writer who creates a wall of sound in all his music. There's so much to hear in his work, yet somehow he never muddies the waters and every part has its place. Highly recommend the golden trio next. It'd be a long ass video, but worth it. It's the three songs "Funeral, Bastard, Death of Music". I suggest watching the live performances of them from either this Royal Albert Hall show or his one from Plovdiv where he played the entire Ocean Machine album. Those 3 songs go together in a way, as they're all on his debut album Ocean Machine, in that same order at the end of the album. But those 3 songs pretty much sum up Devin and his music and what made us all fall in love with him to begin with.

I can't wait for more baby metal 😁 love your breakdowns

this song is trance inducing

Great comments as usual Mr. Chase. A pleasure.

"March of the Poozers" is still my favorite Devin song :) .. but he has done a lot of great stuff, and he is exceptional live (seen him twice).

Came because of the Sleep Token reactions, stayed for your commentary and musical input. Loving your channel dude and truly happy you checked this out. That ending when he hits that note just touches the soul 🙌🏽

@ChaseCarneson

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the support and yes, he just smashed it out the park at the end there.

Huge Devin fan here. As much as I love Kingdom and Deadhead, I wish people would look at other songs. Between his solo work, DTP, DTB, Strapping Young Lad, and Casualties of Cool, he has such a big range of styles that people aren't seeing by only checking these two songs.

Devin Townsend is the proof of aliens living among us. What a performer, you should travel on his albums, is such an experience.

Hey man, so I came across your channel today and ended up watching heaps. You really reminded me that I need to actually listen to music properly more often, instead of just having it on as background noise to everything, it really brought my musical itch to start playing again. It'd be dope if you could do a reaction to a band called Northlane, they're an aussie Djent band, preferably the track Quantum Flux from the album Singularity, or if you fancy something slightly more soundscape-y Rot from the album Node which features the new vocalist.

Can't wait for another Opeth reaction :)

Gotta check out Stormbending by Devin. Amazing song!

When you do more Devin Townsend stuff, please look at The Death Of Music live from Plovdiv in 2017, I was actually at the show and that performance is one that I will never forget.

Some might disagree with me on this, but genesis by Devin is one of my favorite tracks by him, and I would love to see your analysis of it

@ToddlerAnnihilator666

4 жыл бұрын

evermore for me. whole empath album is awesome tho.

@JUMBOpin

4 жыл бұрын

TERRIBLE

Please do some of his stuff from when he was in Strapping Young Lad - especially something off of City, like Detox.

Since you seem like you enjoy his humor, Devin Townsend's Planet Smasher might be something you'd appreciate. The speech and lyrics are fun and light (and not as demonstrative of his singing prowess as songs like Deadhead), but the way he crafts the entire musical composition and fits it around the concept described in the spoken parts of the song... it's so heavy and I'd love to see what you think of it. Edit: Just thought to mention you might want to look up the Ziltoid the Omniscient album up on Wikipedia to get the context. This album was entirely, 100% written and performed by Townsend.

Terrific as always, and a welcome distraction from the horrors of the pandemic. I would really like to see you react to the live version of Devin performing Supercrush with Anneke van Giersbergen: it's a terrifically interesting song, and nice to see Devin interacting with fans and with the band in a more intimate club gig.

Devy is great with interaction in his fan and crowd. I love his personaliti and his powerful voice. That song is simple but awesome. Try version this song from Plodiv show (for Yourself). Thank You for this reaction and analise. Take care about Yourself.

Another great reaction, i think you would really appreciate listening to the death of music recorded at the RAH too, a lot to get into

Trying to get the worm,, you early bird? Enjoy the rest of the weekend, Chase!

Nice another Canadian!

@ChaseCarneson

4 жыл бұрын

I might need citizenship before this is all over haha

@dmacpher

4 жыл бұрын

Chase Carneson haha - head to the west coast! As a commonwealth citizen it should be easy :D

Every time this channel showcases Devin, I'm reminded of André Matos, his power, his playfullness, the raw talent...

@sophuz

4 жыл бұрын

Andre is awesome in his own way, but like 5 steps or more below Devin

@luisnunes2010

4 жыл бұрын

@@sophuz Five steps above André is not even a thing. Not even Tuomas hit that altitude, be serious, ffs...

I liked this before I watched it - I regret nothing

Check out the band he was in Strapping Young Lad. Id Recommend "Love?", "Almost Again", and "We Ride".

Well done for getting it unblocked!! ... Grace from the retinal circus with Anneke and The death of music from Royal albert hall, for the goosebumps, should both be on your list. Then the studio version of WHY ... watch a live version after (Paris or Houston) if you want Dev in full Disney mode having fun just for your own enjoyment!!

Great analysis Chase, it's nice to see a guitarist deconstruct Devin's stuff as I know it's technical (he's a prog person duh) but I know nothing about what makes him special aside from 'it sounds good' because I'm not a guitarist. The bit where you said 'you just want to close your eyes and drift away' describes perfectly my experience of Devin live and that pick a tempo bit always makes me laugh too. He's a great and responsive showman. Re: his voice. Devin's said in interviews (see here for example: kzread.info/dash/bejne/oGmsj5iNk5S9eso.html) that he was told by vocal coaches that if he kept singing the way he does he'd loose his voice but still hasn't. Watching the Royal Albert Hall concert was what got me into Devin. I love the performance of Universal Flame from the RAH and would love to hear you react to some of his more upbeat work like that song, hell seeing you react to March of the Poozers or Bad Devil (Poldiv performance!) would be hilarious. I know they were filming during his Roundhouse 2019 gig and if you can react to any of that it would be great. Devin said he picked session musicians who he loved to jam with so you'll get aspects of the songs that you don't hear in any other performance and it is an absolute DELIGHT to the ears.

This is part way into the 2nd set list of the night. The first was a full play through of a new album with very heavy singing/screaming. Also if you didn’t know he plays in Open C and Open B tuning and had lessons with Steve Vai which is where Devin learned the “wanky” guitar playing (solos. As Devin calls them)

Brilliant ! Efficiency through symplicity! Down the Rabbit hole Please... Stormbending official is great top. Or Higher live in Plovdiv, or actually everything they do! 😄

@marcfischer5235

4 жыл бұрын

Or Ki, by a thread live, If you like SICK arpeggios...

Devin truly mastered that particular type of harsh vocals to a great effect. Floor from Nightwish was featured on one of DTP´s albums. And he contributed to one of the songs by her previous band ReVamp. I would like to recommend Epica - The Obsessive Devotion (OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO) OR Epica - The Essence Of Silence (OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO) ---- whichever´s name sounds more interesting to you.

If you want a behind the scene look about this RAH concert, you can check this out: kzread.info/dash/bejne/famcpauvl9i7oKw.html He explains a lot about stages musicians go through in building up their career in the first half of the vid, and the actual RAH setup after. He's quite the storyteller. Music wise, not a lot of spoilers, he does explain the theme for this concert

If you want an "experience" then watch The Death of Music from this same concert. Shortest ten minutes of your life. I believe it's Devy at his absolute finest, because as others pointed out, he was just starting to get over a bad sickness that wrecked his voice, so for this concert he actually had to alter how he sang just to perform. You can notice it in his facial expressions as he makes several that you can't find in any other performance. He is a god among insects, but is so nice he'll never admit it or hold it against anyone.

@TFOLLT

4 жыл бұрын

He should instead react to the triplet of Funeral/Bastard/Death Of Music. Best Live performance ever.

@jez_77

4 жыл бұрын

@@TFOLLT Plovdiv version of Death of Music has something special imo, that Royal Albert Hall version doesnt have. But maybe its just me

Definitely one of Dev's most epic songs. Style similar to this I'd say are Bastard (my personal all time favorite of Dev's) and Death of Music (even trippier than this). Royal Albert Hall versions are great for both of those aswell (actually might be back to back iirc). RAH being one of those "legendary" concerts for Dev, much like Wacken or Tampere are for Nightwish. The other two are Retinal Circus (think Vegas show on crack with theathrics going all around while DTP plays prog metal) and Plovdiv Live with a full symphone orchestra. Really, anything from these three shows is reaction worthy. Ps. Maybe add "By A Thread" concert series for a bit more "standard" metal concert heavily featuring Anneke (from the Amorphis video)

09:40 NOSTRADAMUS!

Not sure what's stranger.. you posting this so early, or me being awake for it XD

@ChaseCarneson

4 жыл бұрын

Let's go with both haha

@paravarium

4 жыл бұрын

Haha, well it is Devy, best not to question rather embrace everything strange 😂 I need to watch yesterday's fight later, was my turn to miss the whole thing loll

it's like they made an alternative version of wish you were here.

Next one should be „The death of music“!

@szpynda

4 жыл бұрын

"Funerak" and "Bastard" from Royall Albert Hall ofc.

I love Devin's comment on the tempo - he's such a perfectionist he wouldn't have been able to not say anything. And it shows his personality that he can point it out while making a rye joke to the audience. Seeing as you enjoyed this, check out Stormbending live from the amphitheatre in Plovdiv - kzread.info/dash/bejne/qphsx6V6mJPVfto.html.

Oh by the way, did you do Helloween - Keeper of the seven keys? This song started powermetal, but you'll love it!

"Imagine being there" I was, front row. It was epic, of course!

@ChaseCarneson

4 жыл бұрын

For real??? Jealous

@cemerson

4 жыл бұрын

Yep, you can see my ugly mug at 5:59 wearing the tshirt with the atom on it and spotting the camera...

If you want a good example of crowd participarion, i'd suggest to check The Bard Song from Blind Guardian in a live concert.

Ryan van Poederooyen on drums is a maschine, he is awsome.

@War624

4 жыл бұрын

I love how Devin has known him for nearly 20 years and would still joke during DTP about not knowing how to say his last name at times.

If you're going to continue down the Devin path (which I highly recommend doing), I humbly suggest looking at some of his vocal collaboration songs. Either the stuff with Che Dorval (Casualties of Cool) or some of the stuff from when he was leaning heavily on Anneke. Maybe the live version of Grace from The Retinal Circus, or even Hyperdrive live from By A Thread. Or, if you're feeling particularly insane, try deconstructing All Hail The New Flesh from Strapping Young Lad.

Hey Chase, you may know these guys already but I stumbled upon a Welsh band named Skindred - I'd love to get your take on them. Really different, but I think you'd like them. Try "Kill The Power" or "Ratrace" or "That's My Jam", or "Pressure".

Devin Townsend is an artist that the more I listen to, the more I respect and want to hear more. I don't think I've encountered a song of his I've actively disliked.

Nightwish, Devin Townsend, & Ghost... my top 3, easily