Speaking of Shitstorm, I wonder what it would be like for you to hear that song now. Does it still resonate with you?

Yeah, being a pubic figure, (even a small time one like myself).....

[The Dev]

Shitstorm resonates with me...of course!

Saying everything that comes into your head? honesty tourettes?

Yeah, being a pubic figure, (even a small time one like myself).....

I noticed that just then - I was just double checking before I posted so that I looked less like an arse lol

Saying that, with his bald shiny head... the resemblance is most uncanny

So... you're human?

I wonder... apparently one of the infinite stack of the turtles that the world balances on is just an empty shell

Dance, even if you can't... 'we're fools weather we dance or not, so we might as well'

BULLSHIT
White-boy with no rhythm in club full of hot chicks = It's embarrassing as fuck to have a ass!


Maybe dance privately, like singing in the car. I can't get past the shitty pop radio music and embarrassment of being on the dance floor without tremendous amounts of alcohol. And at that point, you're an ass anyway.
Either way you're an ass. So in the end, Dev's probably right. Fuck it. Just go dance.

I never danced growing up.. not even the Def Leppard, white-boy dance. I would say things like "I make music. I don't dance to it." or "You dance, I play.". Besides, what true metal dude danced? In 1996 I started listening to music that made me want to move soooo bad. It took me a few years to do more than wobble back and forth and almost 8 years till I finally said screw it and actually cut loose. I still show restraint when I go out, sober or not, but it's not because I don't want people to see me dance... just other self-image issues that I will overcome soon.

I try to keep this quote in mind a lot nowadays. Hope it helps others who haven't seen it yet.

"Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth."
— Mark Twain

Shitstorm resonates with me...of course!

Saying everything that comes into your head? honesty tourettes?

It certainly still resonates with me (I'm a 23-year-old grad student. Most of the time, I want to lash out and destroy everything). I'm glad to hear that you can still connect with that energy on some level.

Ok! Thank you all so much!

To women: Men are hardwired for sex.

To Men: Women are hardwired for security.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

I remember a buddy's wife, whos mother was a painter...she became fascinated by the energy on 'Infinity' and painted all these glorious pictures of me, standing on mountaintops, summoning animals or whatever, total hyperbole you know? And I remember thinking 'man when she hears Devlab and Alien, she's going to be fucked up' and lo and behold... she freaked out. Thought I was a devil that lead her into something. I never heard from them again.

AHAHAHHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that's to good to be true.

God, Shitstorm is easily my favorite SYL song(well, I guess, Zen competes with it) and one of the best metal songs ever. INSANITY at it's best. Gives me chills when he screams "FUCK YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU." and then into the female choir part. SO SO SO good. Always pumps me up when I'm exercising.

God, Shitstorm is easily my favorite SYL song(well, I guess, Zen competes with it) and one of the best metal songs ever. INSANITY at it's best. Gives me chills when he screams "FUCK YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU." and then into the female choir part. SO SO SO good. Always pumps me up when I'm exercising.

Could not agree more. Shitstorm is amazing. It just touches something in me I don't understand. So, so good.

Shitstorm resonates with me...of course!

Saying everything that comes into your head? honesty tourettes?

It certainly still resonates with me (I'm a 23-year-old grad student. Most of the time, I want to lash out and destroy everything). I'm glad to hear that you can still connect with that energy on some level.

It resonates with me a lot too. Especially when the weather turns to shit. We're well below zero (zero fahrenheit) now. Everything is frozen over, but there's nothing to do. No mountains to snowboard on. All the "ski resorts" (read, little hills that cost $50 per person) are flooded with 12-year old punks. It's too cold to take the little ones out into the snow. It just sucks ass. I tried to "embrace the elements" by going for a walk one frigid morning. I tried to accept it. But I only lasted 10 minutes. So, the weather, combined with insomnia, and other bullshit makes me depressed, and then I put on Shitstorm. It's like a quick fix. I actually have an iTunes play list called "Fuck it All." And it's filled with SYL.

To me personally, Shitstorm is the embodiment of dysphoric mania.

I guess I should be thankful that I have a warm house and am able to survive in this frozen hell hole. But I used to live in the Pacific NW. I miss it a lot. It stays warm enough in the valley during the winter so that you don't need a Parka, yet you can drive an hour to the east and ski/snowboard in the beautiful cascade mountains. Alas, desire is the source of suffering. I must accept the circumstances, and leave that desire behind. Be like the mountain, and less addicted to my own suffering.

Honesty Tourettes is great. I miss Tourettes Guy.

I remember a buddy's wife, whos mother was a painter...she became fascinated by the energy on 'Infinity' and painted all these glorious pictures of me, standing on mountaintops, summoning animals or whatever, total hyperbole you know? And I remember thinking 'man when she hears Devlab and Alien, she's going to be fucked up' and lo and behold... she freaked out. Thought I was a devil that lead her into something. I never heard from them again.

haha.

Honestly, Dev, I feel like you're one of the few artists in the rock scene today who's willing to truly let everything you feel translate into music. What has struck me about your music, ever since I was introduced to SYL a few years ago, is that it really sounds like you have no filter at all in your music, that you just SAY what you want to say musically and lyrically, regardless of whether people like it. There's no real filler in your songs...every riff, every melody makes me FEEL something. That sort of musical honesty really draws me to your work, and I think it's what draws a lot of other people to it, too. I feel like your musical openness has inspired my songwriting and outlook on music in general.

I can't say I'm 100% into all of your stuff...For example, my untrained ears have never been able to appreciate The Hummer or Devlab. And like you've said, there are always gonna be people who love your more melodic stuff and can't stand Strapping, and people that love Strapping and dislike stuff like Ki, etc. But I don't think it's a natural reaction to assume you're some kind of charlatan or liar. There are many different facets of your music, and some people like all of it, some people like some of it, and somebody somewhere probably hates all of it. The most important thing, I think, is not to let others' expectations of you dictate the music you make. It's all about keeping it honest. you already know that anyway, though.

hell, why am i telling you this. i'm a 19-year old kid from East Shitstain USA who records into garageband on his laptop with midi drums and bass and puts his songs up on myspace for his friends to listen to once. you're devin townsend, the dude with a ton of kickass albums who inspires the legions of rabid fans on this website on a daily basis. i'm definitely out of line, haha.

i guess i just wanted to say i'm glad you're willing to say what you mean in your music, no matter what the subject matter. it inspires me.

Please play Colour Your World at the Aus shows

ok!

Any chance of hearing the Infinity b-sides live? Om would be an absolute killer

If you choose to do drugs, be careful, it has taken the souls and lives of many far stronger and greater than yourself.
I did them, I don't regret it....but I almost didn't get away...and now the struggle is omnipresent.
(If I had to do it all again, I probably wouldn't do any drugs, there's certain truths that you can't 'un-know' that are not necessarily 'bad' but make simple things no longer as easy to enjoy.)

I'm really curious as to what you are talking about.

In the past I've experienced extremely intense mystical situations and events with LSD and DMT, which still sometimes haunt me. I've experimented lightly with the occult, and the combination of that and the psychedelics has shown me some things I wish wasn't so sensitive to or perhaps even aware of.

However being now in a state of spiritual revival after everything, the timing of the release of your projects really clicks with me, and has been an inspiration for the recovery journey.

Thanks, Devin, I'm glad there's someone in music that isn't afraid to break out of that grip.