Accelerated Evolution

Accelerated Evolution is a record on which Devin Townsend, using thick guitar, dense arrangements and soaring singing, sounds weight and release at once. The sound is huge, yet approachable melody and bright drive are placed at the center of the songs, carrying the listener straight forward. From the drive of the opener “Depth Charge” and the grandeur of “Storm” to the soaring melody of “Deadhead” and the lyricism of “Traveller” and “Slow Me Down,” the songs unite heaviness and positive lift at a high level. Its appeal is that, without swinging too far into experiment, it values the polish and clarity of the songs. Rather than the complex production pressing on the emotions, it turns them into positive lift. Within the wall-like sound pressure, a sure songcraft and warmth breathe. It is a record that gently wraps Devin Townsend’s distinctive world in a pop force — a particularly easy-to-enjoy, approachable, fulfilling record even among his catalogue.