Devin Townsend announces new album ‘PowerNerd’, the first of a trilogy

POWERNERD – noun

1. A person of any gender who has, through tenacity and perseverance, turned what society may deem as a ‘weakness’ into a superpower.

2. A total fucking badass.

3. You.

Devin Townsend is pleased to announce the release of his new album ‘PowerNerd’, coming 25th October 2024 on Inside Out Music. Devin Townsend‘s career spans many distinct eras. He has been the leader of the Strapping Young Lad, the backbone of the Devin Townsend Project and the co-writer of the country duo Casualties of Cool, all while maintaining his prolific and highly regarded solo project. Now, the new multi-faceted era begins with ‘PowerNerd’!

Devin’s comment on the new work, the music of which was written in just 11 days:

It was a conscious choice. I spent so much time thinking about every aspect of my work, what would happen if I didn’t? Maybe I would have had the opportunity to be a little more direct with what I’m trying to do. I was curious to see the result, to see if I could do it.

A song that embodies all this is the album’s title track (featuring Jamey Jasta), watch the video at this link:

However, this aggression is far from being the only thing that emerges from the 11 tracks of ‘PowerNerd’. ‘Dreams of Light’, by comparison, is an evocative and dynamic four-minute ballad. ‘Younger Lover’ features an explosive opening before calming down with lush synth verses and singing, while “Falling Apart” and “Jainism” add texture after texture atop melodious acoustic introductions.

If PowerNerd’s music was written in less than a fortnight, his lyrics were refined over a much longer period of time into a narrative about strength and healing. In ‘Falling Apart’, Devin commands himself to ‘keep the tension under control’. ‘You’ve got to believe that things will only get better,’ the subsequent track “Gratitude” emphatically declares. These uplifting messages are also found in the album’s title.

Devin offers a definition:

I would say a powernerd is a person who has a tendency that society has deemed weak or of little value, whether it’s empathy or being a loner or introvert, and turns it into a type of personal power. It’s like saying, ‘OK, yes, I’m sensitive to this, that and the other thing, but damn, I’m going to do it! I’ll do things with that sensitivity that are rooted in strength’!

‘PowerNerd’ is available in the following formats:

Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (with the whole album, bonus tracks and the first Dolby Atmos mix of the artist )
Limited 2CD Digipak in O-card
Standard CD
Gatefold 2LP
Digital Album

Devin Townsend – “PowerNerd”
PowerNerd
Falling Apart
Knuckledragger
Gratitude
Dreams of Light
Ubelia
Jainism
Younger Lover
Glacier
Goodbye
Ruby Quaker

PREORDER: https://devin-townsend.lnk.to/PowerNerd

The album artwork was created by long-time collaborator Travis Smith.

As well as expressing strength through adversity, ‘PowerNerd’ opens the door to Devin‘s imminent future. Its positivity and conciseness will soon be countered by the self-described ‘orchestral, over-the-top, dark and uncomfortable’ follow-up ‘The Moth’ and the ‘alien weirdness’ of the finale ‘Axolotl’. Both works have already been written and together the trilogy will express the incredible range of this man’s musical talent.