Devin Townsend announces “The Moth”, an ambitious orchestral album in the works for over 10 years

The multifaceted Devin Townsend has built his career on distinct creative worlds, heavy albums, atmospheric detours, and science fiction character-driven publications, each with its own logic and system. His latest work, “The Moth,” is different. It arrives without a pre-existing template, not as a turning point for its own sake, but as a culmination: a project conceived from the outset as orchestral, choral, and theatrical.

After more than a decade in the making, “The Moth” will finally be released on 29 May 2026. This 24-track album began more than ten years ago as a vague idea, which Devin considered the definitive work of his career. Then, about six years ago, after an acoustic concert in Amsterdam, Townsend was approached by the director of the North Netherlands’ Orchestra and Choir with an offer: to conduct the orchestra on the Canadian artist’s album.

Townsend‘s response was immediate and significant. If those forces were to be brought together, he wanted to use them for something new: this original work that had been with him for years, waiting for a door to open. It was at that moment that ‘The Moth’ ceased to be an idea and began to become a reality.

Today, in conjunction with the announcement, Devin is pleased to present the first taste of ‘The Moth’ with the track ‘Enter The City‘. The song is accompanied by a video created by Studio Sparks, available here:

‘The Moth’ is a free-form story that follows someone who realises that old patterns of behaviour are no longer useful to them. As they delve deeper and reflect on themselves, an inner conflict comes to light, one that they may have unconsciously resisted or rationalised for years, and ‘Enter The City’ takes place at the beginning of that narrative arc.

“The Moth” consists of three distinct parts. In addition to the main album, “The Moth – The Afterlife” highlights the grandeur of the orchestra and choir in what could be considered a purer version of the “The Moth” experience. “The Moth – The War” is a recording of the live musical debut that took place in March 2025 in the Netherlands, showcasing the pure excitement of performing The Moth for the first time.

“The Moth” will be available in several formats, including a Ltd Deluxe 3CD+Blu-ray Artbook that includes the album on CD1, “The Moth – The Afterlife” on CD2 and “The Moth – The War (Live)” on CD3. The Blu-ray contains the entire live performance of “The Moth – The War” as well as a high-resolution Dolby Atmos mix of “The Moth” and “The Moth – The Afterlife”. Pre-order here.

Tracklist:

1. Semi-prologue
2. War Beyond Words
3. The Moth
4. Ode To My Eye
5. Enter The City
6. Covered By Causes
7. Lexin
8. Runaways
9. A Proxy For God
10. The Mothers
11. Orion
12. Stay There
13. Home At Night
14. Intermission
15. Lexin Returns
16. The Clergy
17. Prepare For War
18. The Big Snit
19. Silver Princess
20. A Life in Review
21. Metamorphosis
22. Stained Hearts
23. Let Go
24. We Don’t Deserve Dogs

“The Moth” has a central theme around which the entire concept revolves: true self-acceptance. Something more solid than slogans, closer to the practised willingness to face what is uncomfortable without looking away. As Devin explains: “The most obvious metaphor for change within the concept of this project was a moth: from caterpillar to a completely different creature, so attracted to light that it burns itself. What remains is immutable: only the spirit.“

A host of incredible musicians and collaborators participated in this process, in addition to the North Netherlands Orchestra & Choir and orchestrators Joseph Stevenson and Niels Bye Nielsen. Long-standing band members Darby Todd, Mike Keneally and James Leach played a key role, as did guests Steve Vai, Anneke van Giersbergen, Lynn Wu (Ou) and artists Travis Smith and Eliran Kantor, as well as key creative consultant Mike St-Jean. The technical teams who worked tirelessly include co-mixer Chris Edrich, sound engineers Ben Searles and Jacob Hermann, Atmos mixer Ron Searles, mastering engineer Troy Glessner, choirs from various countries around the world, and others who contributed to the realisation of this colossus.