Devin Townsend Project, Animals As Leaders

On September 24, HevyDevy Records and InsideOut Music will release Epicloud, the monumental fifteenth studio album from visionary singer/guitarist/producer Devin Townsend. From the infectious anthem "More!", to the cabaret-worthy "Lucky Animals" or the rhythmic electronica of "Save Our Now" all the way to the meditative "Divine," Epicloud draws on a wide range of influences to create an album that celebrates optimism in humanity, WHILST simultaneously remaining absolutely crushing. A wide variety of textures and moods makes Epicloud a very fitting follow-up to the emotionally varied prior Devin Townsend Project albums.

The new album from the Devin Townsend Project 'Epicloud' draws on a wide range of influences to create an album that celebrates optimism in humanity,
whilst simultaneously remaining absolutely crushing. A wide variety of textures and moods makes Epicloud a very fitting follow-up to the emotionally varied prior Devin Townsend Project albums.

Townsend is no stranger to musical diversity, and 2011 saw him complete a four-album cycle – Ki, Addicted, Deconstruction and Ghost culminating in 4 sold out shows in London with each album being celebrated with its own show

'Epicloud' takes Devin's love of multiple genres to a new level: "I've rarely done the same things twice", he says, "but as I've grown as a musician, one of the things I've learned is that it should be possible to make different genres 'play ball' with each other while illustrating a common theme." Epicloud is a time in the creative cycle of Townsend that is unique and very specific. It celebrates the music of his past while looking forward to the future. A mixture of moods and styles summarizes Epicloud and the DTP to date, but this is not meant as a 'definition' of a career, rather a celebratory moment of creative liberation that isn't held down by genre expectation.

On 27th October the Devin Townsend Project will be performing a career defining show at London's Roundhouse entitled 'Retinal Circus'

Tickets for the show went on sale in November 2011 and the show was sold out in March .. 7 months in advance .. quite a feat in the current climate – just showing the dedication of the DTP fans. 'Retinal Circus' is not going to be your average rock show .. it's a story, a journey through the musical life of one of music most charismatic men, a carbaret, a circus .. it's an event not to be missed .. there may even be an appearance from a certain Ziltoid The Omniscient!

THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT IS:
Devin Townsend – guitars, vocals, keyboards
Anneke Van Giersbergen – vocals
Ryan Van Poederooyen – drums
Mike Young – bass
Dave Young – guitars

When Tosin Abasi released his debut solo album under the moniker ANIMALS AS LEADERS in 2009, few would have predicted the band's meteoric rise over the next two years. Although Abasi earned acclaim as the lead guitarist in the Washington, D.C.-based metalcore act Reflux, it was still a long-shot that an instrumental album of progressive metal with jazz, electronic and ambient flourishes would develop anything more than a cult following.

Fast-forward two-plus years to "Weightless," the group's sophomore effort, and ANIMALS AS LEADERS is revered worldwide as a trailblazing pioneer of modern heavy music. The group's genre-defying compositions have earned extensive praise — Steve Vai called the band "the future of creative, heavy virtuoso guitar playing," and MetalSucks recently ranked Abasi #2 on their list of modern metal's top guitarists — and the diversity of their music has enabled them to tour with a wide variety of acts, including Deftones, Underoath, Circa Survive, BTBAM, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Faceless, Thursday, Dredg and, on the 2010 Summer Slaughter tour, even Decapitated.

Whereas the group's self-titled debut was a collaboration between Abasi and Periphery's Misha Mansoor, "Weightless" features the recording debut of ANIMALS AS LEADERS, the true band — that is, Abasi (guitars), Javier Reyes (guitars) and Navene Koperweis (drums). After nearly two years of touring together, the trio wrote and recorded "Weightless" together in mid-2011, with Koperweis producing and Reyes mixing. The group debuted a new track, "Isolated Incidents," during their inaugural headlining tour this summer, which included sellout shows from coast-to-coast — a sign that as quickly as ANIMALS AS LEADERS have risen, the best is yet to come.