For real. If you ever met or meet him, you just stated fact. It's weird. He's more interested in talking about YOU than himself. He's a wicked cool dude, I was pleasantly surprised how real of a dude he is.
@@vodkaa1 I must say, quite a couple of very talented people have been keeping shit bearable via podcasts or vlogs. Just hearing someone like Devin talk riffs, or Ricky Gervais laughing at how Hollywood hates him now.... Just that little bit of humanity in a very lonely, stressed out time. Thank God for these people being on the internet!
Motörhead - Motörhead Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love Sweep picking/solos/tapping Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It Judas Priest - The Sentinel Fastway - Say What You Will Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes To Midnight Random strum Another random strum 3rd random strum 4th random strum with feedback I think Still Life by Iron Maiden he said something but I couldn't figure out what he said Fist - Thunder and Rock Judas Priest - Victim of Changes Iron Maiden - Back In The Village Devin Townsend - Vampira I'm not quite sure but I think it's deadhead, I could be wrong Truth From Infinity Evermore
@@JobForAMaxboy he's not bipolar. Being a emotional human being is not bipolarity. It might seem like it is from a outsider's perspective but it's perfectly normal to be emotionally a bit extreme without having any actual medical conditions
Devin is by far one of the most fascinating musicians I've had the pleasure to stumble upon. And I never expected to be as blown away by a modern release as I was when I listened to Empath, his latest album. It's overwhelmingly rich! Also, his introspective approach to mental health is inspiring for self acceptance and forgiveness. I've fairly enjoyed reading his interviews and now listening to his own podcast. He's a visceral musician and the level of commitment and connection he has with his music is beyond my understanding. I admire him so damn much...
We all know the drill, a couple of bands get a sound, then a lot of others get in the same train. Nothing wrong with it, but Devin is so fucking awesome, he does pretty original music, high skilled melodies and weird ass concepts and i love it.
It's so grounding to hear that he still struggles with guitar techniques. As a player of almost 10 years myself, it makes me feel a lot better knowing that even greats like Devin aren't masters at their instruments and it's totally okay to not be great at absolutely everything on guitar.
@@eurosnuke1678 To me, the point is that true mastery doesn't exist. There are those who are humble enough to stick with that moving target, and those who think it's still behind them in their pursuit of skill, standing evermore in the past with every moment they spend there, gathering increasingly less utilized tools for their bags, perpetually stuck in the day when they realized they were a 'good' guitarist... living out their bonus rounds... or those who haven't passed the right sign yet, expelling every resource and purging all strength, thinking the earth they run on is flat and finite and they will be rewarded for reaching the edge... only to wind up in the same places over and over again. It's kind of like how to find enlightenment, step one is to give up on chasing it, as you must commit yourself to a total separation from desire. If you want it, if you envision it that way, you can paradoxically never hold it for yourself because of how that desire skews your perception. The real problem is thinking it is even something to be held by you, or anyone. To advance past a certain level in both playing skill and expression, you eventually have to stop worrying about being the best and push forward with more openness and curiosity for whatever comes of the challenges you face, because that's where the deeper learning happens. This is how these guys are able to develop approaches that make them stand out so much from just about everyone else doing it. There is a grand canyon of difference between how you and me see/categorize them, and what they make of how they're doing. Which is why I think the former thinking actually completely eschews understanding what really makes them so good and unique when it comes to what they can do. So long as you draw those lines, you can never see what a guy like Devin Townsend, or any other 'elite' guitarist sees. And that thing is that being 'elite' is a lie, not a real thing. Reasoning is pretty simple there actually. Chasing that ever moving target will burn you out, it will crush you and pin you like a boulder until you can fully let it go. You will eventually run out of energy to keep learning if you allow that learning to become a mere means to an end for your ego, instead of a form of steady enrichment. It loses meaning, you feel like you'll never get there, question if getting there even matters to you, if your art matters to you. "If I wanted it, I'd be doing it - the steps are right there, and I do the work, so what's wrong with me?" No accomplishments will ever satisfy, and you'll live in doubt. Because there is no end to pursuits of skill in creative expression. You'll grind your whole nose off and find yourself feeling like you're back at square one, with a lot less passion for it. There are those for whom gathering skills becomes a min-max game, that leaves them with far less joy for what they do. You see em in guitar communities all of the time. The community as a whole isn't all that open to different goals and approaches. There is just what it says you should do to be a good guitarist, and people who discuss/compete-over that. But ask yourself if you think any of em are ever hitting it big, skilled as they are. Or are they maybe climbing to the top of THAT molehill? THAT community, and what IT values. Ask yourself if it even matters to you in the big picture. It's so important, and a lot of them aren't even close to doing it. To say there are masters is to imply there is a ceiling. I promise you, no real master of anything thinks like this. They don't think about who the master is, or how to compare themselves. They typically don't even appear to worry at all about how good they are, like it's not even on their lexicon. If they do, they tend to presume people will think they are bad, no matter how much praise they've gotten... because they know they haven't pursued those comparisons, though others will make them and it creates this insecurity about not measuring-u[ in even the most talented artists. And that way of dealing with it is what enables them to transcend expectations and shock people with what they are able to do. That they can carry that insecurity, and do it their way anyway. One thing you will notice about virtually all of those whom people call 'masters' is how they do not seem to think of themselves as remotely such. Sometimes I really think the thing that separates the 'masters' from the 'rest' is that openness to what it is they are doing/pursuing. By not locking themselves down with such notions, they are permitted to enter territory where only those who are called 'masters' go. That access is not granted by obsessing over who and who is not a master by such and such metric. Rather holding those metrics makes it forbidden territory, a place on a special few can go. But even the metrics are in steady flux, with such wild swings that past masters even get demoted. The thing these 'masters' all have in common is recognizing that and setting it all aside, being fully immersed in what THEY themselves are doing, the way they're going and what it means for them, and not worrying about what other people are doing (or have already done.) No substitute for that focus. Point is, I think the way people look at master musicians kind of results in this aura of defeatism and inflexibility that keeps folks out there from finding THEIR mastery, appreciating these people we call masters as humans like us and sharing a connection like music was built to do, fully understanding why all of these guys are so chill about how good they are... what that mindset actually entails and what it does for you, where it really comes from. We guitarists can be a particularly unreflective bunch, which can make us a little sweaty and stuck in a box. One thing that really stands out about Devin Townsend is how much his entire existence opposes that, without him having an oppositional bone in his body. There are guitarists, and then there are those who transcend that and become musicians instead. I can't help but notice that most people trying really hard to be good at guitar develop an ego about it that none of their idols seem to have, and it makes me question their whole approach. Devin Townsend doesn't give half as much of a shit and still blows them out of the water. And they may in fact have the better chops overall! Does that make any sense? Only if ego and notions of greatness are the root of the problem. That's the issue I have with putting these people on a pedestal, and why I leave it at "There are a lot of really exceptional musicians out there, and a few of them are even known!" I don't question whether or not greatness motivates people... clearly being like Van Halen is a strong motivator. I just don't think Van Halen himself thought like that about HIS idols, and that's what made him EVH and not his idols. Making these guys gods makes adopting the ego mandatory. And then that ego just clips your wings, and you fight off the disappointment with nothing to show for it but a bunch of dazzling playing that nobody ultimately cares about - they can only compare you to people who also play exactly like you, because you play just like them... and chances are one of them is always gonna be better at it than you. The losses are inevitable. You start to doubt. Players of 10 years plus quit over it. Others get really close and undo it all with their own hubris. Most bands come and go with trends. As long as you need to borrow reference points/milestones from others, you can never become a master yourself. The masters we see have walked their own paths further than us ours and that is what allows them to go beyond where grass grows. That's why they are masters, and the rest are just thin blades in that endless field blowing in the wind, no matter how much effort and heart they pour into being like them. Masters are the greatest experts in their own journeys, they care for little else, put maximum investment into THAT. To become like them, you have to immerse yourself in your own path, never define it by what others say you should be doing, or cool stuff your peers are doing. That last part is why almost everyone does the same exact shit when they pick up a guitar, and never do anything else. True mastery is knowing your full strengths and weaknesses, accepting them, and capitalizing with full grace. Look at all of the masters out there with different strengths and weaknesses. It is precisely their individual mixes of strengths and weaknesses that allow them all to stand out individually, as masters of their own domains. That is the only true mastery you can have as a musician... self-mastery is the real final boss. What is a master if not someone who went where nobody else would or could go? Right? So the appropriate question to ask would be "Where can *I* go that nobody else will? What does the music we're not hearing sound like?" And if you don't know, keep searching. The one thing all guitar gods have in common is idiosyncrasy. Another way of putting it is there is a virtue in being able to swim upstream, but you go further when you swim with the current, finding the river with currents and winds in the direction you want to go... not to mention, salmon who swim upstream die at the end. Picking up an instrument is a long-haul game with a lot of drastically different options. Devin understood that well in his comments, and I don't think anyone would say he wasted his time by not pursuing alternate picking. Again, the humility is just vital to growing for that long. You have to stop deifying others, and in doing so give up on becoming god yourself. Only then can you advance beyond being "That guy who sounds like that guy who sounded like that band." and hear people say "Wow, what even is that? How did he do that?" Regular people are the only ones who see masters. The masters only see people with different distinct strengths.
I like that when he solos in his own music he goes for a unique more simple melodic approach but he CAN shred but just doesn't use a lot of the more typical shred techniques. I didn't realise he was so good at sweeping.
First time I saw him live was with Steve Vai on the Sex and Religion tour. I’m pretty sure he was around 19 years old. His energy was off the charts. There were moments where he and Steve played guitar together and it was absolutely magical
I just started listening to DT a month ago. I'm blown away by "Empath" and "Ocean Machine" and now I see him in this video. He's SO down to earth and humble. Love it!!
I highly recommend the album Accelerated Evolution, and in particular Deadhead and Suicide from that. But you can't really go wrong with any of his stuff.
If Devin ever reads this, he's the reason why I really invested in my first good guitar and learned a few of his riffs and songs. Love his older work, like Vampira, Ocean Machine, Stand, and some Ziltoid stuff. Thank you for all the good music so far in your career. May you have many more for me to play.
I toured with Marty Friedman once, I was so sick in Vancouver once so I was chillin in my bunk. I peak out and hear Marty and Devin Townsend just trading licks and playing holy wars and shit. My own private show with two great musicians. Damn I miss that. I think he taught him that cool acoustic solo lick in Holy Wars, Devin got it pretty fast haha
When he started the intro of Seventh Wave I just screamed "YES!" at my phone n got teary eyed n my missus just thinks I'm a big man baby....for Devins Ocean Machine, absolutely.
He should have played the intro to "Life". First time I heard that riff, (and still when I hear that riff), it's like flickering beams of sunlight through the foliage of a tree.
Watching Devin play 'Victim of Changes' just gave me the biggest smile! Very cool to know that one of his favorite songs when he was a teen was also one of my favorite songs when I was a teen. Oh my... now that I think about it, I would love to see Devin do a full cover of it, vocals and all! 🤞 Whatever Devin does, I'll keep listening... such an amazing musician and inspirational human (although, sometimes I think he might actually be from another planet 😆)!
You can just see the passion he has and had for this stuff when he plays these old licks all over his face and in his eyes, I love it. You can also hear it, obviously
One of the few things this year that have been a good is the devin townsend podcast. Such a great talent. Glad I'm alive to have been a witness and fan of this man. Keep up the positivity devin you have literally saved my life this year and can't thank you enough for shining even a dim and distant light in this hellscape that is my mind.
I owned masters of metal when it came out years ago and for the life of me I could not remember that title. I have been searching for that one for a while. So from out of the blue Devin mentions it. Wow, thankyou very much for that Devin. You have made my day 🤟🤟
Just wanted to comment that Vampira was the very first song I heard of Devon's and it's *still* one of the absolute greatest songs to me. It's just fun as hell, groovy, and has great energy/vibe.
Devin has tons and tons of great riffs, but for me the album that comes to mind first is 'Accelerated Evolution'. Depth Charge, Random Analysis, Deadhead, Suicide (possibly his best riff ever), all have amazing riffs.
Those opening notes on Truth are absolutely phenomenal! I love them so much. For some reason those notes make me think of the anime Gurren Lagann, when everyone’s battling in space.
I love hearing Deving explaining guitar techniques with a guitar in his hands. He seems so careless when he's talking and then so effortless when showing examples. It's a nice dicotomy. Devin, you're a genius.
I love watching Devin slam out some riffs. It's what I do when I decide to delude myself into picking up the guitar again. Difference being his riffs are clean! True professional with gobs of skill.
You can just feel the joy it brings him to play these old riffs. You can tell he hasn’t played them in a long time. Very refreshing. Inspired me to grab my guitar and play some stuff I haven’t played since I was 12 😂
Never heard of him until he sang on a Steve Vai album. Didn't even know he played guitar until a couple years ago. His albums are amazing and entertaining.
I think there comes a time in every guitar players life where they resign themselves to the bedroom, or simply focus on their talents and see the bigger picture. Thankfully you saw the bigger picture and created some jaw-dropping music that will endure long past a guitar solo. While we are talented, there is always someone who is just that little bit more so. Keep creating awesome Mr. Townsend.
Also Borderlands, the heavy bits in Genesis, and the "War" section and "Here Comes the Sun" from Singularity. Empath is a fucking incredible record, one of my faves
Devin has several very cool riffs, I think his mind went blank when he had to give examples of his riffs. It has happened to me several times when someone tells me, "play something" the mind goes blank even tho I know several songs. He could have played anything from SYL and Deconstruction, those riffs are really cool. But this made me realize that he indeed, either does something extremely simple, or ridiculously complex for his riffs, there is no in between.
He sure does, check out his cover of Exciter, and Sinner. His cover of the first one opened my eyes to the range this guy can go because not everybody could stand toe, to toe with classic Halford.
Its a lyric from Planet Of The Apes, he also used some of their EZ Drummer stuff when he and Messugah were working with Toontracks. For a while their careers ran somewhat parallel to each other, and he has always thrown in references to other things. 'Bend it like Bender' literally quotes Bender from Futurama several times.
As humble and self deprecating as he is, what he’s good at, he’s extremely good at and plays probably more clean than 98% of any guitarist. And that just always makes up for any short comings in variety. As if I ever thought he actually was in any facet in his game. He’s always great to listen to.
Such a humble and nice dude.
No doubt eh. Seems super chill.
He’s Canadian
Don't forget PISS FUNNY too....
For real. If you ever met or meet him, you just stated fact. It's weird. He's more interested in talking about YOU than himself. He's a wicked cool dude, I was pleasantly surprised how real of a dude he is.
of course he’s Canadian
Alternate Title: Devin Townsend plays riffs for the first time since he was 12
Hahahahaha
@Jesper Hyde ziltoid likes this element
Seriously how many albums has this man written in his lifespan?
or Devin plays in standard tuning.
And does them all almost perfect
"My skillset for standard tuning ended when I was 15"
*plays better than I will ever in my entire life*
oh man. this hits hard
The song motorhead by motorhead on the album motorhead.
Same energy as Iron Maiden by Iron Maiden on the album Iron Maiden
@@TheMetallplayer or deicide by deicide from deicide
@@kenzowinester38 or Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath from Black Sabbath
Or Bad Company by Bad Company from the album Bad Company
Kenzo Winester fuckin yeah🤘
10:55 goosebumps
"Kind of a cool one" - playing one of his most iconic riffs
Yup
Hey, it's Miracle of Sound! Quite unexpected lol
Hi there, Gav.
Something so simple, but it's so impactful. I think that's the best kind of riff.
Definitely want a Devin Townsend cover of Folsom Prison Blues now
I was about to type this!
THIS. Make it happen, Dev!
Casualties of Cool doing Folsom Prison Blues would be spectacular
Agreed and him doing Victim of changes was awesome
Who knew how well it works?! 2020 needs this
Authentic, open, honest, spontaneous, unpretentious. He’s one casual dude. Excellent video.
Also whinny, delusional, cringy
I find Devin such an interesting dude. I could just listen to him speak for hours on end.
You’d definitely like his podcast then!
@@zachbuddie8393 Thanks for pointing me in a no doubt good direction!
@@vodkaa1 I must say, quite a couple of very talented people have been keeping shit bearable via podcasts or vlogs. Just hearing someone like Devin talk riffs, or Ricky Gervais laughing at how Hollywood hates him now.... Just that little bit of humanity in a very lonely, stressed out time. Thank God for these people being on the internet!
Too bad they had the voice mic turned down compared to the guitar
The Twitch streams have been amazing. The amount of content and community time he's invested has been just perfect.
Devin demonstrating “what he struggles to play” and plays everything like an absolute pro 😅
9:16 Gotta be the most underrated Iron Maiden riff (Back In The Village)
Agreed! Best song on powerslave imo
a GREAT and killer riff/song/vocals... totaly underrated -> Back in the village (and drums!!!! fast as 'ell)
Devin: "I haven't played in standard tuning since I was a child".
Also Devin: *perfectly plays the opening riff to "Back In The Village"*
Out of all the covers of that song I've probably ever heard, that was the cleanest I've ever heard it played, and Dev was just noodling about...
Motörhead - Motörhead
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Sweep picking/solos/tapping
Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It
Judas Priest - The Sentinel
Fastway - Say What You Will
Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes To Midnight
Random strum
Another random strum
3rd random strum
4th random strum with feedback
I think Still Life by Iron Maiden he said something but I couldn't figure out what he said
Fist - Thunder and Rock
Judas Priest - Victim of Changes
Iron Maiden - Back In The Village
Devin Townsend - Vampira
I'm not quite sure but I think it's deadhead, I could be wrong
Truth From Infinity
Evermore
The one you thought is Deadhead, is Seventh Wave from Ocean Machine :)
Sorry but after 2 minutes to midnight, he plays I'll see the light tonight, Yngwie stuff.
And he plays victim of changes, from judas
7:30 is I'll See the Light Tonight by Yngwie Malmsteen.
I knew someone would clear that up and thank you 😊 also I said Victim of Changes dude
Considering that Devy has more charisma than 99% of people in metal,it's amazing that he's still so down to earth. Love the dude
I absolutely agree, Love Hevy Devy!
Well he’s bipolar so his personality will go through a lot of highs and lows
I don't know who you hang with, 99% of Metal people are super cool.
@@JobForAMaxboy he's not bipolar. Being a emotional human being is not bipolarity. It might seem like it is from a outsider's perspective but it's perfectly normal to be emotionally a bit extreme without having any actual medical conditions
@@Celatra Devin himself said he was bipolar
Devin is by far one of the most fascinating musicians I've had the pleasure to stumble upon. And I never expected to be as blown away by a modern release as I was when I listened to Empath, his latest album. It's overwhelmingly rich!
Also, his introspective approach to mental health is inspiring for self acceptance and forgiveness. I've fairly enjoyed reading his interviews and now listening to his own podcast. He's a visceral musician and the level of commitment and connection he has with his music is beyond my understanding. I admire him so damn much...
I’m just discovering Devin for the first time. What an interesting guy. He seems very genuine.
@@jayraymond9707 He is 100% genuine, almost to a fault. Keep digging, his back catalogue is incredible.
We all know the drill, a couple of bands get a sound, then a lot of others get in the same train. Nothing wrong with it, but Devin is so fucking awesome, he does pretty original music, high skilled melodies and weird ass concepts and i love it.
It's so grounding to hear that he still struggles with guitar techniques. As a player of almost 10 years myself, it makes me feel a lot better knowing that even greats like Devin aren't masters at their instruments and it's totally okay to not be great at absolutely everything on guitar.
but he in fact is master in his instrument
I think he is a master by definition, but he is human just like you and I and he has to practice just like us
@@eurosnuke1678 To me, the point is that true mastery doesn't exist. There are those who are humble enough to stick with that moving target, and those who think it's still behind them in their pursuit of skill, standing evermore in the past with every moment they spend there, gathering increasingly less utilized tools for their bags, perpetually stuck in the day when they realized they were a 'good' guitarist... living out their bonus rounds... or those who haven't passed the right sign yet, expelling every resource and purging all strength, thinking the earth they run on is flat and finite and they will be rewarded for reaching the edge... only to wind up in the same places over and over again. It's kind of like how to find enlightenment, step one is to give up on chasing it, as you must commit yourself to a total separation from desire. If you want it, if you envision it that way, you can paradoxically never hold it for yourself because of how that desire skews your perception.
The real problem is thinking it is even something to be held by you, or anyone. To advance past a certain level in both playing skill and expression, you eventually have to stop worrying about being the best and push forward with more openness and curiosity for whatever comes of the challenges you face, because that's where the deeper learning happens. This is how these guys are able to develop approaches that make them stand out so much from just about everyone else doing it. There is a grand canyon of difference between how you and me see/categorize them, and what they make of how they're doing. Which is why I think the former thinking actually completely eschews understanding what really makes them so good and unique when it comes to what they can do. So long as you draw those lines, you can never see what a guy like Devin Townsend, or any other 'elite' guitarist sees. And that thing is that being 'elite' is a lie, not a real thing.
Reasoning is pretty simple there actually. Chasing that ever moving target will burn you out, it will crush you and pin you like a boulder until you can fully let it go. You will eventually run out of energy to keep learning if you allow that learning to become a mere means to an end for your ego, instead of a form of steady enrichment. It loses meaning, you feel like you'll never get there, question if getting there even matters to you, if your art matters to you. "If I wanted it, I'd be doing it - the steps are right there, and I do the work, so what's wrong with me?" No accomplishments will ever satisfy, and you'll live in doubt. Because there is no end to pursuits of skill in creative expression. You'll grind your whole nose off and find yourself feeling like you're back at square one, with a lot less passion for it. There are those for whom gathering skills becomes a min-max game, that leaves them with far less joy for what they do. You see em in guitar communities all of the time. The community as a whole isn't all that open to different goals and approaches. There is just what it says you should do to be a good guitarist, and people who discuss/compete-over that. But ask yourself if you think any of em are ever hitting it big, skilled as they are. Or are they maybe climbing to the top of THAT molehill? THAT community, and what IT values. Ask yourself if it even matters to you in the big picture. It's so important, and a lot of them aren't even close to doing it.
To say there are masters is to imply there is a ceiling. I promise you, no real master of anything thinks like this. They don't think about who the master is, or how to compare themselves. They typically don't even appear to worry at all about how good they are, like it's not even on their lexicon. If they do, they tend to presume people will think they are bad, no matter how much praise they've gotten... because they know they haven't pursued those comparisons, though others will make them and it creates this insecurity about not measuring-u[ in even the most talented artists. And that way of dealing with it is what enables them to transcend expectations and shock people with what they are able to do. That they can carry that insecurity, and do it their way anyway.
One thing you will notice about virtually all of those whom people call 'masters' is how they do not seem to think of themselves as remotely such. Sometimes I really think the thing that separates the 'masters' from the 'rest' is that openness to what it is they are doing/pursuing. By not locking themselves down with such notions, they are permitted to enter territory where only those who are called 'masters' go. That access is not granted by obsessing over who and who is not a master by such and such metric. Rather holding those metrics makes it forbidden territory, a place on a special few can go. But even the metrics are in steady flux, with such wild swings that past masters even get demoted. The thing these 'masters' all have in common is recognizing that and setting it all aside, being fully immersed in what THEY themselves are doing, the way they're going and what it means for them, and not worrying about what other people are doing (or have already done.) No substitute for that focus.
Point is, I think the way people look at master musicians kind of results in this aura of defeatism and inflexibility that keeps folks out there from finding THEIR mastery, appreciating these people we call masters as humans like us and sharing a connection like music was built to do, fully understanding why all of these guys are so chill about how good they are... what that mindset actually entails and what it does for you, where it really comes from. We guitarists can be a particularly unreflective bunch, which can make us a little sweaty and stuck in a box. One thing that really stands out about Devin Townsend is how much his entire existence opposes that, without him having an oppositional bone in his body. There are guitarists, and then there are those who transcend that and become musicians instead. I can't help but notice that most people trying really hard to be good at guitar develop an ego about it that none of their idols seem to have, and it makes me question their whole approach. Devin Townsend doesn't give half as much of a shit and still blows them out of the water. And they may in fact have the better chops overall!
Does that make any sense? Only if ego and notions of greatness are the root of the problem. That's the issue I have with putting these people on a pedestal, and why I leave it at "There are a lot of really exceptional musicians out there, and a few of them are even known!" I don't question whether or not greatness motivates people... clearly being like Van Halen is a strong motivator. I just don't think Van Halen himself thought like that about HIS idols, and that's what made him EVH and not his idols. Making these guys gods makes adopting the ego mandatory. And then that ego just clips your wings, and you fight off the disappointment with nothing to show for it but a bunch of dazzling playing that nobody ultimately cares about - they can only compare you to people who also play exactly like you, because you play just like them... and chances are one of them is always gonna be better at it than you. The losses are inevitable. You start to doubt. Players of 10 years plus quit over it. Others get really close and undo it all with their own hubris. Most bands come and go with trends.
As long as you need to borrow reference points/milestones from others, you can never become a master yourself. The masters we see have walked their own paths further than us ours and that is what allows them to go beyond where grass grows. That's why they are masters, and the rest are just thin blades in that endless field blowing in the wind, no matter how much effort and heart they pour into being like them. Masters are the greatest experts in their own journeys, they care for little else, put maximum investment into THAT. To become like them, you have to immerse yourself in your own path, never define it by what others say you should be doing, or cool stuff your peers are doing.
That last part is why almost everyone does the same exact shit when they pick up a guitar, and never do anything else. True mastery is knowing your full strengths and weaknesses, accepting them, and capitalizing with full grace. Look at all of the masters out there with different strengths and weaknesses. It is precisely their individual mixes of strengths and weaknesses that allow them all to stand out individually, as masters of their own domains. That is the only true mastery you can have as a musician... self-mastery is the real final boss. What is a master if not someone who went where nobody else would or could go? Right? So the appropriate question to ask would be "Where can *I* go that nobody else will? What does the music we're not hearing sound like?" And if you don't know, keep searching. The one thing all guitar gods have in common is idiosyncrasy.
Another way of putting it is there is a virtue in being able to swim upstream, but you go further when you swim with the current, finding the river with currents and winds in the direction you want to go... not to mention, salmon who swim upstream die at the end. Picking up an instrument is a long-haul game with a lot of drastically different options. Devin understood that well in his comments, and I don't think anyone would say he wasted his time by not pursuing alternate picking. Again, the humility is just vital to growing for that long. You have to stop deifying others, and in doing so give up on becoming god yourself. Only then can you advance beyond being "That guy who sounds like that guy who sounded like that band." and hear people say "Wow, what even is that? How did he do that?" Regular people are the only ones who see masters. The masters only see people with different distinct strengths.
I like that when he solos in his own music he goes for a unique more simple melodic approach but he CAN shred but just doesn't use a lot of the more typical shred techniques. I didn't realise he was so good at sweeping.
I love that dynamic in metal music. Dave Davidson does it alot to.
@@mothwizard4307 also a fantastic guitarist, love his style too.
seeing him struggle to remember the Twisted Sister solo is pure gold. It's so fun watching him relive some of his teenage guitar years.
That riff from Seventh Wave always gives me goosebumps.
I LOVE HIS TONE SO MUCH. it works sooo well with distortion
Never seen a match play a guitar, now i have, thanks Devin.
The coolest guy in metal scene
Devin Townsend is so damn uncool that he becomes cool again
The best!!!!!!
@Anant Raman alright name someone cooler
@@solarwinds5114 Dio and Lemmy
@@TheDuduzinhobr Name someone who is alive
You don't find Devin...Devin finds you.
Simply THE most complete artist for my resonance.
Well said! I never heard of him, and once I accidentally did I couldn’t believe he’s not a household name.
Such a down to Earth dude, equal parts humble and articulate.
Devin: "Truth from Infinity was kind of a cool riff"
Also Devin: plays one of the most gorgeous things to ever come out of a guitar
I just love this.... such talent and such honesty... zero arrogance.
First time I saw him live was with Steve Vai on the Sex and Religion tour. I’m pretty sure he was around 19 years old. His energy was off the charts. There were moments where he and Steve played guitar together and it was absolutely magical
"Victim of Changes" is just as awesome now as ever. Love how those riffs really stand the test of time. MMm.
DEVIN is a 100% inspiration !!!
I just started listening to DT a month ago. I'm blown away by "Empath" and "Ocean Machine" and now I see him in this video. He's SO down to earth and humble. Love it!!
Listen to his cover of Exciter by Judas Priest. Unbelievable
I highly recommend the album Accelerated Evolution, and in particular Deadhead and Suicide from that.
But you can't really go wrong with any of his stuff.
Terria
If Devin ever reads this, he's the reason why I really invested in my first good guitar and learned a few of his riffs and songs. Love his older work, like Vampira, Ocean Machine, Stand, and some Ziltoid stuff. Thank you for all the good music so far in your career. May you have many more for me to play.
What a great man!!! So articulate, and so respectful to his inspirations!!! Absolute legend Devin Townsend!!! Amiable and lots of fun!!!
Glad to see the "Mad scientist" of metal is still going strong.
best riff : the silver thinkers: the 17 million !
Best solo: the silver thinkers: firefly sailor light!!
EPIC!!!!
I could watch him play random riffs from his records and singalong for years
I have one of my guitars that is always tuned to Open C because Devin uses this and I love that tuning.
I toured with Marty Friedman once, I was so sick in Vancouver once so I was chillin in my bunk. I peak out and hear Marty and Devin Townsend just trading licks and playing holy wars and shit. My own private show with two great musicians. Damn I miss that. I think he taught him that cool acoustic solo lick in Holy Wars, Devin got it pretty fast haha
I've had the pleasure to meet Marty and he was the most gracious "rock star" I've ever met.
Come on Dev don't sell yourself short. Suicide, Earth Day, OMFG, Bastard, Love? - I could go on. You have killer riffs.
Detox...can't believe he forgot that one
Earth Day is one of the most killer riffs ever!
@@crionics99 anything off City Crazy album .His best imo
Not all heroes wear capes ... Some wear red beanies and glasses!
Dev is pure awesomeness!
How could anyone not like this guy?!
There is a Ding Ding on Mr.Townsend's couch.
Glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed :^)
Prolly left there by 66samus
he tried to hard to convince us it was a ghost during one of his promo videos for his halloween gig ;)
@@SirGingerOfKnight lol
I kinda miss the Ding Dong cannon...
When he started the intro of Seventh Wave I just screamed "YES!" at my phone n got teary eyed n my missus just thinks I'm a big man baby....for Devins Ocean Machine, absolutely.
Saw it live in Plovdiv. Powerful!
I could watch him riff for hours.
Favorite Devin Townsend riffs
Me: *IZZZ A WAAAAY OF FEEEEELIIING!!! LOOOOOVE!!!!...*
lol!
He should have played the intro to "Life". First time I heard that riff, (and still when I hear that riff), it's like flickering beams of sunlight through the foliage of a tree.
One of my favs
He just laughs and has a blast jamming riffs it's so fun
The we're not gonna take it solo... his face when he finds that last high note... so funny. Love this guy
Watching Devin play 'Victim of Changes' just gave me the biggest smile! Very cool to know that one of his favorite songs when he was a teen was also one of my favorite songs when I was a teen. Oh my... now that I think about it, I would love to see Devin do a full cover of it, vocals and all! 🤞 Whatever Devin does, I'll keep listening... such an amazing musician and inspirational human (although, sometimes I think he might actually be from another planet 😆)!
Empath is the masterpiece!
Hell yeah, Back in the Village! Underrated song!
I know, I was freaking out😀
That song and The Duelist...the two "forgotten" songs from Powerslave...to me are classics. Heck, that WHOLE album is epic!!!
Who doesn't LOVE Devin!! I mean, this guy......
You can just see the passion he has and had for this stuff when he plays these old licks all over his face and in his eyes, I love it. You can also hear it, obviously
I've been thinking of starting learning to play the guitar. This man is really fucking motivating. Genuinely one of the most awesome guys in metal!
Agree with DT. I can write really complicated notey riffs but my fave riffs of mine are the MOST caveman basic ones cause theyre so fun.
One of the few things this year that have been a good is the devin townsend podcast. Such a great talent. Glad I'm alive to have been a witness and fan of this man. Keep up the positivity devin you have literally saved my life this year and can't thank you enough for shining even a dim and distant light in this hellscape that is my mind.
Devin's awesome. Been listening since the Vai days.
One of the most charismatic musicians out there
The most
"LOVE" has HUUUUGE Riffs!!
still blast the hell out of that song!!
I owned masters of metal when it came out years ago and for the life of me I could not remember that title. I have been searching for that one for a while. So from out of the blue Devin mentions it. Wow, thankyou very much for that Devin. You have made my day 🤟🤟
Fastest click I've ever done in my lifetime
So far...
Same
It would of sucked it was click bait
Now I'm dying to hear Devin play live again. It's been a couple years
@@ThePortal101 i would love to hear any band play live again lol
It always so awesome when you see guys like Devin who you respect, and realize you have the same influences and are really just about the same age.
Just wanted to comment that Vampira was the very first song I heard of Devon's and it's *still* one of the absolute greatest songs to me. It's just fun as hell, groovy, and has great energy/vibe.
What a good guy. Down to Earth. Love it when people you like turn out to be genuine.
The opening riffs to Love and Detox are some of the heaviest in the history of metal
5:33 his face perfectly captures that note
Amazing singer, songwriter, person and performer!
Devin has tons and tons of great riffs, but for me the album that comes to mind first is 'Accelerated Evolution'. Depth Charge, Random Analysis, Deadhead, Suicide (possibly his best riff ever), all have amazing riffs.
Devin is one of the most successful songwriters out there. Guy is a freaking genius.
Devin never fails to put me in a good mood and that is priceless .
Those opening notes on Truth are absolutely phenomenal! I love them so much. For some reason those notes make me think of the anime Gurren Lagann, when everyone’s battling in space.
i love how you can see how much he loves playing guitar mad respect
His riffs are so crunchy
7:08 you can see how much he enjoyed once he played that 2 minutes to midnight riff 😀
Love? has a great riff, for me!
I love hearing Deving explaining guitar techniques with a guitar in his hands. He seems so careless when he's talking and then so effortless when showing examples. It's a nice dicotomy. Devin, you're a genius.
Anyone who can get Anneke Van Giersbergen to sing on their album is the real deal! I love Devin's work. So consistently cool
This Framus Guitar is so gorgeous.
I love the mention of WASP!
Me too! I grew up with listening to those guys!
@@TheMack I still listen to those guys
I love watching Devin slam out some riffs. It's what I do when I decide to delude myself into picking up the guitar again. Difference being his riffs are clean! True professional with gobs of skill.
I wish he mentioned a couple riffs from his Strapping Young Lad era. Detox and Love? have some of my favourite riffs.
You can just feel the joy it brings him to play these old riffs. You can tell he hasn’t played them in a long time. Very refreshing. Inspired me to grab my guitar and play some stuff I haven’t played since I was 12 😂
Devin playing Two Minutes to Midnight and Back in the Village (and other faves from my youth) is the utter s**t.
I agree with all the comments. Devin seems like such a great person. Best of luck Devin,,,you are a wonderful person.
Why haven't we gotten a Casualties Of Cool Johnny Cash cover album?
Never heard of him until he sang on a Steve Vai album. Didn't even know he played guitar until a couple years ago. His albums are amazing and entertaining.
I'm kinda dissapointed that he didn't mention a sick riff from Borderlands when asked about Empath. This riff sounds absolutely incredible
What riff ? There's 1 billion riff in that song ;)
That riff is killer!
@@jack_the_pug5213 I mean that heavy one which starts with "shine on the borderlands" line
I think there comes a time in every guitar players life where they resign themselves to the bedroom, or simply focus on their talents and see the bigger picture. Thankfully you saw the bigger picture and created some jaw-dropping music that will endure long past a guitar solo. While we are talented, there is always someone who is just that little bit more so.
Keep creating awesome Mr. Townsend.
The sentinel riff is literally the first that comes to my mind when i think of great riffs
Hell yeah
I simply can-not rate Mr Devin Townsend any higher. He is a beautiful man!
The whole crazy progressive part in Hear Me is a collection of AMAZING riffs man
Also Borderlands, the heavy bits in Genesis, and the "War" section and "Here Comes the Sun" from Singularity. Empath is a fucking incredible record, one of my faves
His music is incredible.
Devin has several very cool riffs, I think his mind went blank when he had to give examples of his riffs. It has happened to me several times when someone tells me, "play something" the mind goes blank even tho I know several songs. He could have played anything from SYL and Deconstruction, those riffs are really cool. But this made me realize that he indeed, either does something extremely simple, or ridiculously complex for his riffs, there is no in between.
The fact that he played a Fastway riff shows he knows his stuff.. what a musician and he seems like a wonderful guy.
He sure does, check out his cover of Exciter, and Sinner. His cover of the first one opened my eyes to the range this guy can go because not everybody could stand toe, to toe with classic Halford.
"We all rip off meshuggah"
Doesnt even meshuggah once throughout...
The song "planet of the apes" ripped off meshuggah
Its a lyric from Planet Of The Apes, he also used some of their EZ Drummer stuff when he and Messugah were working with Toontracks. For a while their careers ran somewhat parallel to each other, and he has always thrown in references to other things. 'Bend it like Bender' literally quotes Bender from Futurama several times.
That twisted sister solo is a great great solo, always catches my ear.
"Focused on the tapping stuff"
Instantly identifies the lick from Spanish Fly
One of my all time favorite musicians
Always a good day when Hevy Devy does something
Watching Devin remember these songs and it bringing a smile to his face just shows how good these songs still are.......
Nobody talking about his RGB rainbow "gaming guitar"
It's so cheesy that its way cool. love it
It gives him higher bpm.
$15,000 RGB. A guitar I would love to have but be scared to play
He calls it the stormbender. They launched a cheap version as a signature series and if money were no object I would probably own one.
@@GamingWithChief is that seriously hoe much they are. Wait Canadian cuz that makes sense but if that's usd ouch.
As humble and self deprecating as he is, what he’s good at, he’s extremely good at and plays probably more clean than 98% of any guitarist. And that just always makes up for any short comings in variety. As if I ever thought he actually was in any facet in his game. He’s always great to listen to.
Never heard him before, as soon as he played Vampire he earned my fandom
you’re in for a treat if you’ve never heard of Heavy Devy. I wish I could re-experience his discography for the first time again.