Townsend has just completed a North American tour as special guest to Dream Theatre on their Dreamsonic tour featuring Animals As Leaders. This Devolution Series #3 Empath Live In America album features songs played the last time Townsend toured America in 2020. This tour was curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Devin Townsend – Devolution Series #3
Empath Live In America (InsideOut)
Release Date: 4 August 2023
Words: Robert Adams
The Empath tour has already been documented with the wonderful Order Of Magnitude album and DVD, so the Devolution Series #3 album seems surplus to requirements at first glance.
However, all is not what it seems. The American leg of the Empath tour saw a slightly stripped-back band to the one featured on the European leg. As a result, the gigs were more free-form and loose compared to the European gigs.
The setlist for the American shows was changed from the European leg also. America got Supercrush, March Of The Poozers, Hyperdrive, a poppy version of Ih – Ah, S.Y.L’s Love and Casualties Of Cool’s Forgive Me that were all missing from the European leg.
Devin is no stranger to releasing live albums, and this Devolution Series #3 album is up there with the best of his previous live releases. Where the Order Of Magnitude featured a stunning band playing Devin’s material 100% live with incredible precision, Empath Live In America is a far looser affair.
Songs are started, then halted after a few minutes, with Devin apologising to the crowd, saying that’s all the band knew. That’s the accurately titled Fucking Around.
Even with the performance being this loose, Devin and his band sound incredible, and the show sounds like it was so much fun for everyone involved.
I’m delighted that Devolution Series #3 Empath Live In America exists. It’s a brilliant, fun album that captures a never to be repeated live Devin Townsend show.