Devin Garret Townsend also known as “HevyDevy”, was born may 5th,1972, from Westminister B.C. Canada and is best know for being the founder, songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for the progressive death/thrash/industrial metal band Strapping Young Lad. Along with his solo career The Devin Townsend Project, a experimental, ambient, progressive rock style. As well as being a record producer for his own label HevyDevy Records.
Growing up he would watch and listen to his grandfather play the piano, it really influenced him to play music and be loud about it. At age 5 he started playing the banjo. Later by age 12 he began playing the guitar.
In high school he played in several metal bands. At age 19 he started a band called Grey skies. He also played with the locally popular group, Caustic Thought. He replaced then guitarist Jed Simon who as well as the bassist Byron Stroud later joined Townsend’s band Strapping Young Lad.
After high school in 1993, Devin was asked to do the lead vocals for Steve Vai’s album, Sex and Religion. Shortly after recording and touring with Steve Vai, he realized he wasn’t pleased with the music industry and decided to do a solo album called Strapping Young Lad, which later became their band’s name. Strapping Young Lad’s debut album “Really Heavy Thing” was released in 1995, followed by “City” in 1997, self title album in 2003, “Alien” in 2005, and “The New Black” in 2006.
He worked on several solo albums, first being “Ocean Machine: Biomech” in 1997, “Infinity” in 1998, “Physicist” in 2000, “Terria” in 2001, “Accelerated Evolution” in 2003, “Devlab” in 2004, “Sychestra” ( HevyDevy Records) in 2006, “The Hummer” in 2006, “Ziltoid The Omniscient” in 2007. Along with working and producing with associated acts such as; Steve Vai, IR8, Punky Bruster, Front Line Assembly, Noisescapes, Ayreon, and The Wildhearts as wellas many others.
Starting The Devin Townsend Project, he planned to release a four album series, each album having a different theme and having different artist’s feature on each album as well. Their first album “Ki” was released in may of 2009, “Addicted” in November of 2009, “Deconstruction” and “Ghost” are both due to be released in June of 2011.
He uses a variety of techniques including finger picking, sweep picking, tapping, and polychords. Also using reverb and delay effects.
He has been signed with Roadrunner Records and Century Media Records and also starting his own record label HevyDevy Records.
Townsends influences are that of, KIng’s X, Grotus, Jane’s Addiction, Faith No More, Zoviet France, The Young Gods, Ravi Shankar, Ween, Morbid Angel, Fear Factory, Meshuggah, Judas Priest, Frank Zappa, Wasp, Broadway musicals, classical composer Igor Stravinsky, Tom Waits, and Yes.