THE EMANCIPATION OF DEVIN TOWNSEND

Sitting in an oversized colourful cardigan, sipping a herbal tea and joking from the off, the Devin Townsend that greets us in his Cardiff dressing room is the witty and enthusiastic figure we’ve long come to expect. It’s even more remarkable given that he’s just spent 22 hours on a coach travelling from a show in Zurich – a testament to how much he’s enjoying his current European trek.

Encouragingly, this is in stark contrast to the last time Hammer met up with him, in London in April 2019, during a string of acoustic shows following the release of his gargantuan solo album, Empath. Instead of being on a high after completing the biggest and most personal project of his career, the affable Devin seemed to be burned out, reflecting on what he dubbed a “midlife crisis” and the ordeal of the album’s creation. In particular, the dissolution of his former band, the Devin Townsend Project, had clearly been troubling him. It’s therefore only polite that we start by asking if he’s feeling better.

“I feel great, thank you, man,” comes the relief-tinged