@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach Kia Ora, Deadhead is an amazing song it's stacked with amazing musicianship, moments. The vocals are on the minimal side but when Devin does sing he's awesome, as per usual. I'd like to suggest the song WHY? This song is jam-packed with his brilliant vocals & Devin performed it fairly recently for a mini-"Quarantine Concert" he's supporting for a hospital/charitable cause, (I think). The song is "Why?" from his live Quarantine performances! Cheers Zoe. ruclips.net/video/xsd4ZkFVOHY/видео.html
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach If you decide to do Deadhead at RAH, remove the video or blur it out. It is notorious to get blocked. The Plovdiv one is slightly less risky.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach Funny thing is that if you ask Devin about his singing style, he'll say "I'm just yelling". i'll put in another vote for "Deadhead" from Royal Albert Hall. Deadhead is a love song he wrote to his wife when they were going through a difficult time. Also from the RAH concert, I'd suggest his trifecta of "Funeral / Bastard / Death of Music". Apparently, he wrote Funeral when he was 17, for a friend of his that was killed over a piece of clothing.
The hilarious thing about Devin is hes had very little training. He was the vocalist on Steve Vai's first solo album, and Vai sent him to see a vocal specialist he went there like 3 times, i think, to make sure he wasn't damaging his voice, and then never went again. Someone at a guitar clinic asked him how he hits his high screams and his reply was literally "sheer power of will." He doesn't take himself too seriously, often makes fun of himself and whatever cliches, and hes just an overall genuinely great guy. He usually can be seen around after shows greeting fans. I really recommend you check out more of him. Specifically i'd request something from his Royal Albert Hall show, like Funeral-Bastard-Death of Music. That trilogy of songs is fucking powerful.
Really? Wow! Some people just have the ability to tell what is good and bad for their voices so they just learn how to do it safely themselves. I lived with a death metal band at Uni and the guy took his vocal tech very seriously with warm ups, cool downs and the like. I encourage all my metal singers to work to low effort levels and let the mic do the work for them. Some singers just have tanks for voices though and they can go through anything - probs like Devin here. ;)
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach i think originally his technique was going to damage his vocal chords, but after the vocal cosch explained to him how to do it without wrecking his voice, he switched his technique and hes been fine for almost 30 years now! Some people do take it really seriously, and take care of their voice and whatnot, but as far as i can tell with Devin, he just does what he wants lol Hes got a natural gift to honestly do whatever he sets his mind to. Its honestly quite amazing. The depth and complexity of his music, lyrics, and vocal ability combined is astonishing. Not to mention the variation he uses, because he doesn’t *just* make progressive metal, hes been quoted as an “everythingist” lol. If hes not a god in metal, then hes definitely the most fascinating artist in metal, imo
he was vocalist on Steve Vai's third solo album Sex and Religion, which wasn't so much a solo album as the band was called Vai and was put together for that particular album. Steve had released Flexable and Passion & Warfare prior to Sex and Religion. Devin was only 19 maybe 20 years old at the time.
@@Blackened4everPS3he didn't even get that far with the vocal coach. The guy told him if he sang like that his voice would be blown in a year so Devin walked out.
He has hundreds of layers in his tracks. One of his videos on how he records he said there was 40 tracks of just his voice. He is so diverse and powerful.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach I can only agree. And he's spend years perfecting his "wall of sound" way of mixing. And although it's an attack on your hearing sense, you can actually hear every single instrument in the mix - with a good pair of speakers or headphones. He's an amazing producer and singer and guitarist and performer and and ... ;-). And such a nice guy on top. I saw him some years ago in a small venue in Denmark. And after the concert and all but 30 of us had left, the whole band and Devin came out on to the floor and just started chatting with people for 20-30 minuttes.
On one hand, it IS decades of practice and conditioning... on the other hand, Devy was involved with metal projects in high school and was performing/touring with Steve Vai by age 21. Some people really just seem to be born with it
Devin Townsend is the single most brilliant musician in the world today. He has no formal training. He sang for Steve Vai at 19, and a vocal doctor told him that he would lose his voice within two years if he continued to sing the way he did. That was 25 years ago, and his voice has only ever gotten stronger and better.
Devin is highly loved but highly unknown by todays metal heads. He will forever be at the top of all the worlds melodic singers in any genre in my opinion. Truly a inspiration that should never be lost in time. Ive loved him since the first time i heard "love" by strapping young lad over 2 decades ago.
Hi Zoe, If you haven’t heard of JINJER. They are a progressive metal band in a league of the own. Lyrically and musically would love to see your reaction to the song Pisces
I first discovered Devin on the late, great 'Three Hours of Power' metal show on Australia's TripleJ radio station back in the '90s. To this day Devin is still the single most brilliant musician on the planet.
Yes! The one he did for the CBC was wonderfully recorded. I think it may be blocked in some countries, but it really should be heard. He could be in "Les Mis". There's also a Hevy Devy surprise at the end.
The Charismatic Voice had an amazing interview with Devin fairly recently. I give that a watch. The Live at Plovdiv performance of Deadhead was unreal. Death of Music, same show, was also pretty incredible.
I am one of the eldest Devin Townsend fans, at least in Germany I guess. Since 1993, when I first heard him sing on "Sex& Religion" by Steve Vai. And then live with Vai. Lost track for some years then discovered his solo work. I have it almost all meanwhile. Not a single really bad album. The latest album "Empath" and the live album from the 2019/2020 tour are masterpieces. And the quarantine work. And interviews with him. Amazing artist!
I'll do you one better. I can tell you my favorite part about seeing his whole performance live. (I have done so 3 times now). His carefree nature on stage and during his performances yet everything musically is still kept at a high level. Cried tears of joy at all 3 shows.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach he is in Europe this year for some festivals touch wood I will get to see him in England at Bloodstock. He will also be in Helsinki Finland, Oslo Norway, Sofia Bulgaria and Budapest Hungary.
great reaction, great insight...You might want to check out 'Grace' from the live show, the retinal circus, Metal meets Gospel. You will also be introduced to Anika as a lovely bonus.
The most very little part of it was EVERYTHING. Heavy's been lacking humour in decades, 'cept for Lemmy. Now we've got Devin Townsend, Nanowar and Leo Moracchioli. The future's so great I've gotta wear headset.
Pro composer and record (vocal) producer for 25 years here and hope you read my long comment. Huge fan of Devin. So glad you did Kingdom. Everyone including me will recommend Devin’s performance of “Deadhead” at the Royal Albert Hall. And it’s amazing especially considering he had a cold. But I will highly suggest you (and all who love the Royal Albert Hall version) check out the Deadhead performance from Plovdiv. It’s even better. Either way you will absolutely be amazed, hypnotized, and emotionally moved not only by his performance, but also by the song itself. You will get goosebumps. I also highly highly recommend watching Tatiana Shmayluk from Jinjer performing “Pisces” live. In studio. Again, not only a shockingly amazing vocal performance that you literally have never seen/heard before, but also a masterpiece of composition, prosody between music and lyrical expression, and musicianship. Be amazed by Tatiana but listen back again and appreciate the equally amazing band. If you can’t believe what you hear, next watch “Who is gonna be the one” live and /or “Perennial” live at Wacken. Jinjer does not have one “bad” song. Across the board, Tatiana’s lyrics always dig deep and are poetic.
Thank you so much Matt! I will definitely take a look. Actually I love how Tatiana talks about how important her lyrics are to her and how much she wants them to be heard. She is a fantastic singer so I will definitely have to do an analysis of what is happening. Have an awesome day!
That beginning "Whoaaaa" isn't breathed in. His chest decompresses when he does it (indicating air leaving his lungs). If it was a "breathed in" scream, his chest would inflate due to the air intake. Good reaction video though!
I don't know, I rewatched it a couple of times and I still think it is possible he breathed in. I think the neck muscles working and the chest depressing is a by-product of the activation that occurs when breathing in on slack folds. I don't know actually, I would ask Devin himself.... dude are you breathing in? ;)
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach I also do not believe he is breathing in. I have seen so many interviews with Dev and in many he talks about how he sings and uses his voice, but not once has he ever said anything about breathing in rather he says he is using forced air through his voice to get the scream, or in his words "I scream until i taste blood then i know i'm ready lol" . But thanks and great reaction! :)
Thanks Zoe - Devin is my all-time favorite. As far as his voice goes - I would highly recommend his live performances, as he takes everything including his voice to epic levels. I enjoyed your reaction and analysis a lot. It's nice to see a vocal coach expanding your horizons, and working with a coach to learn new techniques. I've joined and hit your bell. Now that we're friends, tell me how to get you some money to react to another Devin request for me. And thanks for creating a station that shines a light on artist's work, and exposes them to your viewers. Cheers
And he’s ALWAYS this good, he’s easily among the best live performers and vocalists on the planet, and just one of the most likeable people you’ll ever come across 😁 I’m sure many have said it but Deadhead like at RAH or the live version at Plovdiv are both incredible, fanfreakingtastic song
Devin is not trained. He learned how to scream when he had a job working in a meat locker where he could sing and scream all he wanted an nobody could hear him. I know he does warmups for his voice now, but he was never formally trained in any style of singing. He gave a phenomenal vocal performance when he was 19 on Steve Vai's album 'Sex and Religion'. The song 'Still My Bleeding Heart' is still one of the best vocal performances he has ever given.
You want layers? Check out one of his more recently released songs, Genesis. The intro of the music video has some copyright issues around it, so might have to be muted/hidden, but a totally worthwhile and wild experience.
Does he do it all live or pre-record them? Some artists layer live on stage which is just insane, but I am loving the one man band thing he has going on.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach There is a live version, "Order of Magnitude" - but not sure how copyright deals with that. Again, you might need to blur some things out. For the official video, the first bit with the steeldrums need to be muted - the rest should be fine. The official video helps with keeping a lifeline of understanding what might be going on. The song is really somewhat of a roller coaster.
The layering is pre-recorded. Devin builds backing tracks for when he's on tour. In the case of the music video, he does the bulk of the work to bring all the parts and samples and such together for the final piece. The Empath album, which Genesis is the opening track, includes 3 drummers, multiple guitarists, a women's quoir, an orchestra and many vocal cameos including Chad from Nickleback.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach his whole “Empath” album is extraordinary, he used the Elektra Women’s Choir (from Canada, his home country) in many of the songs that gave a whole wonderful dimension to his music along with Che Aimee Dorval (another Canadian) and his “Metal Tinkerbell”, Anneke Van Geirsbergen. The man is a genius. For a real laid-back DT, give “Casualties of Cool” (With Dorval) a listen, it doesn’t disappoint!
If you are a metal fan you have heard of Nightwish yes? They are a must reaction wise, genius songwriting, fabulous musicians and the most versatile female vocalist bar none, check them out.......
I am a huge metal fan. And yes indeed I have heard of Nightwish.... I actually had tickets for their tour last year in Europe. ;) Floor Jansen is AMAZING!!!
Devin makes music that is perhaps too eclectic to be called metal these days. Experimental, avant garde? If you like metal you would probably be very interested in his performance with his old extreme metal group Strapping Young Lad. The video for the song "Love?" shows more of Hevi Devi's metal side (plus what he looked like in the mad scientist days before he started shaving his head). Give it a listen?
I don't know, I would call the beat metal for sure and the style but it could be called Electro metal... although who doesn't use a lot of electronic sounds these days? Grunge metal maybe, but the most of them have plugins and all sorts on their guitars. I will take a look. He is insane though!
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach this song was originally released in 2000. Genesis from his most recent album Empath is a good example of the the insane production he is currently capable of. It’s a rollercoaster as others have said, but it’s meant to be a kind of overture for the rest of the album. The live version from Order of Magnitude was done with a band; no click tracks or backing tracks. Not sure if a reaction to that one will get blocked, so maybe lots of pauses?
Props for mentioning Devin fronting Strapping Young Lad. I was scrolling through the comments to see if anyone brought it up yet. "Love?" is an awesome track. \m/
@@xtravagentk1275 ? Sorry I have to disagree with you on that one. Your vocal folds are just two little ligaments they are super flexible, but we use an inhale slack fold to release tension and retract the false vocal folds. Of course you can inhale scream, a lot of screamers do it. It stops putting pressure on the folds.
They also sound way different that normal, exhaled screams. Way worse in my opinion, but that's subjective. I have never heard Devy vocalize an inhalation.
To your point about "people like this are highly trained, highly motivated and they spend a lot of time practicing. This stuff does not come from nowhere." For some people it truly does come from nowhere. He went to a vocal coach one time that told him "You have no idea how to sing and if you continue this you will lose your voice." to which he responded "You can't tell me what to do." lol To directly quote him "I have no idea what I'm doing. I just scream until it tastes like blood and then 2 days later I'm ok again and then at that point a callous forms and I can do it for a certain amount of time .. it's .. it's not anything I would recommend. So what ends up happening on tour is that .. first three shows suck, fourth show and the fifth show I'm like on point and then it just goes downhill and then you have to sustain the remaining 30% of your capacity for the next 6 weeks by throwing your hands up and saying stupid shit."
This video is a few years old....and I don't know if anyone commented on this or not...but he's playing to his own backing track here...but to answer your questions @1:31...You're hearing his official album version of this song with his main vocal track removed (which he is singing along with), and his main guitar track removed (which he is playing along with).
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach No problem! As I'm sure others have suggested, you should listen to more of his content, either on your channel or just in your own free time. He really is exemplary both in his musical prowess and his overall personality. If you are into big, over-the-top live performances, you should watch the video for his song "Grace" from his "Retinal Circus" show. That would also possibly introduce you to Anneka van Giersbergen. She does a lot of backup vocals on his albums and tours with him occasionally (you can actually hear her backup vocals in this video for Kingdom). She's a doll with a tremendous voice.
This is why people say he's not a singer, he's a performer. And he ALWAYS knows where the active camera is. Btw, that guitar-looking thing on the right, with the hole at the top-left instead of at the base of the neck - what is it?
Welcome to the heavy Devy world, he is self trained. I'm a hardcore, long time fan of Devin, check out his earlier work, with strapping young lad, the song love? He rocks a bad ass skullet
He says he is more a guitar player than a singer. I would say he is even more a producer than anything. He really knows how to create the sounds and tone he wants and use effects and all the tech and has a great feel for atmosphere. He does use a backing track here, obviously, with drums, backing vocals and several guitar tracks. Because of his effects, especially the delay stuff, it's hard to tell what is track and what is live from his effects.
I liked! Very enjoyable and interesting reaction. Like others have said Devy has such a wide and varied catalogue, he is truly a progressive artist in that he doesn't sit still, a bit like Zappa. Also like Zappa he believes that "humour belongs in music" whilst still having a huge depth of emotion going on. His latest album is about mental health issues and really gives encouragement to anyone who is struggling with their health. Seen him a good few times and he is always superb. The first time he played Bloodstock (metal festival in the UK around 18000 fans) he and the band arrived and their gear didn't. Other artists lent equipment for them to do their gig however as they walked on the sample/effects machine decided to stop! So Devy entertained the audience for 10 to 15 minutes with comedy until they could actually start! No one walked away. The following year he and the band were invited back (as they didn't get to play their full set) and were there the day before they were due to play😂. We know because he made a comment about how he liked Enya based on Steve Hughes the comedian's set in the tent the night before! In case you haven't realised I kind of love this man! Being Canadian helps (my favourite ever band are/were Rush!)
Kia ora! Just a tid bit from a screamer, he's most definitely not breathing in. An exhaled fry scream (what is being displayed here) is much easier to control than inhaling whilst you are at a much more likely to experience vocal damage from inhale screams.
Congrats! You just leveled up. :) Devin is an absolute treasure. He really is a genius, like a real one. lol Imagine being more musically talented than 99.9% of *everyone on Earth* AND being the biggest doofus in the room. You should watch his performance of "Why?" for a Quarantine concert during the lockdown. It's vastly different than Kingdom. . .its another genre entirely. . .and he puts on a pretty goofy show. It'll make you cry both from laughing and just how friggin' beautiful it is. Do it! :) P.S. Autosub for Devin.
The King of big sounds !!! Dont worry that you have never heard of him . He is not even well known on his own country canada..there are canadian reactors that have never heard of him, shame on them...his live performances are amazing !!! Stay real and healthy..great reaction love the way you explained his singing technique...got a new Fan 🤟
Hi Zoe, you must be in heaven! The German's do take metal very seriously ;) And lucky you, the Netherlands is just down the road (we got some serious metal bands overhere)!
More Nightwish please! Just such a joy to hear knowledgeable folk enjoying what they do live. So much to choose from, ghost love score is where many start there journey (although I know you've dipped a toe already...)
Don't feel bad about not hearing about Devin before. I've listened to metal for years and only discovered him about a year ago. Guys even from my home province of BC!
Devin didnt rehearse that fryvocal technic that much.. he just start to do it. When he was younger he use to sing in choir. On one interview he said ”i dont have that kind of specific technic to screaming, i just do it and everytime i taste blood on my mouth”…
Motivated? Yes. Repetition? Yes. Trained? No. He actually has no idea how he does it and says as much. In his interviews he's mentioned in a back stage VIP thing he was supposed to do a vocal coaching session and the guy was like "I don't eat tomatoes and I dont blah blah blah and do this and that" and he was like "Oh shit I just kind of have a thing in my head on what I want something to sound like and just go for it I have no idea on how to teach this dude ANYTHING". He has a speaker so for one his audience in the middle front can get decent sound of everything but he also uses it to put a foot on and lean in to his diaphragm, probably the only vocal related technique he refers to. He was actually asked to try out for Judas Priest in his Strapping Young Lad(former band of his) days but he turned it down as he said it would ruin everything he loved about Judas Priest. I've met him and he's a super kind person who loves music and is a sensitive dude with some pretty cool outlooks on music. From his viewing of music in colors and shapes to his upbringing with bands like Enya that he tries to emulate. You should check out the lady that he partners with for music pretty often; Anneke Van Giersbergen. She is masterful vocalist like him and was one of the forerunners in female fronted metal!
Der Typ ist schon ewig Alt in der Szene aber lustiger Weise in Deutschland echt nicht so bekannt. Einfach Charismatisch der Mann! Würd gern mit meinen Stimmbändern diese Flexibilität hinkriegen aber nun... schwierig! :D
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach Es gibt so viele Bemerkenswerte Stimmen da draußen, man kann nicht alle kennen. Hab ihn durch "Straping Young Lad - Love" kennen gelernt, dass ist eine ganz andere Art. :D Und muss auch mal wieder mehr für die Stimme machen, da kriegt man ja richtig Bock wenn man das sieht! :D
Love me some Hevy Devy ;) You mention being a big metal fan. Metal is so diverse with a long history. Are you familiar with one of the grandfathers of Metal... Ronnie James Dio? He is one of the most iconic metal vocalists from the 70's through the 2000's. If you have not heard of him then you should definitely check out some of his work. He is mostly an operatic vocalist but he is capable of putting enough rasp into his vocals that it falls just short of growls (before growls were really a thing in metal.) I would suggest either the song 'Stargazer' from the band Rainbow, "Heaven and Hell' from his time with the band Black Sabbath, or the song "Eriel" from his solo band 'Dio' Plenty to choose from besides those, of course.. these are just some of the ones which I believe showcase much of his style. If you are already familiar with him then I will pitch my hat in with those who have suggested Jinjer - Pisces.
I actually don't know them. But I saw Man o war when they were in London .... I do like a bit of old metal so I shall check them out! LOVE Black Sabbath ;)
You should do reaction to the rich Baritone of one David Brockie. DBX or GWAR, any number of songs, he’s amazing. Maybe not Hevy Devy amazing, but can really sing.
No I haven't heard of them. I have been immersing myself in Eisbrecher & Alien Weaponry this week both amazing bands to check out. I will add Jinjer to the list! SO MANY COOL BANDS!!! Do you know Corvus Croax too? They are a Middle Age Rock / Metal Band. Insane.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach I checked them out and if you like music like that I highly recommend checking out Wardruna. The best I can describe it is primitive folk music that incorporates ancient languages and primitive instruments and the music has a lot of dark undertones
2:51 I guess breathing in is one way to do it, but other live versions such as this one ruclips.net/video/Qv4RqR0ud2g/видео.html shows he does it the other way.
To me, some of his most amazing stuff was when he teamed up with Steve Vai and was on the Sex & Religion album. Not natural for humans to do what he did on that album :)
You gotta do Deadhead live at Royal Albert Hall now. Welcome to the wild world of Devy!
Amazing!!! He is incredible. I am a big fan now. Insane vocals.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach Kia Ora, Deadhead is an amazing song it's stacked with amazing musicianship, moments. The vocals are on the minimal side but when Devin does sing he's awesome, as per usual.
I'd like to suggest the song WHY?
This song is jam-packed with his brilliant vocals & Devin performed it fairly recently for a mini-"Quarantine Concert" he's supporting for a hospital/charitable cause, (I think).
The song is "Why?" from his live Quarantine performances!
Cheers Zoe. ruclips.net/video/xsd4ZkFVOHY/видео.html
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach If you decide to do Deadhead at RAH, remove the video or blur it out. It is notorious to get blocked. The Plovdiv one is slightly less risky.
Also if you wanna see his goofier side check out Lucky Animals. Not too crazy on the vocal side of things but it's very very entertaining
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach Funny thing is that if you ask Devin about his singing style, he'll say "I'm just yelling".
i'll put in another vote for "Deadhead" from Royal Albert Hall. Deadhead is a love song he wrote to his wife when they were going through a difficult time. Also from the RAH concert, I'd suggest his trifecta of "Funeral / Bastard / Death of Music". Apparently, he wrote Funeral when he was 17, for a friend of his that was killed over a piece of clothing.
The hilarious thing about Devin is hes had very little training. He was the vocalist on Steve Vai's first solo album, and Vai sent him to see a vocal specialist he went there like 3 times, i think, to make sure he wasn't damaging his voice, and then never went again. Someone at a guitar clinic asked him how he hits his high screams and his reply was literally "sheer power of will." He doesn't take himself too seriously, often makes fun of himself and whatever cliches, and hes just an overall genuinely great guy. He usually can be seen around after shows greeting fans. I really recommend you check out more of him. Specifically i'd request something from his Royal Albert Hall show, like Funeral-Bastard-Death of Music. That trilogy of songs is fucking powerful.
Really? Wow! Some people just have the ability to tell what is good and bad for their voices so they just learn how to do it safely themselves.
I lived with a death metal band at Uni and the guy took his vocal tech very seriously with warm ups, cool downs and the like. I encourage all my metal singers to work to low effort levels and let the mic do the work for them.
Some singers just have tanks for voices though and they can go through anything - probs like Devin here. ;)
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach i think originally his technique was going to damage his vocal chords, but after the vocal cosch explained to him how to do it without wrecking his voice, he switched his technique and hes been fine for almost 30 years now!
Some people do take it really seriously, and take care of their voice and whatnot, but as far as i can tell with Devin, he just does what he wants lol
Hes got a natural gift to honestly do whatever he sets his mind to. Its honestly quite amazing. The depth and complexity of his music, lyrics, and vocal ability combined is astonishing. Not to mention the variation he uses, because he doesn’t *just* make progressive metal, hes been quoted as an “everythingist” lol. If hes not a god in metal, then hes definitely the most fascinating artist in metal, imo
The trilogy will blow your mind.
he was vocalist on Steve Vai's third solo album Sex and Religion, which wasn't so much a solo album as the band was called Vai and was put together for that particular album. Steve had released Flexable and Passion & Warfare prior to Sex and Religion. Devin was only 19 maybe 20 years old at the time.
@@Blackened4everPS3he didn't even get that far with the vocal coach. The guy told him if he sang like that his voice would be blown in a year so Devin walked out.
All of Devin's fry screams are exhaled in this video. no inhale screams...
This!
He has hundreds of layers in his tracks. One of his videos on how he records he said there was 40 tracks of just his voice. He is so diverse and powerful.
What?! That is amazing! What precision.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach I can only agree. And he's spend years perfecting his "wall of sound" way of mixing. And although it's an attack on your hearing sense, you can actually hear every single instrument in the mix - with a good pair of speakers or headphones. He's an amazing producer and singer and guitarist and performer and and ... ;-).
And such a nice guy on top. I saw him some years ago in a small venue in Denmark. And after the concert and all but 30 of us had left, the whole band and Devin came out on to the floor and just started chatting with people for 20-30 minuttes.
Next to his incredible voice Devin has the most charismatic and delightfully humoristic stage presence. He is a one in a million performer
He's amazing. You should watch his lockdown video from his home (Why / Quarantine Show), you'll love it. He's Puddles Pity Party's alter ego. :)
I will 100% have to check it out. He is amazing!
Wrong pale bald metal dude with amazing voice XD Puddles is Mike Geier. I would really love to hear them collab though 0_0
@@FlyinyourSoup It's sarcasm based on their build, bald head and both have great voices...hence the :)
@@DianaRussia531 Ahhh, whoosh over my head!
@@FlyinyourSoup It's all good. You get an A for trying to help. :)
On one hand, it IS decades of practice and conditioning... on the other hand, Devy was involved with metal projects in high school and was performing/touring with Steve Vai by age 21. Some people really just seem to be born with it
Devin was 19 when he worked with Steve
it came from nowhere - he was found by Steve Vai in '91.
Devin Townsend is the single most brilliant musician in the world today.
He has no formal training. He sang for Steve Vai at 19, and a vocal doctor told him that he would lose his voice within two years if he continued to sing the way he did.
That was 25 years ago, and his voice has only ever gotten stronger and better.
He's a consummate entertainer - there's a video of him entertaining a crowd in Spain for about 15 or so minutes when his computers failed.
Epic!!!
Welcome to all my fellow Devin Townsend reaction fans. On to the next!
Devin is highly loved but highly unknown by todays metal heads. He will forever be at the top of all the worlds melodic singers in any genre in my opinion. Truly a inspiration that should never be lost in time. Ive loved him since the first time i heard "love" by strapping young lad over 2 decades ago.
Hi Zoe, If you haven’t heard of JINJER. They are a progressive metal band in a league of the own. Lyrically and musically would love to see your reaction to the song Pisces
Tati is the queen
Absolutely. I didn't see your comment before I posted my suggestion for them as well. Love Jinjer!
I looked at her today! Video coming on Thursday!!!
I first discovered Devin on the late, great 'Three Hours of Power' metal show on Australia's TripleJ radio station back in the '90s.
To this day Devin is still the single most brilliant musician on the planet.
He does a great version of "Bring him Home". Well worth checking out
Amazing! I will have to check it out ;)
Yes! The one he did for the CBC was wonderfully recorded. I think it may be blocked in some countries, but it really should be heard. He could be in "Les Mis". There's also a Hevy Devy surprise at the end.
Devin's done entire albums where he's played every instrument and produced the whole thing by himself.
The Charismatic Voice had an amazing interview with Devin fairly recently. I give that a watch. The Live at Plovdiv performance of Deadhead was unreal. Death of Music, same show, was also pretty incredible.
I am one of the eldest Devin Townsend fans, at least in Germany I guess. Since 1993, when I first heard him sing on "Sex& Religion" by Steve Vai. And then live with Vai. Lost track for some years then discovered his solo work. I have it almost all meanwhile. Not a single really bad album. The latest album "Empath" and the live album from the 2019/2020 tour are masterpieces. And the quarantine work. And interviews with him. Amazing artist!
The man is just next level musical genius. I attempt similar approaches to my own vocals but I know I'm never gonna get anywhere his power and range!
Devin is awesome.
Yes that he is!
I'll do you one better. I can tell you my favorite part about seeing his whole performance live. (I have done so 3 times now). His carefree nature on stage and during his performances yet everything musically is still kept at a high level. Cried tears of joy at all 3 shows.
Wow!!!! How lucky are you??! I need to check when he is in Europe next. Insane vocalist and musican.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach he is in Europe this year for some festivals touch wood I will get to see him in England at Bloodstock. He will also be in Helsinki Finland, Oslo Norway, Sofia Bulgaria and Budapest Hungary.
great reaction, great insight...You might want to check out 'Grace' from the live show, the retinal circus, Metal meets Gospel. You will also be introduced to Anika as a lovely bonus.
The most very little part of it was EVERYTHING. Heavy's been lacking humour in decades, 'cept for Lemmy. Now we've got Devin Townsend, Nanowar and Leo Moracchioli. The future's so great I've gotta wear headset.
The only thing surpassing Devins voice is Devins showmanship.
The dude is 200% pure, clean cut charisma.
Pro composer and record (vocal) producer for 25 years here and hope you read my long comment. Huge fan of Devin. So glad you did Kingdom. Everyone including me will recommend Devin’s performance of “Deadhead” at the Royal Albert Hall. And it’s amazing especially considering he had a cold. But I will highly suggest you (and all who love the Royal Albert Hall version) check out the Deadhead performance from Plovdiv. It’s even better. Either way you will absolutely be amazed, hypnotized, and emotionally moved not only by his performance, but also by the song itself. You will get goosebumps.
I also highly highly recommend watching Tatiana Shmayluk from Jinjer performing “Pisces” live. In studio. Again, not only a shockingly amazing vocal performance that you literally have never seen/heard before, but also a masterpiece of composition, prosody between music and lyrical expression, and musicianship. Be amazed by Tatiana but listen back again and appreciate the equally amazing band. If you can’t believe what you hear, next watch “Who is gonna be the one” live and /or “Perennial” live at Wacken. Jinjer does not have one “bad” song. Across the board, Tatiana’s lyrics always dig deep and are poetic.
Thank you so much Matt! I will definitely take a look. Actually I love how Tatiana talks about how important her lyrics are to her and how much she wants them to be heard. She is a fantastic singer so I will definitely have to do an analysis of what is happening. Have an awesome day!
That beginning "Whoaaaa" isn't breathed in. His chest decompresses when he does it (indicating air leaving his lungs). If it was a "breathed in" scream, his chest would inflate due to the air intake.
Good reaction video though!
Thank you! I stand corrected! I shall take another look.
I don't know, I rewatched it a couple of times and I still think it is possible he breathed in. I think the neck muscles working and the chest depressing is a by-product of the activation that occurs when breathing in on slack folds.
I don't know actually, I would ask Devin himself.... dude are you breathing in? ;)
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach I also do not believe he is breathing in. I have seen so many interviews with Dev and in many he talks about how he sings and uses his voice, but not once has he ever said anything about breathing in rather he says he is using forced air through his voice to get the scream, or in his words "I scream until i taste blood then i know i'm ready lol" . But thanks and great reaction! :)
Thanks Zoe - Devin is my all-time favorite. As far as his voice goes - I would highly recommend his live performances, as he takes everything including his voice to epic levels. I enjoyed your reaction and analysis a lot. It's nice to see a vocal coach expanding your horizons, and working with a coach to learn new techniques. I've joined and hit your bell. Now that we're friends, tell me how to get you some money to react to another Devin request for me. And thanks for creating a station that shines a light on artist's work, and exposes them to your viewers. Cheers
And he’s ALWAYS this good, he’s easily among the best live performers and vocalists on the planet, and just one of the most likeable people you’ll ever come across 😁 I’m sure many have said it but Deadhead like at RAH or the live version at Plovdiv are both incredible, fanfreakingtastic song
Thx U Zoe - Devin is BRILLIANT, as was your analysis / insights ‼️ He’s a 💯 professional & showman. 🤍🇺🇸dear
Devin is not trained. He learned how to scream when he had a job working in a meat locker where he could sing and scream all he wanted an nobody could hear him.
I know he does warmups for his voice now, but he was never formally trained in any style of singing. He gave a phenomenal vocal performance when he was 19 on Steve Vai's album 'Sex and Religion'. The song 'Still My Bleeding Heart' is still one of the best vocal performances he has ever given.
you contracting your abs as he contracts his is priceless
I love the explanations you give on how he is able to achieve his vocals! I love Devy :)
Thank you!!! Hope they help ;)
You want layers? Check out one of his more recently released songs, Genesis. The intro of the music video has some copyright issues around it, so might have to be muted/hidden, but a totally worthwhile and wild experience.
Does he do it all live or pre-record them? Some artists layer live on stage which is just insane, but I am loving the one man band thing he has going on.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach There is a live version, "Order of Magnitude" - but not sure how copyright deals with that. Again, you might need to blur some things out. For the official video, the first bit with the steeldrums need to be muted - the rest should be fine. The official video helps with keeping a lifeline of understanding what might be going on. The song is really somewhat of a roller coaster.
The layering is pre-recorded. Devin builds backing tracks for when he's on tour. In the case of the music video, he does the bulk of the work to bring all the parts and samples and such together for the final piece. The Empath album, which Genesis is the opening track, includes 3 drummers, multiple guitarists, a women's quoir, an orchestra and many vocal cameos including Chad from Nickleback.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach his whole “Empath” album is extraordinary, he used the Elektra Women’s Choir (from Canada, his home country) in many of the songs that gave a whole wonderful dimension to his music along with Che Aimee Dorval (another Canadian) and his “Metal Tinkerbell”, Anneke Van Geirsbergen. The man is a genius. For a real laid-back DT, give “Casualties of Cool” (With Dorval) a listen, it doesn’t disappoint!
I love the colour of your room. Like a cloud free sky.
Thank you so much! I love it too!
If you are a metal fan you have heard of Nightwish yes? They are a must reaction wise, genius songwriting, fabulous musicians and the most versatile female vocalist bar none, check them out.......
I am a huge metal fan. And yes indeed I have heard of Nightwish.... I actually had tickets for their tour last year in Europe. ;) Floor Jansen is AMAZING!!!
Devin makes music that is perhaps too eclectic to be called metal these days. Experimental, avant garde? If you like metal you would probably be very interested in his performance with his old extreme metal group Strapping Young Lad. The video for the song "Love?" shows more of Hevi Devi's metal side (plus what he looked like in the mad scientist days before he started shaving his head). Give it a listen?
I don't know, I would call the beat metal for sure and the style but it could be called Electro metal... although who doesn't use a lot of electronic sounds these days? Grunge metal maybe, but the most of them have plugins and all sorts on their guitars.
I will take a look. He is insane though!
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach this song was originally released in 2000.
Genesis from his most recent album Empath is a good example of the the insane production he is currently capable of. It’s a rollercoaster as others have said, but it’s meant to be a kind of overture for the rest of the album. The live version from Order of Magnitude was done with a band; no click tracks or backing tracks. Not sure if a reaction to that one will get blocked, so maybe lots of pauses?
Props for mentioning Devin fronting Strapping Young Lad. I was scrolling through the comments to see if anyone brought it up yet. "Love?" is an awesome track. \m/
Ooooh girl, I hope you enjoy getting lost down the wonderful rabbit hole of Devin's catalogue. Cheers!!
I’m pretty sure he isn’t doing inhales
It was just an idea, it seemed to me like one, but I am more than happy to be proven wrong ;)
Thanx for a lovely reaction and welcom to the world of Devin Townsend! Please checkout the song "Why" from his Quarentin show!
I’ve seen plenty of reactions to this video, but I think you’re the first person I’ve seen who has mentioned the inhale scream.
Really? The inhale scream is actually super quiet and is done on slack vocal folds.
Because it's not an inhale at all, though. Roger Waters does inhale scream a lot on Careful With That Axe, Eugene.
Ehcmier is correct. No inhales here.
That's because Devin doesn't inhale scream. And no one should to be honest, your vocal chords aren't meant to flex in that direction.
@@xtravagentk1275 ? Sorry I have to disagree with you on that one. Your vocal folds are just two little ligaments they are super flexible, but we use an inhale slack fold to release tension and retract the false vocal folds. Of course you can inhale scream, a lot of screamers do it. It stops putting pressure on the folds.
You're not alone, I never heard of him until about 6 months ago. He was in Strapping young Lads if that helps.
Cracking reaction and loving the dragonforce t-shirt!!
Zoe you should react to another great singer:
Tatiana Schmaylyuk
Lead singer of band Jinjer
Song:
-Pisces
(Live session)
I just watched this! Insane!!!!!
Tati is a goddess
Courtney LaPlante... Also a goddess
Devin Townsend fry screams. No competent metal vocalist would do inhale screams, they're dangerous.
Agreed, there is no way in hell that was an intake of breath... Im nowhere close to a vocal coach and even I know that.
They also sound way different that normal, exhaled screams. Way worse in my opinion, but that's subjective.
I have never heard Devy vocalize an inhalation.
To your point about "people like this are highly trained, highly motivated and they spend a lot of time practicing. This stuff does not come from nowhere." For some people it truly does come from nowhere. He went to a vocal coach one time that told him "You have no idea how to sing and if you continue this you will lose your voice." to which he responded "You can't tell me what to do." lol To directly quote him "I have no idea what I'm doing. I just scream until it tastes like blood and then 2 days later I'm ok again and then at that point a callous forms and I can do it for a certain amount of time .. it's .. it's not anything I would recommend. So what ends up happening on tour is that .. first three shows suck, fourth show and the fifth show I'm like on point and then it just goes downhill and then you have to sustain the remaining 30% of your capacity for the next 6 weeks by throwing your hands up and saying stupid shit."
i love your voice and cool form of your reacts jejejeje
Thanks José! Thank you for your support ;)
This video is a few years old....and I don't know if anyone commented on this or not...but he's playing to his own backing track here...but to answer your questions @1:31...You're hearing his official album version of this song with his main vocal track removed (which he is singing along with), and his main guitar track removed (which he is playing along with).
Ah ! Ok! Thank you for the insight, I haven't heard the original before
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach No problem! As I'm sure others have suggested, you should listen to more of his content, either on your channel or just in your own free time. He really is exemplary both in his musical prowess and his overall personality. If you are into big, over-the-top live performances, you should watch the video for his song "Grace" from his "Retinal Circus" show. That would also possibly introduce you to Anneka van Giersbergen. She does a lot of backup vocals on his albums and tours with him occasionally (you can actually hear her backup vocals in this video for Kingdom). She's a doll with a tremendous voice.
So, i see your reaction of Nightwish , The Devil and the deep dark Ocean. Now, Devy. Please more of both. With a❤from northern germany
You must listen to » why » the most incredible vocal i Nevers heard of my Life
This is why people say he's not a singer, he's a performer.
And he ALWAYS knows where the active camera is.
Btw, that guitar-looking thing on the right, with the hole at the top-left instead of at the base of the neck - what is it?
Welcome to the heavy Devy world, he is self trained.
I'm a hardcore, long time fan of Devin, check out his earlier work, with strapping young lad, the song love?
He rocks a bad ass skullet
Time for some Devin and Anneke. "Ih Ah!" is a good one =)
He says he is more a guitar player than a singer. I would say he is even more a producer than anything. He really knows how to create the sounds and tone he wants and use effects and all the tech and has a great feel for atmosphere. He does use a backing track here, obviously, with drums, backing vocals and several guitar tracks. Because of his effects, especially the delay stuff, it's hard to tell what is track and what is live from his effects.
Lol... No one ever expects it. Devin is God 🤘🔥💯
I liked! Very enjoyable and interesting reaction.
Like others have said Devy has such a wide and varied catalogue, he is truly a progressive artist in that he doesn't sit still, a bit like Zappa. Also like Zappa he believes that "humour belongs in music" whilst still having a huge depth of emotion going on. His latest album is about mental health issues and really gives encouragement to anyone who is struggling with their health.
Seen him a good few times and he is always superb. The first time he played Bloodstock (metal festival in the UK around 18000 fans) he and the band arrived and their gear didn't. Other artists lent equipment for them to do their gig however as they walked on the sample/effects machine decided to stop! So Devy entertained the audience for 10 to 15 minutes with comedy until they could actually start! No one walked away. The following year he and the band were invited back (as they didn't get to play their full set) and were there the day before they were due to play😂. We know because he made a comment about how he liked Enya based on Steve Hughes the comedian's set in the tent the night before!
In case you haven't realised I kind of love this man! Being Canadian helps (my favourite ever band are/were Rush!)
Check out Dirty Black Hole from Steve Vai’s album Sex & Religion on which Devi sang 20+ years ago.
You've listened to some really great artists but I don't see the Band Jinjer here???????
I obviously need to check them out cause I have like 5 requests for Jinjer. Added to the top of the list!
There is a video of him doing the set up for this, it includes making some of the loops. His lock-down releases are worth checking out.
Kia ora! Just a tid bit from a screamer, he's most definitely not breathing in. An exhaled fry scream (what is being displayed here) is much easier to control than inhaling whilst you are at a much more likely to experience vocal damage from inhale screams.
Congrats! You just leveled up. :)
Devin is an absolute treasure. He really is a genius, like a real one. lol Imagine being more musically talented than 99.9% of *everyone on Earth* AND being the biggest doofus in the room.
You should watch his performance of "Why?" for a Quarantine concert during the lockdown.
It's vastly different than Kingdom. . .its another genre entirely. . .and he puts on a pretty goofy show. It'll make you cry both from laughing and just how friggin' beautiful it is.
Do it! :)
P.S.
Autosub for Devin.
Devin is a beast and might be the best singer/musician in the prog metal universe
Have a check at Deadhead and death of music at the Royal Albert hall
Ah Heavy Devy is so awesome. Talented & lovely
Greetings from Oz
The King of big sounds !!! Dont worry that you have never heard of him . He is not even well known on his own country canada..there are canadian reactors that have never heard of him, shame on them...his live performances are amazing !!! Stay real and healthy..great reaction love the way you explained his singing technique...got a new Fan 🤟
Please react to Devin's performance of "Deadhead " Live at Royal Albert Hall! Love your reaction!
Hi Zoe, you must be in heaven! The German's do take metal very seriously ;) And lucky you, the Netherlands is just down the road (we got some serious metal bands overhere)!
Really am! I am loving hearing the new arists it is so cool!
Definitely have to check out Deadhead live at royal albert hall, iknow its been suggested already, but its just an awesome example of the mans talentm
He sings country too. Casualties of Cool is one of his side projects.
More Nightwish please! Just such a joy to hear knowledgeable folk enjoying what they do live. So much to choose from, ghost love score is where many start there journey (although I know you've dipped a toe already...)
His production is Spactor-esque in a Wall of Sound style.
Yes, he has a massive amount of layered tracks to everything he does.
Yes!
Got to check out Leprous (Castaway Angels for beautiful song or a Slave for powerful one)
Ever heard of Strapping Young Lad? Devin was their frontman too. Check out Love by them
the latest quarantine show showcased a masterclass in vocals in The Death Of Music
Don't feel bad about not hearing about Devin before. I've listened to metal for years and only discovered him about a year ago. Guys even from my home province of BC!
Devin didnt rehearse that fryvocal technic that much.. he just start to do it. When he was younger he use to sing in choir.
On one interview he said ”i dont have that kind of specific technic to screaming, i just do it and everytime i taste blood on my mouth”…
Oh jesus really?! That is insane! Not great 😵💫
Strapping Young Lad is is earlier band. Worlds apart visually and musically.
So I hear!
Kia Ora? Sorry to hear that. I was out of there well before the business qr code scanning movement happened. Also, Townsend is badass.
Breathing in!? He definitely isn't. Gotta love these experts eh?
Definitely not a metal expert here, why would you think he isn't breathing in just out of curiosity? He could be doing one or the other couldn't he?
Watch closer... he braces his whole body to get that power.... Watch him plant his feet. :D
Check out his first band, Strapping Young Lad, now that is some heavy stuff.
Hey Zoe, new sub here. Found you from watching your Jinjer reaction and analysis. I have a request for Pantera, Cemetery gates please.
Motivated? Yes. Repetition? Yes. Trained? No. He actually has no idea how he does it and says as much. In his interviews he's mentioned in a back stage VIP thing he was supposed to do a vocal coaching session and the guy was like "I don't eat tomatoes and I dont blah blah blah and do this and that" and he was like "Oh shit I just kind of have a thing in my head on what I want something to sound like and just go for it I have no idea on how to teach this dude ANYTHING". He has a speaker so for one his audience in the middle front can get decent sound of everything but he also uses it to put a foot on and lean in to his diaphragm, probably the only vocal related technique he refers to. He was actually asked to try out for Judas Priest in his Strapping Young Lad(former band of his) days but he turned it down as he said it would ruin everything he loved about Judas Priest. I've met him and he's a super kind person who loves music and is a sensitive dude with some pretty cool outlooks on music. From his viewing of music in colors and shapes to his upbringing with bands like Enya that he tries to emulate. You should check out the lady that he partners with for music pretty often; Anneke Van Giersbergen. She is masterful vocalist like him and was one of the forerunners in female fronted metal!
Kia ora...kia kaha!
I'd love to hear your opinion on Seven Nation Army, the PostmodernJukebox version (New Orleans Jazz style) featuring Haley Reinhard
Amazing I love that cover!
You should check out the band Leprous, for s similar operatic style voice in rock music.
I never get tired of seeing people's faces when DevGod sings his first note hahahaha
I love how he looks surprised that he can sing that well lol
Absolutely! It was a huge surprise. BUT he is amazing.
Der Typ ist schon ewig Alt in der Szene aber lustiger Weise in Deutschland echt nicht so bekannt.
Einfach Charismatisch der Mann! Würd gern mit meinen Stimmbändern diese Flexibilität hinkriegen aber nun... schwierig! :D
Ehrlich gesagt ich hatte ihm nicht gekannt, es kam als emphehlung von einer Freund von mir. Aber hat sich gelohnt! Devin ist einfach genial!!!
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach Es gibt so viele Bemerkenswerte Stimmen da draußen, man kann nicht alle kennen. Hab ihn durch "Straping Young Lad - Love" kennen gelernt, dass ist eine ganz andere Art. :D Und muss auch mal wieder mehr für die Stimme machen, da kriegt man ja richtig Bock wenn man das sieht! :D
He's wagging his finger at the cameras. Dude is Is a 100% performer.
Yes that he is!!! I just found it funny that it was in time with his vibrato. Awesome dude.
Love me some Hevy Devy ;)
You mention being a big metal fan. Metal is so diverse with a long history. Are you familiar with one of the grandfathers of Metal... Ronnie James Dio?
He is one of the most iconic metal vocalists from the 70's through the 2000's.
If you have not heard of him then you should definitely check out some of his work. He is mostly an operatic vocalist but he is capable of putting enough rasp into his vocals that it falls just short of growls (before growls were really a thing in metal.)
I would suggest either the song 'Stargazer' from the band Rainbow, "Heaven and Hell' from his time with the band Black Sabbath, or the song "Eriel" from his solo band 'Dio'
Plenty to choose from besides those, of course.. these are just some of the ones which I believe showcase much of his style.
If you are already familiar with him then I will pitch my hat in with those who have suggested Jinjer - Pisces.
I actually don't know them. But I saw Man o war when they were in London .... I do like a bit of old metal so I shall check them out!
LOVE Black Sabbath ;)
reacts to a song of the band of steve vai with devin still my blood and still my heart is an old song but is so great
I will take a look! Thank you for the recommendation!
He's not a squealer though! He exhaled the woah hunny.
You should do reaction to the rich Baritone of one David Brockie. DBX or GWAR, any number of songs, he’s amazing. Maybe not Hevy Devy amazing, but can really sing.
He can definitely sing that is for sure! Even my mother said "don't like the music, but he has a nice voice" ;)
Kia ora kiwi chick. Its awesome to hear a nz'er react
woo hoo Daryll! NZers in the HOUSE!!!!
Cool reaction, have you heard of Jinjer? If no I'd highly recommend checking them out. Pisces is a great starting point
No I haven't heard of them. I have been immersing myself in Eisbrecher & Alien Weaponry this week both amazing bands to check out. I will add Jinjer to the list! SO MANY COOL BANDS!!!
Do you know Corvus Croax too? They are a Middle Age Rock / Metal Band. Insane.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach I do know Alien Weaponry but haven't heard corvus croax tbh but now I'm curious do gonna have to look them up
@@justdave9610 Amazing. It is pretty strange music but I saw them at a medieval festival here in Germany last year and they are incredible.
@@ZoeStibiVocalCoach I checked them out and if you like music like that I highly recommend checking out Wardruna. The best I can describe it is primitive folk music that incorporates ancient languages and primitive instruments and the music has a lot of dark undertones
Please check out El Creepo - Arabian Rose at some point
You should probably check out spirit box and jinjer
2:51 I guess breathing in is one way to do it, but other live versions such as this one ruclips.net/video/Qv4RqR0ud2g/видео.html shows he does it the other way.
I shall take a look thank you!
To me, some of his most amazing stuff was when he teamed up with Steve Vai and was on the Sex & Religion album. Not natural for humans to do what he did on that album :)
He is not a supergod of métal but a supergod of music, he is not from this earth
Mistaking good screaming for inhales is kind of a beginner's mistake. Devin doesn't do inhales. Everything's the real deal.
Fair enough. I am not a screamer and do not pretend that I am an expert on the matter. It is just one way to skin the cat.