Devin Townsend announces Empath Live In America will be released in August

Devin Townsend has announced that he will release a new live album, Empath Live In America, on August 4 through InsideOut Music.

The new release is the third in his Devolution series of releases, and was recorded during the tour that was cut short in early 2020 due to the onset of the Covid pandemic. The line-up for the tour saw Devin joined by former Frank Zappa guitarist Mike Keneally, former Haken keyboardist Diego Tejeida, Nathan Navarro, Morgan Ågren and Ché Aimee. You can watch a new live video for Evermore below.

“Hello everyone," Devin explains, "continuing in the Devolution series of albums (which has been an avenue for us to release cool little curiosities on the side of regular releases) we bring you Devolution #3 - Empath Live In America.

"This was a very unique tour for me, and one that was regrettably cut short by the pandemic. It was a stripped back version of the Order Of Magnitude band (without choir and a few other members…), but as i try to do with each tour, the goal was to make this a unique and special night. Therefore, this tour marked a ‘free form’ version of the material. There were no backing tracks, click tracks, or even a setlist, so every night was unique and different. The audience yelled out requests and we just rolled with it. The material was therefore interpreted in unique ways and the experience was a very special ‘fly by the seat of our pants’ musical night.

"It’s a raw and off kilter performance and I’m thrilled to have documented it. Until the next ‘real’ release, I hope you enjoy this rarity from a special, albeit ill-fated tour."

Townsend will join Dream Theater and Animals As Leaders on the Dream Sonic US tour throughout June and July.

Empath Live In America will be available as a limited CD digipak, gatefold 180g 2LP and as digital album. You can see the new album artwork below.

Pre-order Empath Live In America.

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.