Devin Townsend talks collaborations on new album Empath

Devin Townsend (Image credit: Adam Gasson - Getty)

Devin Townsend has released the latest chapter in his documentary series which sees him explore the making of his new studio album Empath.

The record will be released on March 29 via InsideOut (opens in new tab) on CD, 2LP/CD, on digital and streaming platforms and as a limited edition 2CD featuring bonus material.

The latest episode is titled The People and sees the vocalist and guitarist talk about the musicians who helped him create the album – including Frank Zappa alumni Mike Keneally.

Townsend says: “Mike Keneally – what an absolute honour to work with this guy. He’s a great dude and just unrelentingly brilliant. He came to town with Joe Satriani and I talked to him and I was like, ‘Would you like to be on this record, can you be involved with this?’

“It’s another guy that is so colourful and so unique, but also so advanced that it’s not like the type of person I’m going to be like, ‘I want you to play this.’ It’s going to be somebody that can bring things that are completely foreign."

The 10-minute film, also features Morgan Ågren, Anup Sastry, Samus Paulicelli, the Elektra Women’s Choir and the Lords Of The Sound orchestra.

Townsend is also joined on the album by Nathan Navarro, Elliot Desagnes, Steve Vai, Chad Kroeger, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Ché Aimee Dorval and Ryan Dhale.

Devin Townsend: Empath
1. Castaway
2. Genesis
3. Spirits Will Collide
4. Evermore
5. Sprite
6. Hear Me
7. Why
8. Borderlands
9. Requiem
10. Singularity Part 1 – Adrift
11. Singularity Part 2 – I Am I
12. Singularity Part 3 – There Be Monsters
13. Singularity Part 4 – Curious Gods
14. Singularity Part 5 – Silicon Scientists
15. Singularity Part 6 – Here Comes The Sun

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers and magazines as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. After initially joining our news desk in the summer of 2014, he moved to the e-commerce team full-time in 2020. He maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott grew up listening to rock and prog, cutting his teeth on bands such as Marillion and Magnum before his focus shifted to alternative and post-punk in the late 80s. His favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Drab Majesty, but he also still has a deep love of Rush.