Devin Townsend Project North American Tour – REVIEW

The Devin Townsend Project’s North American tour brought them to Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago. With them came supporting act, The Ocean. You can check out our review after the review.

It was particularly dark and rainy the night this tour came through Chicago, but that didn’t stop the fans from making it out to the show. The lines simply went on and on, even out into the surrounding blocks. As metal fans from all across the Chicago area stood undaunted in the icy cold temperature, and freezing rain.

When the doors opened, Reggies Rock Club was literally packed so densely, you could barely breathe. As time went on and as the tension mounted, the fans screamed louder and louder until the entire club had erupted into a powerful chorus of voices. Then the music came…thunderous, pounding, and immense, the crowd grew wild!

The Ocean was the first to take stage, a young, but extremely talented band hailing from Germany. Their music was a combination of Post Metal and Doom Rock combined with electronic soundscapes. It was very clear that the lead vocalist, Loic Rossetti, was emotionally involved in the music, just by looking at his facial expressions and stage presence. It was very dramatic, showing just how deeply real this was to them him as a singer and to the band as a whole. The drummer, Luc Hess, was particularly entertaining to watch. His finesse, creativity, and intriguing style added immensely to the band’s stage presence! With an anthem-like sound to their music, they had many of the fans singing along to the majority of their songs, and when “Roots and Locusts” was played the fans cheered loudly; with fists in the air, their voices were heard almost as loud as Loic’s! Their surreal, abstract videos and cinematic soundtrack of doom simply took your breath away. The overall atmosphere in their music was a thrilling concept, leaving you begging for more! But the night was far from over…

The pure, wild, and utter ferocity of the Devin Townsend Project’s music raised literal hell on stage, not to mention the insanity it unleashed among the crowd. Over the speakers, the choir, and orchestra blended with the incredibly versatile voice of Devin Townsend. It was a truly epic and theatrical experience. The band played many of their biggest hits such as “Supercrush” and “Stand.” Devin himself was a monster on stage, throwing himself wildly about the stage with incredible intensity and speed, all while still playing his guitar and screaming at the top of his lungs. For hours the band played, but there was no need to stop, the fans relished in it. Throughout the night, the band continued to perform flawlessly and aggressively, as tight as if they were in the studio. For a first time participant, the experience was incredible. The music aspect alone is simply unlike any other band in the industry.

All in all, with intensive head banging, creative videos, flashing lights, shredding guitar solos, and brilliant crowd control, the night was truly a wild one! Without a doubt these bands are a must see for any metal fan.

Information about the review…
Tour: Devin Townsend Project North American Tour feat The Ocean
Bands: The Devin Townsend Project and The Ocean
Reviewer: David DelRe
Date: October 19, 2011
Venue: Reggies Rock Club in Chicago, IL