Oh, Devin why do you do this? Album number twenty-three started as a rock opera in 2017 and then ran into funding difficulties. In that time, the Canadian maestro undertook music theory and composition classes, hoping to return to the project as his pièce de résistance. But this not a project; this is a life’s work. So, does the quality match the ambition of pairing with the Noord Nederlands Orkest for a new chapter in progressive metal?
Devin’s intimate declaration, “I am so in love with you,” in the opening ‘Semi-prologue’ is heartfelt. You can see the performers lined up and waiting to release the tension as if this is a Béla Bartók ballet. We know his voice is perfect for this type of music, and he goes for the overwhelming rather than the underwhelming approach. ‘War Beyond Words’ is the first time we hear a metallic flavouring to the music with Meshuggah offbeats and a blockbuster Jerry Goldsmith-esque score. Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering) rears her head for the first of many appearances in this movement, this time following the onomatopoeia of the woodwind. It’s already clear by the title-track that Devin can capture the avant-garde power of Stravinsky and enshroud it in a divine beauty that’s consistent with his last few records.
Like most rock and metal reviewers, the question is an uncomfortable one for us: are we are even qualified to review this opus? Danny Elfman’s orchestral score for the 1989 Batman movie is a good reference point for the dark manoeuvring behind the surface pomposity. The drums and percussion understand their function is to lend power to the sharp dynamics rather than establish constant rhythms for you to clap along to in unison. Track six (‘Covered by Causes’) is the first real song you can dig into at eight minutes in length, and it starts with a fuming power chord, and an accompanying roar at the microphone that could melt the snow caps. It’s not long before Devin retreats to a delicate combination of voice and brooding strings with Anneke van Giersbergen completing the chemistry. Observe how they complete this adventure with mutual admiration. The thrill here is the unpredictable and linear structure of the music. Does anything repeat? No, and that’s where rock and metal fans might struggle if their understanding and appreciation for twentieth-century classical music is limited. Fortunately, Devin ramps up his guitar at the 05:10 mark and demands a response from his drummer to lock in for a stadium rock cameo.
It may be a long opera, but few of the compositions come in over three minutes on The Moth. The heavens open up like whirlpools in the sky in ‘Runaways’. ‘The Mothers’ would not be out of place on The Sound of Music soundtrack. A splendid blossom of spring arrives in ‘Orion’ replete with the obligatory open chord chugging of the guitar. If there’s one criticism here, it’s the unimaginative use of the six-string axe in this epic adventure. Most symphonic metal artists succumb to this when they go all in on the opera side, the exception being Devin’s friend and occasional collaborator, Ihsahn (Emperor).
An uncomfortable truth lingers throughout the listening experience: it’s easy to switch off during moments of epic grandeur that deserve nothing but adulation. This failure is impossible to reconcile with your goodwill and respect for the Canadian metal genius. Reaching the ‘Intermission’ at track fourteen feels like a personal triumph despite Devin’s remarkable vibrato oscillation in ‘Home at Night’, which is nothing short of brilliant.
The second act tiptoes through the night with an excitable fear until we reach the orthodox symphonic metal might of ‘Prepare for War’. You can see why he chose it as the lead single for the album. It could appear on any of Devin’s solo efforts or in the glorious era of the Devin Townsend Project (DTP). String movements pass through the guitars like invisible currents. Drums feel their way in with eyes closed. A synthesiser throbs underneath as if waiting for Devin’s instructions to shut down. You know the crescendo will come in the successor piece, ‘The Big Snit’, and it does not disappoint when it reaches its zenith.
It’ll astonish you how these compositions can pass by in a flourish of rising oxygen levels. Let’s be honest: Townsend’s twenty-third LP will take many spins before we can hum it. The race to the finish line in the last four songs will also earn your gratitude. How is it possible to summarise something as ambitious as this? It isn’t. That’s why you need to trust your own ears. In some ways, The Moth is an entry point for your classically trained Japanese girlfriend who knows little about rock music and wants to understand it. Metalheads will be more sceptical yet willing to broaden their horizons for their hero. If anyone deserves your patience, it’s HevyDevy.
Kirk Houghton
Verdict
Release Date:29/05/2026
Record Label: HevyDevy Records, Inc., issued under exclusive licence to InsideOutMusic
Standout tracks: N/A
Suggested Further Listening: John Williams – Star Wars OST (1977), Danny Elfman – Batman OST (1989), Ihsahn – Ihsahn (2024)