Devin Townsend "PowerNerd" (2CD+BD-A w/Atmos) 10/25/2024

[Thonolan]

Blu-ray authoring is very poor I must say. Initial Menu is a very bare/poor screen where you can only select tracks and audio setup. The song Powernerd plays in the background, in stereo. Not even the effort of having a dedicated music for the menus, maybe taken from the extra tracks of the second CD. Oh, those extra tracks are not present in the Blu-ray, not even in HiRes stereo. They could (should) have included those extra tracks, a dedicated 5.1 audio mix, maybe a couple of videoclips or a brief "making of" of the album or a simple interview with Devin. And the commentary version doesn't appear here. Songs have static images and the title and that's it.

That's disappointing, considering that for instance the blu-ray of his 2019 album Empath was quite impressive content-wise.

I had my usual couple of listens in stereo to get familiar with the music and I'll hopefully find some spare time to check out the Atmos mix (from Apple Music) later today and see if it's worth investing in the physical release. I have an Atmos system (7.2.4) and I'll report after listening.

I have to say I wasn't impressed with the music. Not truly disappointed, either - it's Devin, sounds like Devin, and I those first two spins were enjoyable, but for his own standards I found most of the songs fairly simple, unadventurous and kinda samey, albeit with a pleasant sound to these ears. A good thing about it is that, as with every new release or re-release we've got from him in the last 5-6 years, it's not badly brickwalled. The stereo mix shows a relatively healthy (for modern standards) DR 9. Devin had his DR 6-7 era for a long time (2002-2018 or so) but he's consistently around 9-10 as of lately.

 

[Thonolan]

So I listened to the Atmos mix on Apple Music (7.2.4 system as mentioned in the post above). It's a mixed bag. Generally, I'd say it's a good mix, very good at certain moments, but not without caveats. It's discrete, it sounds absolutely huge and immersive... when it does, but it's inconsistent. Being Devin's first foray into Atmos mixing, it's fair to say he hasn't quite mastered the skill yet in my opinion.

So first the bad stuff:

- Almost all vocals, guitars, bass and drums are exclusively restricted to the front L/R speakers. The heavy stuff sounds pretty much right this way, but when it's a softer section that isn't supported by synth/electronic work, it's sounds way too small and thin in the whole soundscape. I'm not talking about dynamics here; soft/loud dynamics are great, but it isn't about that, but about certain soft sections not sounding immersive at all, devoid of any sense of space.
- He almost never uses the other channels for backing/harmony vocals. I think this is a mistake. Those trademark, bigger-than-life choruses would sound even fuller had he used the side, rear and height channels for vocal work as well. Instead, he only put synths and (sometimes) some reverb from the vocals at those moments.
- Sometimes it sounds like he got it totally right and then, in a comparable musical section, he plays it a lot safer and you wonder why the mixing choices seem inconsistent from track to track. It reminds me of Riverside's Id.Entity's Atmos and 5.1 mixes in this respect, although Devin's mix is better IMO.

The good:

- When it sounds good, it sounds really good, which makes you think he can truly deliver with more experience.
- Even in its safer moments the mix is definitely discrete, and especially the keyboard work (which resides mostly in the side and rear speakers, with some additional support from the heights) sounds a lot more detailed and easier to appreciate than in the stereo mix. The occasional swirling electronic sounds are cool and stand out easily. Center channel is seldom used, expect for a few vocal phrases here and there and some instrumental effect/short solo, but sounds good to me when it happens.
- His signature "wall of sound" is made for Atmos. Once you get to hear his music like this, even if it's a somewhat flawed mix, you can't really go back to stereo without the impression you're missing a lot. So it's definitely a better listening experience overall than the stereo - just about the same at times, better or a lot better most of the time.

The music is growing on me. I still think it isn't really brilliant for Devin's standards but it's a good one.

Again, this are first impressions based on lossy streaming Atmos, never intended to be a serious/reliable review.

 

[beerking]

Mine arrived today
I have to say that I'm not that impressed with it , after one listen.
I've always liked Devin's mixes and music.
But this Dolby Atmos mix is missing a trick by not utilising all the channels.

I'm tempted to send it back to Amazon.

 

[FrankieZappa]

Mine arrived today
I have to say that I'm not that impressed with it , after one listen.
I've always liked Devin's mixes and music.
But this Dolby Atmos mix is missing a trick by not utilising all the channels.

I'm tempted to send it back to Amazon.

I must say I'm tempted too.
Don't get me wrong, it's a nice album and some tracks are great (Janeism, Ubelia, Younger Lover, Goodbye) but the Blu-ray isn't that essential and the second CD with bonus tracks is a bit under-par.
Something tells me to send it back and buy the single standard jewel CD.

 

[stoopid]

Devy's one of only a few artists I'm buying most of his stuff blindly on release the past several years. He prices it fairly low (if purchased from the 'right' places or a few months after as demand slips/old stock gets discounted) and comes with a surround mix, plus bonus stuff, and always a quality art-ish book of some form. It's a good offering at the price point, even if I'm never 100% behind every minute of his music it's a fun, if anything odd journey. He kinda falls into the 'Metal Zappa' bucket for me, blending some absurdity into his pop/rock/metal/industrial/thrash thing. He does make some very pleasant and emotive songs as well, when he feels like it.

Not trying to convince anyone into what/what not to do, or what we should or should not like. But perhaps there's more to buying albums than the single act of listening. I've voluntarily listened to Death Magnetic in the past year. If it was only about listening, with ears that understand and can hear 'quality mixing,' then that should never happen. [and that's the 'fixed' pirated version of DM that sounds significantly "better" ]

My deluxe set arrived, just ripped to MP3 and will be giving it a listen in the coming days. It will be a bit before I can sample the atmos mix on my 5.1 system and confirm the prior complaints.

 

[Thonolan]

But perhaps there's more to buying albums than the single act of listening.

That certainly applies to myself when it comes to Devin. I like him, I think he's an unique artist in the scene and the simple act of supporting him by buying his albums feels good to me. Plus I like these artbooks. They're a bit big, but never too bulky, and I always enjoy having a look at them while listening when possible. And it's a good mix, far from perfect but still mostly enjoyable for me.

 

[beerking]

Well, I have returned it.
Just couldn't get on with it
I reckon Devin thought, I haven't released much lately and produced this album, with the fad of Dolby Atmos as the mix element.
Shame he didn't include a 5.1 mix
Who play tested it?

I expect I could get a better result if I twiddled with me knobs.
But being spoilt with Steve's Atmos mixes, that's something I never have to do.
And Bruce etc.

Don't get me wrong I like most of the music and I have all his other surround releases.
But sometimes it's just not good enough.
So come on Devin let's get a corker out next time.

 

[LTW]

The waveforms of the 7.1.4 foldown (from the streaming version) probably confirm what people have been saying about the mix. The first few tracks have a fair amount of surround activity but it really drops off in the middle of the album. There must've been issues during the mixing stage as Devin has much done more immersive 5.1 mixes before. There are whole passages where the heights or sides are completely silent.

 

[Thonolan]

The waveforms of the 7.1.4 foldown (from the streaming version) probably confirm what people have been saying about the mix. The first few tracks have a fair amount of surround activity but it really drops off in the middle of the album.

Thanks for confirming that. I forgot to mention that in my review, but the second half of the album is indeed a lot more conservative mixwise - hence my remarks about the inconsistency of the mix.

 

[LTW]

On another note, Ubelia really reminds me of the NZ band Shihad and their song 'Pacifier'. Very similar chords and melody in the chorus.

 

[rugene]

Get rid of those art books so we can buy them at a decent price. I don't want to read the full story behind the music.

 

[mandrix]

I don't know if Townsend is indeed a polymath. All I know is I have to been in the mood to listen to his work.

 

[rugene]

Devins says in this interview, that he didn't take the time to make a solid Atmos mix on Powernerd, but it's going to be better on his next project "The Moth"

 

[FrankieZappa]

Devins says in this interview, that he didn't take the time to make a solid Atmos mix on Powernerd, but it's going to be better on his next project "The Moth"

Well, It just seems like this album was done in some sort of a hurry. Very Devin-unlikely.
Like beerking I am returning the album as well, I just don’t like these under-par operations. Uncle Dev I forgive you.
Supporting the artist is fundamental for me though, so as soon as I return it I will order the standard Cd in jewel case.
Next stop, Groningen, The Netherlands for The Moth show in March ‘25!