In a recent interview with Jamey Jasta, Steve Vai spoke about Devin Townsend’s music.
Vai first met Devin in the early 1990s. He knew that Townsend was exceptional. Even though Devin’s music was heavy in the 1990s, Vai said it wasn’t like regular metal. According to him, there’s something about it that might not be obvious to someone new to his music. The guitarist added:
“And let me tell you something else about Devin. His music, no matter how intense it is, it’s not evil. Inside of it, there’s this beaming desire for light, for transformation.”
Vai also talked about how cathartic the music was for Devin:
“I’ve watched him create, and I’ve watched how his music was a cathartic process for him in the pathway to his own sense of being centered and comfortable in his skin. Just like many of us, but he’s unique in that he was able to really get that intensity out without any excuses.”
Vai And Devin Collaborated In The Past
Townsend handled the lead vocals in Vai’s 1993 album, ‘Sex & Religion.’ Still, the musician is not quite happy with his collaboration with Steve. In a 2023 appearance on the Monsters, Madness, and Magic podcast, he revealed:
“Well, to clarify it, it had very little to do with Steve. He’s offered me an incredible opportunity; it changed my life and has set me up in a scenario here where we’re talking today. So before I answer that further, it’s important that that’s a foregone conclusion there.”
Later, he clarified why he was not satisfied with the record:
“But I wasn’t happy because since the very beginning — well, at least since I started putting together my own musical thoughts — I had always perceived the nature of music to be rooted in something beyond people, divine in a way.”
Devin also went on a world tour with Vai after the album’s release. The rocker also had another tour with Vai but this time as the opening band for him with his band, the Wildhearts.
You can watch Vai’s entire chat below.
