December 2024 Featured Release - The Gateway Edition

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month's feature release for The Gateway, nominated by me (Shadowdoom9 (Andi)), is the brand-new album by Canadian progressive metal mastermind Devin Townsend, PowerNerd. He has just made his comeback into metal, 5 years after Empath, serving up his usual prog-metal blended with a lot more of the alt-metal of his Project album Addicted. PowerNerd has a lot to offer for anyone around here looking for more of his amazing creativity.

https://metal.academy/releases/55675

Here's my review summary:

For over a decade, I've considered myself to be a metal nerd. Not to brag, but I know a lot about the different metal bands and genres I've listened to all these years. Even when I seem to distance myself from a genre or at least bands from a genre and have done it for a few years, I can still remember many of my experiences with those bands' material. One of those artists is Devin Townsend. With his new album PowerNerd, he once again explores different genres while standing by his prog/alt-metal. Some tracks are filled with anthemic and joyful rock, while a couple others are soft and spacey. Devin Townsend fans are once again reminded of what a progressive metal superhero he is. While I have my own metal heroes, I don't mind revisiting this musical genius once in a while and checking out amazing offerings like this one. Creativity can be anyone's superpower, but he isn't just anyone!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "PowerNerd", "Knuckledragger", "Ubelia", "Jainism", "Glacier", "Goodbye"

For fans of: the 2009 albums of Devin Townsend Project, Strapping Young Lad, Nothing More