5th of May, 1972, Devin Townsend was born in Canada, New Westminster. After having played guitar in such esoteric bands as Grey Skies, Caustic Thought and Noisescapes he was asked by Steve Vai to join a new band of Vai's as a singer and guitarist. He was nineteen at that time.
He toured around the world, but couldn't stand the "L.A. rock scene" as he describes that life style in a song by Strapping Young Lad, band of his. He starts writing his own material and some time later the already mentioned monstrous phenomenon called "Strapping Young Lad" releases its first album "Heavy as a really heavy thing."
Townsend releases two more albums with SYL and moves on to less aggressive material. His next project, a band called Ocean Machine releases an album called "biomech" which consists of 74 intense minutes of progressive pop-rock with metal influence thrown in. This album serves as a gate to Townsend's next project, "Infinity."
Infinity was a product of a year-long mind torturing work in a studio. Pouring all his creative imagination into this project left him incapable of normal life and - according to his own words - he just lied on a couch for a year after finishing "Infinity." He suspects he will never record another Infinity-like record.
Instead Devin Townsend moves on trying to combine the creativity of Infinity with the heaviness of Strapping Young Lad the result being "Physicist," an album he himself doesn't seem to be content with.
Time passes by and in 2001 he releases "Terria," the thickest and most layered album he has ever created. Though full of peace and tranquility, the music is still distinguishingly aggressive metal.
In the end of 2002 he is planning to release two new albums, one with Strapping Young Lad and another one as a new musician orientated project. No one really knows what to expect from this manic genius, expect his next album will always be better than the previous one.
He has also a personal life, is married to a beautiful wife called Tracy, has a few cats and a dog, "CANADA" tattooed on his leg, et cetera.