Infinity (Devin Townsend album)

Infinity
Infinity
Studio album by Devin Townsend
Released	October 21, 1998
Recorded	November 1997 – July 1998
Studio	Red Stripe Studios, Burnaby, BC, Canada;; Premier, Coquitlam, BC, Canada;
Genre	Progressive metal; progressive rock; jazz fusion; experimental rock;
Length	46:41
Label	HevyDevy Records; Sony Records (Japanese edition); USG Records and EastWest (German edition); InsideOut (2000 and 2010 re-issue);
Producer	Devin Townsend
Devin Townsend chronology
Devin Townsend overall chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Chronicles of Chaos	6/10^[1]

Infinity is the third solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the first released under his real name. The album was released in October 1998 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.

Background

After the completion of Strapping Young Lad's extreme metal album City and his solo progressive rock release Ocean Machine: Biomech, Townsend began to approach a mental breakdown. "I started to see human beings as little lonesome, water based, pink meat," he explained, "life forms pushing air through themselves and making noises that the other little pieces of meat seemed to understand." In 1997, he checked himself into a mental-health hospital, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The diagnosis helped him understand where the two sides of his music were coming from; he felt his disorder "gave birth to the two extremes that are Strapping's City record and Ocean Machine's Biomech."^[2]

After being discharged from the hospital, Townsend found that "everything just clicked" and he was able to write his third solo album, Infinity, which he described as "the parent project" of City and Biomech.^[2] Townsend returned to the studio, accompanied by drummer Gene Hoglan, to work on the album, on which Townsend played most of the instruments. During the recording sessions, Devin slept on the studio floor.^[3] Devin has claimed Infinity was partly inspired by experimentation with LSD and other psychedelic drugs.^[4]

A music video was made for the song "Christeen".^[5]

Music

The first two minutes of the track "OM" have occasionally been played live as an intro of sorts to other songs, and were demoed for inclusion on Addicted (later appearing on Contain Us). The "Infinite Waltz" section of "Processional" was later used as the outro to "The Mighty Masturbator" from Deconstruction. The track "Truth" was re-recorded for Transcendence, the seventh studio album by the Devin Townsend Project. "OM" was played live in its entirety in 2017 at the Ancient Roman Theater in Plovdiv. The entirety of the album was played in sequence, along with outtakes Om, Sit in the Mountain, and Processional, in a ticketed live stream concert on February 5, 2022 as part of the Quarantine Concert Series.^[6]

Release

Infinity was released in October 1998 on Townsend's independent label, HevyDevy Records. It was distributed in Canada by HevyDevy, in Japan by Sony, and in Europe initially by USG Records and later on by InsideOut and with three bonus tracks.

Track listing

The InsideOut release of Infinity had different titles for several tracks; these are listed in parentheses. The InsideOut release of Infinity also contained three bonus tracks.

All tracks are written by Devin Townsend, except "Christeen" by Townsend and Ginger

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Truth"	3:58
2.	"Christeen"	3:41
3.	"Bad Devil"	4:52
4.	"War"	6:29
5.	"Soul Driven" ("Soul Driven Cadillac")	5:14
6.	"Ants"	2:01
7.	"Colonial Boy" ("Wild Colonial Boy")	3:04
8.	"Dynamics" ("Life Is All Dynamics")	5:08
9.	"Unity"	6:07
10.	"Noisy Pink Bubbles"	5:22
Total length:		46:41

Bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
11.	"Sister" (Live acoustic version)	2:15
12.	"Hide Nowhere" (Live acoustic version)	5:03
13.	"Man" ('96 Demo)	5:12
Total length:		59:11

Remastered 2023 bonus disc
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Om" (Demo)	6:18
2.	"Sit In The Mountain" (Demo)	3:16
3.	"Processional" (Demo) "Star Child Rise" "Welcome Home" "Metamorph" "Infinite Waltz"	11:42
4.	"Love-Load" (Demo)	5:01
5.	"Sister" (Live Acoustic)	2:16
6.	"Hide Nowhere" (Live Acoustic)	5:03
7.	"Man" (‘96 Demo)	5:12
Total length:		38:48

The original track listing intended for Infinity was different from its final release. Due to the record label's time restraints, Townsend could not finish some of the tracks. These were later included on the Christeen + Four Demos EP. The original track list was:^[7]

Original track list
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Truth"	3:58
2.	"Processional" "Star Child Rise" "Welcome Home" "Metamorph" "Infinite Waltz"	11:42
3.	"Christeen"	3:41
4.	"War"	6:29
5.	"Soul Driven"	5:14
6.	"Om"	6:18
7.	"Dynamics"	5:08
8.	"Unity"	6:07
Total length:		48:37

Personnel

Music

Devin Townsend – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, programming
Gene Hoglan – drums
Christian Olde Wolbers – upright bass
Andy Codrington – trombone
Chris Valagao Mina – guitar, backing vocal
Erin Townsend, Lyn Townsend, Dave Townsend, Naomi, Tanya Evans, Lara Uthoff, Brad Jackson, Jennifer Lewis – additional vocals
Jamie Meyer – piano solo (track 3)

Production

Devin Townsend – production, recording, engineering, mixing, digital editing, digital assembly
Mark Gordon – bass engineering
Matteo Caratozzolo – assistance, digital editing
Mark Gordon – assistance
Byron Stroud – assistance
Marty Schwartz – assistance
Ross Gale – assistance
Ramon Donati – assistance
Scott Ternan – assistance
Pete Wonsiak – mixing, additional recording
Matteo Caratozzolo – additional recording
Jennifer Lewis – digital editing
Jamie Meyer – digital assembly
Brett Anthony – digital assembly
Greg Reely – mastering
Tracy Turner – management

Artwork

Mille Thorsen – layout and design
Aaron Mason – photography

Chart performance

Chart (1998)	Peak position
Oricon (Japan)^[8]	29

Chart (2023)	Peak position
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)^[9]	19

References

^ Schwarz, Paul (January 16, 1999) http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-1064_devin_townsend_infinity.aspx" Chronicles of Chaos.
^ ^a ^b Ingham, Chris (1998). "Metal Hammer Interviews Devin". Far Beyond Metal. Archived from the original on 2007-05-22. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
^ "Devin Townsend: 'I Wanna be Part of Something. I Don't Wanna be the Thing' | Interviews @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com". Archived from the original on 2014-12-25. Retrieved 2014-12-25.
^ "- YouTube". YouTube.^{[dead YouTube link]}
^ "Devin Townsend - Christeen + 4 Demos". hevydevy.com. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
^ "Devin Townsend Setlist at Shoreline Studios, Vancouver". setlist.fm.
^ "FAQ". HevyDevy Records. Archived from the original on 2009-02-19.
^ (in Japanese) "∞（インフィニティ）/デビン・タウンゼンド." Oricon. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 1, 2023.

External links

Infinity (HevyDevy Records)
Infinity (InsideOut Music)

[schwarz-19990116-1] Schwarz, Paul (January 16, 1999) http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-1064_devin_townsend_infinity.aspx" Chronicles of Chaos.

[fbm-interview-2] Ingham, Chris (1998). "Metal Hammer Interviews Devin". Far Beyond Metal. Archived from the original on 2007-05-22. Retrieved 2007-11-21.

[3] "Devin Townsend: 'I Wanna be Part of Something. I Don't Wanna be the Thing' | Interviews @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com". Archived from the original on 2014-12-25. Retrieved 2014-12-25.

[4] "- YouTube". YouTube.^{[dead YouTube link]}

[5] "Devin Townsend - Christeen + 4 Demos". hevydevy.com. Retrieved 30 May 2019.

[6] "Devin Townsend Setlist at Shoreline Studios, Vancouver". setlist.fm.

[hevydevy-faq-7] "FAQ". HevyDevy Records. Archived from the original on 2009-02-19.

[8] (in Japanese) "∞（インフィニティ）/デビン・タウンゼンド." Oricon. Retrieved June 1, 2009.

[ac_UKRock_-9] "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 1, 2023.

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