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Devin Townsend: Presents The Retinal ...

Progressive Rock/Metal

No Score (see below)

Website
Inside Out Music
by Craig Hartranft
10.17.2013

There's little reason to say anything about the soundtrack to Devin Townsend's The Retinal Circus, excepting maybe to explain the event. However, I suspect that if you're a Townsend fan, you probably know more than I do about this project and have already ordered your Blue-Ray DVD.

Devin Townsend: presents band.

Which is what everybody should do, and what I should be talking about in this review (seriously bummed), and so there's no need for a score.

The Retinal Circus is not merely an audio experience; it's an audio-visual experience of gloriously indulgent and bombastic cinema merging art, theatre, circus of the absurd and avant garde, and progressive music. Check out the video for Grace below to get a taste of what will be revealed upon, and blowing up, your TV and surround sound.

But what is The Retinal Circus? It was an event concocted by Townsend and his manager as a one-off theatrical concert, at The Roundhouse in London, highlighting music from his adventurous career, mostly stuff from The Devin Townsend Project. Sure, I guess you can simply enjoy The Retinal Circus as a 'headphone' experience. Then your brain won't have deal with the creepy cognitive dissonance you get with the often creepy shenanigans happening on stage, like the actors in white bent over backwards with creepy theatre masks walking about. Ouch! That's got to be hard on the spine. But then again, as always, Townsend's facial contortions are more than enough to creep me out anytime; but that's just Townsend being Townsend.

Anyway. The real deal here is to both hear and see this spectacle. DVD, please, Inside Out Music.

Devin Townsend - Grace

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Considering the theatrical nature of The Retinal Circus, I should be reviewing the DVD, and not the show's soundtrack. Sorry friends. Please enjoy the video below to get a sense of what I've missed.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]