Synchestra

Synchestra
Studio album by The Devin Townsend Band
Released	January 30, 2006
Recorded	2005 at the Devlab, Armoury Studios, and Hipposonic
Genre	Progressive metal, hard rock, alternative rock
Length	65:20
Label	HevyDevy
Producer	Devin Townsend
The Devin Townsend Band chronology
Accelerated Evolution (2003) Synchestra (2006)
Devin Townsend chronology
Devlab (2004) Synchestra (2006) The New Black (2006)

Professional ratings
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Source	Rating
Allmusic
Blabbermouth.net
BW&BK
Chronicles of Chaos

Synchestra (/sɪŋˈkɛstrə/ sing-KES-trə) is the eighth solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the second album he recorded with The Devin Townsend Band. The album was released in January 2006 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.

After releasing four solo albums under the name Devin Townsend, each with a different recording lineup, Townsend decided in 2002 to assemble a permanent band for his solo material. He formed the Devin Townsend Band, consisting of Brian Waddell on guitar, Mike Young on bass, Ryan Van Poederooyen on drums, and Dave Young on keyboards. The newly formed group released their first album, Accelerated Evolution, in March 2003. The group recorded and toured for the album while Townsend's extreme metal project, Strapping Young Lad, were doing the same for their third release, Strapping Young Lad.

At the end of a whirlwind year, Townsend began working on Strapping Young Lad's fourth album, Alien, in March 2004. Feeling that Strapping Young Lad did not live up to expectations, Townsend decided to take the next album to a new extreme. To prepare for Alien, Townsend stopped taking the medication prescribed to treat his bipolar disorder. "I think that as an artist, in order for me to get to the next plateau, I kind of feel the need to explore things and sometimes that exploration leads you to places that are a little crazy," he explained. "And Alien was no exception with that."

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Wikipedia