# Accelerated Evolution

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***Accelerated Evolution*** is the sixth studio album by Canadian musician [Devin Townsend](/source/Devin_Townsend), released in 2003. The album, written and produced by Townsend, was a mix of musical styles such as [alternative rock](/source/Alternative_rock), [hard rock](/source/Hard_rock) and [progressive metal](/source/Progressive_metal). Townsend, the lead vocalist and guitarist, assembled a group of [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver) musicians to perform with him on the album: guitarist Brian Waddell, drummer [Ryan Van Poederooyen](/source/Ryan_Van_Poederooyen), bassist Mike Young, and keyboardist [Dave Young](/source/Dave_Young_(musician,_born_1982)). This lineup, the Devin Townsend Band, was Townsend's first dedicated lineup for his solo material, and was created as a counterpart to Townsend's [extreme metal](/source/Extreme_metal) project [Strapping Young Lad](/source/Strapping_Young_Lad).

*Accelerated Evolution* was written and recorded at the same time as Strapping Young Lad's [self-titled album](/source/Strapping_Young_Lad_(album)), with Townsend dividing his energy between the two. *Accelerated Evolution* was recorded in [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver), [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia), from September to November 2002, and was released on Townsend's independent label, HevyDevy Records, in March 2003. The album was well received by critics for its blend of genres and influences, its musical accessibility, and its large-scale [rock](/source/Rock_music) production style.

## Background

During the creation of his early solo albums *[Infinity](/source/Infinity_(Devin_Townsend_album))* (1998) and *[Physicist](/source/Physicist_(album))* (2000), Devin Townsend's writing ability was affected by personal struggles. These were resolved during the creation of the album *[Terria](/source/Terria_(Devin_Townsend_album))* (2001) and Townsend felt a newfound enthusiasm for his music.[1] In 2002, Townsend began work on his next two albums and reunited his [extreme metal](/source/Extreme_metal) project [Strapping Young Lad](/source/Strapping_Young_Lad), which had been on hiatus for four years.[2]

Townsend formed a new, permanent band called The Devin Townsend Band to record and tour his solo releases. It consisted of Brian Waddell on [guitar](/source/Guitar), [Ryan Van Poederooyen](/source/Ryan_Van_Poederooyen) on drums, and brothers Mike Young and [Dave Young](/source/Dave_Young_(musician,_born_1982)) on [bass](/source/Bass_guitar) and keyboards, respectively. Townsend performed guitar, vocals, and production. Townsend chose members of local bands who had different life and career experiences than him to provide fresh perspectives on his music. He wrote and produced the band's first album at the same time he was working on an album for Strapping Young Lad called *SYL*,[1] spending half the week on one and half on the other.[3] The album was [engineered](/source/Audio_engineering) and [mixed](/source/Audio_mixing_(recorded_music)) by Townsend and Shaun Thingvold, who worked on many of Townsend's and Strapping Young Lad's albums. The album had the working title *Relationships*[4] but was renamed *Accelerated Evolution*, a nod to the frantic pace of putting a new band together in under a year.[1]

## Music

*Accelerated Evolution* was written to be a polar opposite of *SYL*.[5] The album blended aspects of [alternative rock](/source/Alternative_rock),[6] [hard rock](/source/Hard_rock), and [progressive metal](/source/Progressive_metal),[7] with elements of [heavy metal music](/source/Heavy_metal_music), [ambient music](/source/Ambient_music), and [experimental music](/source/Experimental_music).[5] The album is more melodic and rock-based than *SYL* or *Physicist*, with a heavier focus on individual songs than *Terria*.[8] It was influenced by artists such as [John Lennon](/source/John_Lennon), [Jimi Hendrix](/source/Jimi_Hendrix), and [Rush](/source/Rush_(band)).[9]

Songs such as "Storm", "Suicide", and "Sunday Afternoon" were noted as "less frantic and more mature" than songs on Townsend's *[Infinity](/source/Infinity_(Devin_Townsend_album))* album.[8] "Deadhead" derived its name from an extreme [industrial metal](/source/Industrial_metal) track with the same title from [Godflesh](/source/Godflesh)'s 1989 album *[Streetcleaner](/source/Streetcleaner)*.[10] Townsend's goal was for the album to be commercially viable, making his existing style more concise and accessible but avoiding [pop music](/source/Pop_music) characteristics.[1] He utilized clean vocals much more than in his previous albums, and produced and mixed the album in his trademark [wall of sound](/source/Wall_of_sound) style, blending layers of guitars, keyboards, and vocals.[5]

## Release

*Accelerated Evolution* was released on 31 March 2003[11] on Townsend's independent label, HevyDevy Records. It is distributed in Canada by HevyDevy, in Japan by [Sony](/source/Sony_Music_Entertainment), and in Europe and North America by [InsideOut](/source/InsideOut_Music). The album art was created by [Travis Smith](/source/Travis_Smith_(artist)). InsideOut also released a special edition of the album which contained a 3-track EP called *Project EKO*, Townsend's first foray into [electronica](/source/Electronica).[12] The album reached number 135 on the French albums chart[13] and number 249 on the Japanese albums chart.[14]

After the release of *Accelerated Evolution*, Townsend toured with The Devin Townsend Band, at times separately from Strapping Young Lad[15] and other times sharing the bill.[16] After playing two release shows in Vancouver in July 2003,[17] The Devin Townsend Band toured Canada with [Strapping Young Lad](/source/Strapping_Young_Lad) and [Zimmers Hole](/source/Zimmers_Hole) in October 2003.[18] This was followed by a North American tour with [progressive metal](/source/Progressive_metal) band [Symphony X](/source/Symphony_X) through November and December 2003.[18][19]

## Critical reception

*Accelerated Evolution* was well received by critics.[4] They cited that the album blended different genres of music, making it accessible to a wider audience.[9][20][7][21] Thomas Hatton, in writing for Treble Magazine, said that the album's wall of sound characteristic would take time to be appreciated by new listeners.[22] Xander Hoose of *[Chronicles of Chaos](/source/Chronicles_of_Chaos_(webzine))* compared the album favorably to *SYL*, saying that *Accelerated Evolution'*s songs had more variation and were more layored, multi-dimentional, and memorable.[8] Mike G. of *[Metal Maniacs](/source/Metal_Maniacs)* named *Accelerated Evolution* "the album of the year".[9]

## Track listing

[Inside Out Music](/source/Inside_Out_Music)'s special edition of *Accelerated Evolution* included *Project EKO*, an [electronica](/source/Electronica) EP by Townsend.

## Personnel

- [Devin Townsend](/source/Devin_Townsend) – [guitar](/source/Guitar), [vocals](/source/Human_voice), [ambience](/source/Ambient_music)
- [Ryan Van Poederooyen](/source/Ryan_Van_Poederooyen) – [drums](/source/Drum_kit)
- Mike Young – [bass](/source/Bass_guitar)
- Brian Waddell – [guitar](/source/Guitar)
- [Dave Young](/source/Dave_Young_(musician,_born_1982)) – [keyboards](/source/Electronic_keyboard)

### Production

- Devin Townsend – [production](/source/Record_producer), [audio engineering](/source/Audio_engineering), [mixing](/source/Audio_mixing_(recorded_music))
- Shaun Thingvold – [engineering](/source/Engineering_(music)), mixing
- Goran Finnberg – [mastering](/source/Audio_mastering)
- Misha Rajaratnam, Dan Kearley, Carla Levis, Scott Cooke, Jay Van Poederooyen, Lori Bridger, Chris Guy – assistance

### Artwork

- Omer Cordell – photography (credited as Omer Shaked)
- [Travis Smith](/source/Travis_Smith_(artist)) – graphics, layout

## Charts

Weekly chart performance for Accelerated Evolution Chart (2003) Peak position Japanese Albums (Oricon)[14] 249

## References

1. Popoff, Martin (Winter–Spring 2003). "Strapping Young Lad." *Lollipop Magazine* (61).

1. Gramlich, Chris (February 2003). ["The Reluctant Return of Strapping Young Lad"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081202110457/http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid2=4&fid1=1576&csid1=44). *Exclaim!*. Archived from [the original](http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid2=4&fid1=1576&csid1=44) on 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2008-04-28.

1. Lord of the Wasteland & Lehtinen, Arto (June 16, 2005). ["Interview With Gene Hoglan"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080821222024/http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/167/74/). *Metal-Rules.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/167/74/) on August 21, 2008.

1. Sharpe-Young, Garry (2005). *New Wave of American Heavy Metal*. pp. 115. New Plymouth: Zonda Books Limited. ISBN 0-9582684-0-1.

1. Hawkins, Chris (May 6, 2003). ["Devin Townsend Accelerated Evolution"](http://www.knaclive.com/article.asp?ArticleID=2019). *[KNAC.com](/source/KNAC.com)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110713161919/http://www.knaclive.com/article.asp?ArticleID=2019) July 13, 2011 at the Wayback Machine.

1. Lawson, Dom (16 April 2025). [""Even the most bizarre and ingenious of his ideas seem to hit the target": The Devin Townsend albums you should listen to... and one to avoid"](https://www.loudersound.com/features/devin-townsend-a-guide-to-his-best-albums). *[Louder](/source/Classic_Rock_(magazine))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20260202194415/https://www.loudersound.com/features/devin-townsend-a-guide-to-his-best-albums) 2 February 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 26, 2025.

1. Henderson, Alex. "[ *Accelerated Evolution*: Review]." *[Allmusic](/source/Allmusic)*.

1. ["Devin Townsend Band - Accelerated Evolution"](http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-3028_devin_townsend_band_accelerated_evolution.aspx). *[Chronicles of Chaos](/source/Chronicles_of_Chaos_(webzine))*. May 21, 2003.

1. G., Mike (September 2003). "The Devin Townsend Band: No Holds Barred." *[Metal Maniacs](/source/Metal_Maniacs)*.

1. Yardley, Miranda (19 October 2011). ["Devin Townsend: "I Found Out About Playing Damnation Festival on Twitter""](http://www.terrorizer.com/news/news-news/devin-townsend-i-found-out-about-playing-damnation-festival-on-twitter/). *[Terrorizer](/source/Terrorizer_(magazine))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180801221151/http://www.terrorizer.com/news/news-news/devin-townsend-i-found-out-about-playing-damnation-festival-on-twitter/) 1 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 August 2018.

1. Edele, Michael. ["Greift nach der Seele des Hörers und drückt kräftig zu."](https://laut.de/The-Devin-Townsend-Band/Alben/Accelerated-Evolution-4193) (in German). *laut.de*. Retrieved 31 May 2026.

1. "Justin" (October 2, 2003). "[Devin Townsend interview](http://www.metalstorm.ee/pub/interview.php?interview_id=15)." *[Metal Storm](/source/Metal_Storm_(webzine))*.

1. (in French) "[The Devin Townsend Band – *Accelerated Evolution*](https://archive.today/20130127165111/http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?key=45086&cat=a)." *Les Charts*. Retrieved May 27, 2009.

1. (in Japanese) "[アクセルレイティッド・エヴォルーション/デヴィン・タウンゼンド](http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/510678/1/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121015132834/http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/510678/1/) 2012-10-15 at the Wayback Machine." *[Oricon](/source/Oricon)*. Retrieved June 1, 2009.

1. Turner, Tracy. ["Devin Townsend Biography"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080118124925/http://www.hevydevy.com/hdr_biography.html). HevyDevy Records. Archived from [the original](http://www.hevydevy.com/hdr_biography.html) on 2008-01-18.

1. Kee, Chris (May 2003). "Live Review: Strapping Young Lad/Devin Townsend Band/Zimmers Hole." *Powerplay* (44).

1. *[Blabbermouth.net](/source/Blabbermouth.net)* (July 21, 2003). "[The Devin Townsend Band: Live Videos Posted Online](http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=13763) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20040119030929/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=13763) January 19, 2004 at the Wayback Machine." Retrieved May 27, 2009.

1. *RVP Drums*. "[Tour Dates](http://www.rvpdrums.com/rvp_tour.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090820053119/http://www.rvpdrums.com/rvp_tour.html) August 20, 2009 at the Wayback Machine." Retrieved May 27, 2009.

1. *[Blabbermouth.net](/source/Blabbermouth.net)* (August 14, 2003). "[Symphony X to Tour with the Devin Townsend Band](http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=14428) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20040108115136/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=14428) January 8, 2004 at the Wayback Machine." Retrieved May 27, 2009.

1. Hughes, Mike (November 29, 2007). "[Devin Townsend: *Accelerated Evolution*](http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=8709)." *Sputnikmusic*.

1. Ayers, Chris (31 March 2003). ["The Devin Townsend Band Accelerated Evolution"](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/devin_townsend_band-accelerated). *Exclaim*. Retrieved 20 March 2026.

1. Hatton, Thomas (15 June 2015). "Beginner’s Guide: Devin Townsend" *Treble*. Accessed 26 December, 2025.

## External links

- [*Accelerated Evolution*](https://web.archive.org/web/20070928020126/http://www.hevydevy.com/hdr_info_evolution.html) (HevyDevy Records)
- [*Accelerated Evolution*](https://web.archive.org/web/20090103215924/http://www.insideout.de/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=255) (InsideOut Music)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Accelerated Evolution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Evolution) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Evolution?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.