Casualties of Cool – Casualties of Cool (InsideOut Music, 2016)
Casualties of Cool is a fascinating project by Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist and composer Devin Townsend. Up to now, I wasn’t very interested in Townsend’s heavy metal music so it was a great surprise when I listened to Casualties of Cool and watched one of their videos. This band features a mixture of North American roots music along with electronic ambiance and effects.
This recording is a three disc set with two audio albums and a DVD with video. Disc 1 was intended to be the main disc and disc 2 is the B-sides. However, the B-sides are just as god as disc 1.
The music on Casualties of Cool includes galloping country rhythms, memorable blues guitar echoing solos, folk-rock passages and beautiful ballads along with exquisitely crafted electronic music soundscapes and vocal effects such as reverb and drifting delays. Townsend provides some of the mesmerizing lead vocals, but he is also joined by the gorgeous voice of Ché Aimee Dorval.
“The idea is to take a typical folky aesthetic and wrap it in a moody, kind of haunted David Lynch type aura. It’s great fun and Che is brilliant,” says Townsend.
The bonus live DVD was shot at London’s beautiful Union Chapel and also includes an interview and two music videos.
Live version of ‘Daddy’ taken from the Live DVD:
Casualties of Cool is an absorbing ambient folk album that showcases the talent of Devin Townsend.
Buy Casualties of Cool in North America
Buy Casualties of Cool in Europe
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
