Well basically the four records in a row are a kind of chronology of a certain period of my life, actually that was documented over the past couple of years, and I guess the thing is, I felt that in order for each particular portion of that process to be represented accurately, I needed to let each one of them breathe, and what I mean by that is basically each element of it emotionally required it’s own album.

So in the beginning of the process there is the album 'Ki' which is the real tentative nature and it basically has the impression that you are driving with the brakes on, like the character is unsure whether or not to let it go, you know, the sort of throw it all to the wind so to speak.

You know the nature of that record is very much that, it is like any time it started to get more extreme it kind of put the brakes on, and eventually by the end of that record it let it go, and by doing so prefaces this new record 'Addicted' and you know, there’s sense with 'Addicted' that there is a real sense of euphoria or elation of the fact that you were willing to let it go or able to let it go in some ways and in other ways you are able to forgive yourself, and I think there is a weight that gets lifted and as a result of that 'Addicted' has a very kind of you know, open and a lot of release to the sound.

Now the next part of the four record process is called 'Deconstruction', and in the same way that I kind of reconnected with my past with 'Addicted', like 'Addictied' definitely has shades of 'Devotion Machine' and 'Infinity' in there.

Basically 'Deconstruction' confronts and makes peace with my connection to really heavy music, you know, in the past I had worked on records like 'Alien' or 'Infinity', you know, Strapping stuff, and had allowed myself at that particular point to let it get the best of me, either emotionally or musically or physically, external things in my life. I just never felt like I had completed one of those really complicated statements without it kind of getting away from me at the end, therefore the intention of why I made it always seemed to get lost. So 'Deconstruction' even by the name of the title is an exercise in taking apart my motivations and deconstructing why it has gotten the best of me in the past. The same way as 'Addicted' basically tries to get to the root of why there is this self destructive energy in a lot of human nature that seems to want us to be that guilt, be that addiction, just to feel sorry for ourselves or something on some level, like who knows right?

So 'Deconstruction' essentially is a very complicated, very chaotic record, very heavy but it’s quite dynamic, there are a lot of symphonic elements so a very new sound for me, but it has throwbacks to the strapping kind of days, Ziltoid and that sort of thing. Then the last record is essentially a very beautiful kind of folkey, new agey kind of acoustic record.

How does that fit into the whole chronology then?

Well basically what I concluded, is an observation more than an answer or a statement like I have any sort of possible idea how my mind and the minds of other humans work, so just to be clear about that. But in terms of it on an artistic level, the conclusion I made atypically was that you can go as far and as fast as you want into the infinity and that kind of arrogant human assumption that we are capable of figuring out the intricacies of whatever you want to call God.  The further you get into it the more you realise that not only is infinity by nature impossible to comprehend every element because it is infinite, it is an illusion, right, so by going as far and as fast as I can in that direction to make that complicated music and come to these assumptions and these realisations, what I realised again was very different to what I assumed I would.

The assumption is well you know, there is no real need to understand everything, because by trying to take it apart and trying to understand it, so cease to be able to enjoy it, because you are so wound up with why as opposed to just engaging in it. So that realisation leads the character to this beautiful record at the end where it’s like if there is no reason, you know, if there is no ultimate solution to these meanings of life or mere humans in general then why am I wasting so much time giving myself headaches, and trying to conclude things which are by nature impossible for humans to conclude. So the last record is basically well if that’s the case, go to the beach man, let’s go and have some fun with some buddies.

Is that like your view on spirituality? I read obviously that you don’t believe in God, so do you have any sort of idea of spirituality, any deity, energies or is it just ..

I don’t know, I have never said that I don’t believe in God so I don’t know where you would have read that, I absolutely believe in God, it is just what is God is the question, you know, and I think there are many different options with that and I think I would be more so than yes I believe in God.

I am agnostic you know, I don’t have any clue, I have no clue, I am a human and anyone who tells me that they have an answer even if there is no God or there is a God is subject to scrutiny as far as I’m concerned because I would have to be much more intelligent than I am to be able to know. However, the things that I do believe in and the things that I do have faith in are nature or mathematics or synergy you know, the juxtaposition between what we view as love and hate versus good and evil, or pleasure or pain, or whatever metaphor you want to put on it. I absolutely believe that there is something more than me, but at the same time I believe that it is me, so that again, the duality of it all, the nature of infinity you know, it is external but it is also internal.

The bottom line man, is I don’t know, I have no clue and I guess the thing is I don’t really have much time for people who either try and tell me that they know or that, you know, my choices in life are to be dictated by a Doctor that is either, you know, in all honesty satanic or Christian. I think that basically you have got to be a good person, you have got to have your morality together in a way that you Karmicly don’t screw yourself but you know, do I have any answers? Do I know? Absolutely not. I don’t have a clue. I would love to have a huge driving force, but I don’t. So you know I just do what I do and there is an energy and a power of infinity or whatever that is my main motivation, and some people want to say that’s one thing, some people want to say it’s another, right? But to me, as long as I have got snacks, I am good to go.

To bring back to Addicted, you said you wanted a strong female presence on it and you got Anneke who used to be in The Gathering. Did you enjoy working with her?

Oh yes absolutely. I have been a fan of her voice for many years so you know, our collaboration together was definitely an awesome experience for me. She is a great person, amazing voice, very good energy. We had never met each other so we kind of threw caution to the wind in hope that it would materialise in something that worked for both of us, and I am very happy with the way it turned out, you know, it is not only an honour to have her voice but it was an ideal voice for this particular vision of mine, so absolutely.

Excellent. The four albums are going to be released as a box set eventually, is that true?

Yes.

Will there ever be any chance of getting all the guests together for a concert do you think?

It depends on how it sells, right? I think that the guests that I have, basically everybody is in it for the art, however there is the financial end of it that we all have to be aware of, you know, we have all got families, we are all in different parts of the world and you know, if we were to get together it would have to be in a situation where it was, that made sense not only financially but like time wise and artistically friendly. However I think there are ways around that, I don’t think for example that I need to get every drummer I have ever worked with to play nor any base player or guitar player. I think that my ultimate goal would be to have the band I am working with now, you know, the four of us, and we have got a lot of … and samples and all that on tape, and my ultimate goal would be to run amazing visuals at the same time, put a full choir on stage and have Anneke’s thing as well, that would be the goal.

That would be great, that would be DVD worthy, definitely.

Tell me about it. The thing is, it is like that is expensive of course, but my plan right now is to not really worry too much about the expense, just plan on doing it and that’s what I am doing.

Excellent. And with Ziltoid, your other project that you are doing at the moment, you are planning a sequel and a graphic novel I hear?

Yes absolutely. Basically this four record process is here to encourage and also make it very clear about what my intentions are for the future and musically that I am not going to be a one trick pony in terms of the really heavy stuff. I have been putting out solo albums for so many years, there are a lot of people who are aware that I do different things, but obviously the most exposure I have had up to this point is with Strapping Young Lad.

Obviously with Steve Vai as well, but that was years and years ago, but Strapping Young Lad is the thing that people relate to, and so it is important for me to be able to say ‘look, not only is that a part of my nature which will be demonstrated again with 'Deconstruction', but also I love beautiful folk music, I love pop music, I love jazz, I love blues, I love classical and so by making these four records in a short period of time, I am hoping to kind of exemplify all that in one place.

When I finally get on to my next project which is the new Ziltoid record, then that will all be kind of like out, there will be no like shock, I mean I am hoping. It doesn’t really matter, but in terms of a good idea for me musically, it would be great for people who expect the unexpected based on the fact that I have represented so much of it in a short period of time with the DTP. Ziltoid 2, the next record, will be directly after these four records have finished, in the box set … and all have separated tracks, there will be new re-mixes and all that sort of shit, right. The next Ziltoid record is called Squared, and we are planning a really cool thing with that record, but it is going to take a little bit of time.

Is that possibly a Ziltoid tour by any chance?

Oh it looks like it might happen. The thing is, I have got so many plans for the Devin Townsend Project right now in a short period of time that included, like I was saying, the Choir and the visuals and Anneke, so my goal is now to do that and then after that, man of course I would like to put together a Ziltoid show, like a big bunch of characters, a big screen with Ziltoid talking to all the people, you know, basically if you put me in any direction and give me enough of a budget and enough time, I am just going to run until I hit a wall, right, so at this time it is DTP and after that Ziltoid.

A lot of people when Ziltoid came out were kind of confused by it or didn’t really sort of get it I found. Do you think there is a certain sense of irony or humour lacking in the metal scene or do you just think they did not expect it?

Well you know, honestly, the way I look at Ziltoid, it is actually not as humorous as it seems on the surface. Sure there’s like the funny voices and the jokes and everything, but the metaphor of Ziltoid I think, is actually not necessarily dark but definitely poignant, right, I think that Ziltoid is supposed to be a projection of the energy that I felt I began to represent in Strapping Young Lad, that kind of you know, the impression that people either through media or through interviews that I have done do ‘That guy is crazy, he is this irratic, crazy, metal character’. Then of course, and I understand the fan mentality as well where they don’t want to maybe assume that a person is just a person and sits in his underwear scratching his balls watching American Idol on Wednesdays or whatever, but rather they are from another planet or you know, there is just that sense of like idolatry that I know that I engaged in when I was 18 with the bands that I loved and everything, and I felt that with Strapping Young Lad, it was becoming less about, you know, the music that I felt I needed to make but more about the image,.

So Ziltoid specifically when I quit smoking and weed became the projection of that image, and in fact it kind of separated from the person I am to this, you know, personification, and I felt that through what I was doing with Strapping and drinking and smoking and all that, you become a puppet to your own trip, right, so Ziltoid literally is a puppet but also figuratively and by the end of it, the epiphany that I kind of had as a result of doing that record was just that, it was like you are a person, you are flesh and blood with your family and your mother and your father, if you are lucky you know, friends and family and all that sort of stuff, and that is so separate to what you put out as your public identity.

So I guess the thing is I rued the fact in a way that when Strapping wrapped I felt so uncomfortable saying and doing the things that I did. However, Ziltoid doesn’t have a problem saying those things so in a way it is a great way for me to reconnect with that kind of sarcastic and acerbic character without having to really be it, right, and of course you would argue that you are it, and of course I am, but live my hope is that Ziltoid can be me against Ziltoid, so he can be on the screen and we can have a guitar duel to the death or something, right? I am very excited about it, and I think when that record came out people decided literally it was a story about a coffee drinking, alien puppet, right, but I am thinking that was me. I was a coffee drinking pretend alien puppet. So I was very, very happy with Ziltoid and I think the potential for what we can do with that character and that kind of musical scope, because there really is no limit, it is undeniable, so I can’t wait to take it to the moon.

Excellent. Where did you get the Ziltoid puppet from, just out of interest?

Oh I made him.

I thought you probably did.

I made him out of clay then we crafted him out of latex and the whole works, and the new Ziltoid puppet because, in fact there is a Ziltoid show which I am not supposed to talk about but we are doing a festival in Europe, it is just Ziltoid, in the Summer you know, so just between you and me and the wall right and whoever hears it, but I mean there is enough of a budget that I can re-do the Ziltoid puppet, bigger with animated eyes and all that, and the funny thing is as I have been discussing about him being a projection of that part of me, when I cut my hair off I didn’t throw it away I kept it, it is in a box, all those dreds, the .. right?

Cool.

The new Ziltoid, he gets it.

He gets it.

Yes, he gets the hair.

I look forward to seeing that.

Yes, me too!

Just a quick question about Strapping. You said that Skeksis is your favourite Strapping song, why is that?

Well number one Skeksis was the malicious character in one of my favourite movies ever which was The Dark Pistol. I loved that movie when I was a kid, I love Jim Henson, so there was that, but also that was a song that vocally I really managed to reach a level that I have wanted to reach with the complexity of it, that by the end of Alien it unfortunately got away from me but that was the first couple of songs that I really felt proud of that, plus that song was written between Gene and I , and we really had a great connection, that is one song written with somebody that I will never forget the experience, him and I really connected on that, it was an amazing thing. But as I was saying earlier, what I wanted to do with Deconstruction is be able to revisit that level of complexity and chaos and maybe, you know, it won’t be the same intention, it won’t be the same sound of course, it is not Strapping, but that level of chaotic intent and complexity is something that I want to engage in more than I ever have with Deconstruction and not allow it to get the best of me, so there is no real reason for Skeksis being my favourite song other than it is, the events leading up to its creation were very artistically satisfying, so that’s probably my best answer.

It is a good song as well, a very good song.

Yes.

You have had a long career with Century Media, how is your relationship with them, are you happy?

Oh yes absolutely. I am with several labels currently. I am with Inside Out which is distributed by Century Media, but Century Media has definitely grabbed the reigns which is great and, you know, I am with, I guess I am with Century Media in Australia but with Marquee in Japan and E1 in Canada, so there are a lot of people in my world that have taken the risk and taken the whole of the reigns to be able to represent what I do, and I am very flattered by that. In this day and age man, the times have changed from artists versus the label to kind of well I have to get out there, I can’t do it myself, labels are suffering, so basically if we all work together we are going to do much better than any of us are going to do individually, so I think you can talk shit about labels and downloading and all that sort of stuff, but honestly we need them, I need them at least and my intention is to make music that people hear, and I mean if that means people downloading it that’s great too. Basically I would love to make a living, I would love to make a million dollars but if that doesn’t happen ever that’s fine, like I am happy doing what I do, it’s an honour doing what I do, and I am thrilled with the people I am working with.

Good. Are you looking forward to getting back out on the road?

You know it depends on the morning. If it’s a grey morning and I am with my family and, you know, I don’t want to go out that day, I want to stay in my pyjamas and watch TV all day then hell no, it sounds horrible, right? But when I am away, when I finally get away and I am playing my guitar and I’ve got an awesome amp, and I am playing with an awesome band and it sounds amazing and I realise that I have been doing this for 20 years and I miss it, that in all honesty I love performing for people, I love entertaining people then absolutely, I can’t wait. It is the same thing, as you can probably ascertain from this conversation I am very much a dual type of person, you know, as much as I love something I equally dislike it, right, so there is a bit of give and take and I think it is all circumstance.

Fair enough. You said you are having your family time at the moment. Is there any advice you have learned over the years that you would like to pass down to your children?

Don’t shit where you wee. There you go.

I will just convey that to everybody I think.

Yeah, yeah, totally.

Do you have any guilty pleasures these days? I mean you mentioned American Idol and stuff.

Well that is more like a brain dead pleasure, it has nothing to do with guilt as much as like I don’t watch a lot of TV at all, and I like reality shows, not all of them of course, I like reality shows that have something to do with music because it allows me to follow their evolution and I think it is great. Guilty pleasures, man I worked really hard over the last three years to get rid of most of those. Guilty pleasures, I don’t know man, pleasures alone are a rare commodity at this point and guilty ones, I just really don’t have time for guilt at this point so I don’t really do a lot of things that I am guilty about right, except for burying those cats in the basement I guess.

Fair enough. I will put the disclaimer in, don’t worry.

Thank you.

You have been confirmed for Bloodstock here in the UK next year. What do you like about the UK if anything at all?

Of course. I am Canadian of course so we have the Queen on our money as well. Hey we are currently monarchy, so we are raised with that. I spent a couple of months playing with the Loud Hearts back in 1983 or something, and I lived in a little town called Wednesbury which is just outside of Birmingham, and basically it is 80 factories and 90 pubs, you know, people are people man no matter where you go. This is not news to you or anybody of course but just stating it, like I like the UK because there are things I miss about it when I am not there, and there are people there that I miss when I am not there, you know, I react exactly the same way about America or Australia or Japan or Canada or wherever, I am not really like a traveller, when I go places it is not like, you know, I went to Paris 20 times before I saw the Eiffel Tower and when I finally did I was like ‘Oh yeah, Eiffel Tower’ anyway, like I don’t spend too much time sight seeing, so as long as there are good people, decent shows and like some … then I am good whatever man.

Good, good. You recently took over the Internet blog site Metal Sucks for a day, how did that come about?

You know I did an interview with them a little while back, and I expressed the fact that I go to their site every day and I like it, you know, and so when the record came out they just asked me if I would like to take it over for the day, and I definitely saw it as an opportunity for me to say a lot at one time, right, so I kind of like worked on it for a couple of weeks before and I was very happy to do it. I mean I had a blast at that. I think to have the opportunity to take something like that over for a day was great because you have an opportunity I think as well to clarify a lot of your own person because doing music, taking photos and doing all that, it is like a lot of times, obviously not this interview but a lot of interviews, you are asked the same questions over and over again you know, and coming up with interesting ways of saying the same thing often times makes it seem redundant in the press, so to have to opportunity to say not only is this the case but I also like this, I am a big fan of music, you know, I like motorbikes or whatever, it is like an opportunity as well for the audience to sort of see you as the person you are as opposed to the Ziltoid you project, right?

That leads me on to my next one actually, are there any questions that you are just absolutely sick of hearing by now?

Well you know, if I say absolutely, of course, almost most of them, that makes me sound like an ungrateful bastard, right, but at the same time I do 40 interviews a week right, and there are only so many times that, no that’s not even true I mean the whole idea of Strapping Young Lad, will we ever see a Strapping Young Lad reunion, why did you quit Strapping young Lad, why would you do an album like Ki, how did you meet Anneka. All these things are questions that I am asked repeatedly and basically it is like the people who are asking have no idea that you have been asked that six times that same day, so … about it, or try to give them the impression that it is like not worth my time ultimately is contrary to the job that I have chosen, like I mean I could … specifically and if people want to know that, I will tell them over and over and over again, no problems, because all it takes is one interview of just going ‘I don’t want to fucking talk about this’ you know, and being a flippant character about it and that is the impression that people are going to get, and in all honesty what that does, that creates more work for me in the future, having to kind of de-bug that, right, so you know there are obviously questions I am tired of, but any time someone asks me I have got no problems in telling.

That is very diplomatic, I like that. Anyway, I have come to the end of this interview, so thank you very much for this.

I really appreciate it man, and I hope to talk to you soon.

Cool. Have fun with the rest of your interviews today.

You have got it man, cheers.

Bye.