Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) has posted a six minute audio trailer for the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT's forthcoming album, Addicted, on his official MySpace page. Go to this location to check it out.

As previously reported, back in May 2009 BW&BK; scribe Carl Begai recently caught up with Townsend to discuss his latest album, Ki, his motivations behind it, and the three albums including Addicted due to follow it. An excerpt is available below.

“When I quit smoking weed I realized that a lot of my paranoia ended up in my music" says Townsend. "I realized that a lot of the bombast… the music just demands your attention, and my lattention as an adult now is demanded in so many different directions that when I listen to music I don’t listen to Meshuggah or Opeth anymore. I don’t listen to heavy music because every time it comes on it’s like ‘Quit fucking yelling at me. There’s so much shit in my life that the last thing I need is for you to try and convince me of something.’ There are always going to be one or two people saying ‘You’re full of shit, that’s not you.’ Like going on tour with Strapping; we’d do the Download Festival and I’d be up there projecting myself like Zeus or a fourth dimensional alien (laughs), and then I’d go home to my parents and it’d be like ‘Hi Devy, here’s your favourite blanket…’ I realized I’m not that guy on stage. On some level, of course I’m that guy, but the decision I had to make was whether it was a projection of truly me. That’s why I put Strapping aside. I saw that if it truly me being afraid and trying to fit in, not only am I being untrue to myself, I’m posing to everybody. The only heavy music that I respond to come from people that mean it, and if I’m up there posing for somebody that’s not heavy music to me. That’s a fucking commodity.”

Go to this location for the complete in-depth interview.

Following is the official Addicted press release:

One of metal’s most intriguing and ominous figures is without a doubt the overly talented DEVIN TOWNSEND, who mysteriously disappeared off the grid after completing Ozzfest 2005 with STRAPPING YOUNG LAD.

The singer has since focused his efforts on a greatly ambitious new endeavor under the DTP (Devin Townsend Project) moniker. The new mind-blowing disasterpiece takes the man’s genius to unprecedented levels as he embarked on a massive 4-part album series, which kicked off with Ki and is followed up with the Addicted album that is set for a November 17th release throughout North America via Inside Out Music.

In a world of increasing conformity and musical banality, Devin Townsend is among the few real personalities who have character, charisma and surprising innovative creativity. Check out a new clip below that perfectly captures Townsend’s stunning musical prowess.

Townsend comments: “Hey folks, Dev here with the update for the second installment of the DTP (Devin Townsend Project). We are just readying the release of album 2, Addicted, so here are a few brief words: With Ki, I kind of strode out in uncharted territories for myself musically, and loved the experience, but during the course of writing this four record project, it was inevitable that I would end up writing a selection of tunes that were very much in line with my back catalogue. This group of songs is the second record in the series, and it is called Addicted.

“Musically, Addicted is along the lines of the big, wall of sound hard rock/heavy metal of Ocean Machine and Accelerated Evolution (even Physicist at points). It is a very direct and 'to the point' album with an emphasis on groove and the chorus. In the past, lots of my records end up taking a kind of Pink Floyd-ish route (between song meandering, etc.) Addicted is really simple: 11 rocking songs with no bullshit.

“I wanted to make a record that was heavy, without being dark or depressing. When I got into metal it was for the energy behind it, but somewhere along the way that energy started getting really negative. In music right now, there's a ton of heavy bands that are really depressing to listen to loudly. I wanted to make a record without any real deep metaphor on the surface. Something that sounds good, has a good beat and a positive feeling. It is still heavy as-all-get-out, but I think there's a differentiation to be made between being 'peaceful,’ and being peaceful but wanting to celebrate loud, crushing music.

“The vocal duties on this record are handled by myself and Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-THE GATHERING). I wanted to have male and female vocals kind of 'tell the story' so to speak. It's an honor to work with her and she has a lovely, lovely energy. The other musicians on this record are Ryan Van Poederooyen on drums, Brian Waddell on bass and Mark Cimino on guitars.

“I absolutely love this record and it affects me in a way that I wasn't prepared for. It's a fully rocking album of optimism. If you just want to 'play it loud' without any crazy metaphor, this album might be for you.

“I have been rehearsing with a new band and we will start touring in early 2010, representing all the back catalogue of solo material, from Ki, Addicted, Physicist, Ziltoid, Terria, Ocean Machine, DTB, Infinity, etc. I have some big plans for this and rehearsals are sounding amazing. The touring entity will be called 'Devin Townsend' and is essentially a way for me to get out there and interact again and showcase 15 years of music that never really got its fair shake.

“I will also start working on the fourth record Deconstruction in Los Angeles this October and have some great plans for that (and btw, THAT is a heavy record with a lot of metaphor). So, I hope you will enjoy Addicted. The reason that Addicted exists is maybe a little deeper than what the record sounds like up front. But up front, it kind of states: 'Life is tough, the world can be an ugly place... so let’s forget about the dramas and ROCK - here's some heavy guitars, big choruses and killer beats.”

Devin Townsend is back and has crafted the offerings of his much heralded career. Fans of hard rock, metal and overall interesting music take note because this material is going to touch your soul on multiple levels.