Devin Townsend releases the visceral double-single “Prepare For War / The Big Snit” today alongside a Studio Sparks-directed video, the latest preview of ‘The Moth’, his orchestral metal opus over a decade in the making, arriving May 29 via InsideOutMusic.
The project began taking real shape about 6 years ago when the head of the North Netherlands Orchestra and Choir approached Townsend after an acoustic show in Amsterdam, turning what had lived in the back of his mind as his “life’s work” into an actual recording. That conversation changed everything.
Townsend describes the double-single as a cinematic experience rather than a conventional song, representing the final moments before fundamental change. “Either viewed from the lens of two warring factions whose actions have culminated in a final battle, or the same thing being essentially a metaphor for an internal struggle, it works in the same light,” he says. “The fastest way out is through, and this piece of music represents that process.”
The title “The Big Snit” comes from a short animated film from the Canadian National Film Board that Townsend grew up watching. His version, he says with characteristic humor, is simply a heavy metal take on it.
‘The Moth’ arrives in 3 distinct parts. The main album is joined by ‘The Moth – The Afterlife’, which highlights the full grandeur of the orchestra and choir in what Townsend considers a purer version of the experience, and ‘The Moth – The War’, a recording of the live debut that took place in the Netherlands in March 2025.
The limited deluxe edition arrives as a 3CD and Blu-ray artbook including all 3 parts plus Dolby Atmos and high resolution stereo mixes. Additional formats include a limited 2CD edition, standard CD, gatefold triple 180g 2LP, and digital.