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The effortless creative whirlwind that is The Devin Townsend Project has seen the Canadian producing a multi-faceted four-album project over just three years, and Epicloud marks the fifth chapter.

It recalls, most obviously, 2009’s Addicted, mainly down to the return of guest vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen.

Epicloud sounds exactly like its title would lead you to expect: enormous, ear-throttling and undeniably epic. Pumped full of gusto, with humongous catchy choruses, Epicloud could be the soundtrack to a prog metal musical: it bursts with optimistic energy, whether it’s the bombastic blasts of Liberation or the toe-tapping tongue-in-cheek fun of Lucky Animals.

Strapping Young Lad devotees may sneer when the gospel choirs kick in, but it’s impossible to deny the brilliance of Devin’s songwriting, with its positive energy summed up in Liberation’s chorus – ‘The time has come to forget all the bullshit and rock!’ – which is exactly how Epicloud will make you feel.

Hannah May Kilroy has been writing about music professionally for over a decade, covering everything from extreme metal to country. She was deputy editor at Prog magazine for over five years, and previously worked on the editorial teams at Terrorizer and Kerrang!. She currently works as the production editor for The Art Newspaper, and also writes for the Guardian, Classic Rock and Metal Hammer.