▁Young ▁Lad ▁and ▁his ▁progress ive ▁metal ▁project ▁The ▁De vin ▁Town send ▁Band ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Town send ▁sh aved ▁off ▁his ▁tra dem ark ▁" sk ul let " ▁ha irst yle ▁and ▁gave ▁up ▁alco hol ▁and ▁mar iju ana . ▁Town send ▁found ▁it ▁" dis con cert ing " ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁difficulty ▁writing ▁music ▁without ▁dru gs , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁trouble ▁ident ifying ▁his ▁purpose ▁as ▁a ▁music ian . ▁He ▁spent ▁a ▁year ▁producing ▁albums ▁in ▁absence ▁of ▁writing , ▁but ▁found ▁it ▁un re ward ing ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁" pick ▁up ▁the ▁guitar ▁and ▁just ▁write ." ▁This ▁began ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁self - dis cover y ▁where ▁he ▁learned ▁" how ▁to ▁create ▁without ▁dru gs ". ▁ ▁Over ▁two ▁years , ▁Town send ▁wrote ▁over ▁ 6 0 ▁songs , ▁and ▁found ▁that ▁they ▁fit ▁into ▁" four ▁distinct ▁styles ". ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁Town send ▁announced ▁his ▁plans ▁for ▁a ▁four - album ▁series ▁called ▁the ▁De vin ▁Town send ▁Project , ▁with ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁clar ifying ▁his ▁musical ▁identity ▁and ▁being ▁" account able " ▁for ▁the ▁persona ▁he ▁projects ▁to ▁the ▁public . ▁Ki , ▁the ▁first ▁album ▁of ▁the ▁De vin ▁Town send ▁Project , ▁is ▁written ▁to ▁" set ▁the ▁stage " ▁for ▁the ▁subsequent ▁albums . ▁The ▁word ▁" ki " ▁represents ▁the ▁Japanese ▁concept ▁of ▁" life ▁force " ▁( <0xE6> <0xB0> <0xA3>