Feeling he had "attracted a bunch of poo" with his previous album Physicist (2000), Townsend felt he had the chance to make a more personal and honest record.

[3] Townsend was inspired one morning while driving across Canada with his band, and looked to write an "introspective" album dedicated to his homeland.

[4] He produced and recorded Terria, a "highly illustrated stream-of-consciousness" album, with Gene Hoglan on drums, Craig McFarland on bass and Jamie Meyer on keyboards.

[6] Terria has been described as "melodic and atmospheric", with elements of pop and ambience alongside Townsend's trademark heaviness.

A limited-edition two-disc version was also released, which included the bonus song "Universal", as well as a multimedia element containing footage of a Devin Townsend concert in Japan and audio commentary about the album.