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Review |
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The next installation in the Billy Talent series,
BT3 had finally been
let loose. But how does it compare to the band's
earlier releases? Well,
it's still fucking awesome, if that's what you mean.
It's no surprise that a few albums into their
career, Billy Talent's
sound is shifting once more. Nor is it a surprise
that the shift in
sound has progressed to a slightly maturer level.
And no, we're not
talking Kings of Leon mature, but the quality
of song-writing has
inceased exponentially, and the bar has been raised
by everyone
involved. Where BT1 was full of youthful anger,
BT2 had calmed down a
bit, and finally here at BT3, the band have levelled
off into
well-rounded fantasticism.
There's still the recognisable Billy Talent tone
musically, but
everything has been scrubbed up, the scrappy raw
edges nicely polished,
and all the bits that made your parents want to
unplug your stereo have
been omitted. Even the vocals have transformed;
from the youthful
squeaks of an angry Ben Kowalewicz, to these cleaner
user-friendly tones.
The album opens with “Devil On My Shoulder,”
a personal favourite from
the album which features considerably more groove
than any Billy Talent
song I've heard before. The funky feeling continues
(although in a
slightly lesser quantity) over the two singles
already released from the
album. “Rusted From The Rain” and
“Turn Your Back” which features the
vocals of Anti-Flag.
Although a few songs draw on riffs and breaks
from previous Billy Talent
releases, the album does sound new and original.
If you're looking for a
blast from the past, reliving the intense energetic
Billy Talent blasts,
then you'll probably have to look elsewhere. But
for a well-rounded
release that still packs a punch here and there,
and can be celebrated
from start to finish for its song-writing and
general brilliance, then
get involved. Get heavily involved.
“White Sparrows” is another corker,
as is “Diamond Into The Landmine”
whose verse sounds surprisingly “Roxanne,”
but that's another story
altogether.
This album is very good. Very good indeed. Be
sure to catch Billy Talent
headlining the Lock Up Stage at Reading/Leeds
2009 along with Anti-Flag
and Alexisonfire. If this is your cup of tea,
and the Lock Up Stage is
one ferocious tea-party you'd be a fool to miss.
5/5
Review by Thom |
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| Band
Members |
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Benjamin Kowalewicz (vocals)
Ian D'Sa (guitar)
Jon Gallant (bass)
Aaron Solowoniuk (drums) |
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| Track
Listing |
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1. Devil On My Shoulder
2. Rusted From The Rain
3. Saint Veronika
4. Tears Into Wine
5. White Sparrows
6. Pocketful Of Dreams
7. The Dead Can't Testify
8. Diamond On A Landmine
9. Turn Your Back
10. Sudden Movements
11. Definition Of Destiny |
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| Band
Related Links |
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| Review
Score Code |
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- Top Cheese
- Brilliant
- Pretty damn good
- Ok I guess
-
What Was That? |
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