Billy Talent: Billy Talent III
Billy Talent unleash Billy Talent III
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Friday, 10, Jul 2009 01:39
Warner, out July 13th.
In a nutshell...
Definitely and unequivocally Billy Talent
What's it all about?
The third album from punk rock four-piece Billy Talent, Billy Talent III follows on from the originally titled first two named albums, self-titled I and II.
III has been produced by Brendan O'Brien, who has manned the knobs for some legends including Rage Against the Machine, AC/DC and Mastodon in the past.
Who's it by?
Billy Talent are a Canadian band hailing from Ontario. They consist of consists of Ben Kowalewicz on lead vocals, Ian D'Sa on lead guitar and backing vocals, Jon Gallant on bass and Aaron Solowoniuk manning the drumkit.
The band has had two multi-platinum records globally, with Billy Talent II hitting the top spot in the German album chart.
The success of II led to the band performing headline sold-out shows across Canada, the US and Europe.
Billy Talent are set to tour the US this summer with Rise Against and punk legends Rancid, they recently played Download festival and will be back on UK shores later this summer when they appear on the Reading and Leeds Festival bill.
As an example...
"I got the devil on my shoulder (over and over)/And I just can't sink any lower (lower and lower)/The hounds of hell are getting closer (closer and closer)/I got the devil on my shoulder (over and over)." - Devil on my Shoulder
"And while the angels sleep/All of the devils are awake/Waiting to steal your love/Right outside of Heaven's gate." - Saint Veronicka
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Billy Talent have struggled to find vast commercial success in the US similar to in their home country, so it is unlikely to find a place in the CD collection of Grammy judges. Kowalewicz's vocals are likely to split the judges opinion anyhow, as he does the rest of the global population.
What the others say
"In a nutshell, if you like melodic, upbeat rock with epic guitar riffs - you'll like Billy Talent III. Kowalewicz's vocals are sex on a stick and D'Sa and Gallant's guitar skills combined with Solowoniuk's drums make this a pretty hot package." - BBC
"The band's star has waned a little in recent years and they aren't the MTV2 staple they used to be, and I can't see this album selling amazingly unless single Rusted From The Rain really takes off. I can't really see that happening either, as it doesn't have the power of tracks that shot them to fame in the UK like River Below or Try Honesty" - Contact Music
So is it any good?
Billy Talent seem to be as stylistically original with they are with their album titles. The songs sound like somewhat of a rehash of previous tracks on both I and II. Even all the tracks on this album sound the same as each other, and without the tracklisting you would be hard pushed to differentiate between many of them.
There is a definite familiarity that runs through the work of Billy Talent.
So is this a bad thing? For someone who was a massive fan of both I and II then most certainly no. Even from the opening moments of title track Devil on My Shoulder this is unequivocally Billy Talent, the short, sharp riffs, the most technical of metal guitar-work and the vocals that you either love or hate.
D'Sa's brilliant riffs dominate the highlights of III, with the epic one from the first track easily the stand-out moment. Yet again however, the lyrics are pretty atrocious in parts, but on Rusted from the Rain, the lead single from III, they shine brighter than anywhere on the album - it's just a bit odd that this "ballad", if a word can ever be used to describe this band's work, is lodged in at track two.
III sounds exactly like what fans will want from a Billy Talent album, but anybody that has previously overlooked or sneered at their work is unlikely to be glancing affectionately over their shoulders regretting that mistake.
This "same-old" fact will thrill and disgust the global music audience in equal measure, but originality is overrated, is it not? Especially when the songs are this good.
8/10
Drew Swainston