Billy Talent [U.S. Version] [Enhanced]

For me the guitar work of Ian D'Sa fooled me into thinking there were more than one guitarist in the band, he really is a top quality guitarist - just have a listen to the opening riff of River Below! The bass lines are also top notch too, not just a boring drone in the background but a driving force in the fast songs and some innovative fills. The vocal work is very good, the lead singers (ben) voice may annoy a few people but for me it just fits the songs. And the backing vocals are exceptional with Ian and the bassist making great contributions on most songs. My personal favourites of the album being..

This is how it goes - excellent start to the album, kicks it off with a bang

Line and sinker - this really should of been a single, its just brilliant and so different to many songs I have heard.

River below - the guitar work on this song is exceptional

Nothing to lose - really good slower song.

Overall the pace and guitar work drives this album along and I love it!!

From start to finish, it is difficult to pick holes in this record, once you get accustomed to the nasal and brattish vocals of Benjamin Kowalewicz. The riffs are varied and inventive - see the middle eight of 'Try Honesty' - with plenty of catchy hooks to keep even the most sceptical listener interested. Billy Talent are a fusion of punk, prog rock and emo hardcore, and sound like a hybrid of The Offspring and At The Drive-In. 'Line and Sinker' in particular tips its' hat to the latter; it is a dead ringer for ATD-I's 'Pattern Against User'.

The band have used clever time signature changes and dynamics to put across their aggression and energy; album-closer 'Voices of Violence' is a full-on aural assualt, and 'River Below' is a stomping tune with a simple, killer riff. 'Lies' has a pleasant feelgood factor with a serious undertone, while the obligatory 'We rock but we're kinda sensitive too' track ('Nothing To Lose') is a suprisingly good emo song. The album as a whole is characterised by clever vocal interchanges as well, adding a welcome extra layer to the band's sound, just about preventing it from becoming too one-dimensional.

'Billy Talent' doesn't get five stars here because the intial intrigue begins to wane towards the album's end - not a good sign of a 40-minute record. However, each song taken on its' own can easily stand up against anything the band's contemporaries (Thrice, Thursday et al) are producing. The potential is there, and Billy Talent have impressive songs (I imagine their live shows to be riotous) but it remains to be seen how much longevity all this angst can have...