Billy Talent - Billy Talent Review

Alright so I kinda figured its time to take a break from the In Flames discography and do a review of a band that I have loved for a long time. Meet Punk/Hardcore/Alternative Rock band Billy Talent a fourpeice band from Canada whos albums have really been some of the most artsy to break into the mainstream the past few years and here we go with a review of the first one. This is a very edgy and rough first album and it leans more towards the Punk side of the bands influences. From the screaming chorus on This Is How It Goes, to the really heavy guitar riff on Cut The Curtains this is a really Hardcore album that alot of punk fans will enjoy. It definantly is not as poppy or mainstream as later albums would be but it is still very musically diverse. Let me start with the drumming since its what I know the least about. The drums on this record are not a big stand out point. They sound like basically any Alternative Rock drums should and they definantly arent as punky as the rest of the band on this album. The drums do really groove in parts and sometimes are even musically complex but often its an Alternative Rock beat that I could find in another Rock song. Granted at the time the album was released they were fairly original. Now the Bass Guitar. The Bass on this record is breathtaking. This genre of Alternative Rock/Punk really allows for the Basslines to shine through. The Bass carries the songs at points and is almost the standout preformance on this album. The Vocals are solid and well mixed but sometimes come off as flat. Yes Ben sounds like hes whining at times and his Screams come off as over the top (probably one of the reasons he stopped on later albums) but overall its a good preformance. And finally the guitars. Ian Ds'a is a songwriting genuis (which we'll get to) and his guitar parts on this album are INCREDIBLE. He uses and abuses the guitar in new creative ways on each song and he is a very innovative guitarist. Every song has a standout guitar riff or riffs. Its just so amazing to finally here a popular album as guitar centered as this one. He is the standout player on this album by far. Overall the songwriting is brilliant with some of the best lyrics since The Beatles. I was just blown away by this first album and despite its flaws I give it an 8.5/10.