Monday, December 18, 2006

Billy Talent - Billy Talent II


Today I will be reviewing Billy Talent II by an awesome Canadian rock band: Billy Talent.


Sound:// This CD is definitely not as aggressive as the previous CD "Billy Talent". To me, this album is not as good as the last one, but is still pretty good.


Singer Ben Kowalewicz tones down his screaming bunch since the last album. This shows off his actual singing voice, which is pretty decent.

Guitar/Vocalist Ian D'sa started singing a lot more on this Album. You can actually tell when he is singing now, and he has continued with his complicated riffs since the last album.

Bass/Vocalist Jon Gallant began to sing some more on this album as well. He doesn’t stand out as much as Ian does, but you can still hear him.

Drummer Aaron Solowinuk fit in well with the songs. Good rhythm sections, and catchy intro to "Red Flag"

Now, there are three videos released for this album so far. "Devil In A Midnight Mass" and "Red Flag" and "Fallen Leaves" Out of the three, I still like "Devil In A Midnight Mass" the most. Very cool song and video. "Red Flag" just got old fast, and as for "Fallen Leaves" It's still a good song, but not as good as others.

Lyrics:// The lyrics on this album are less angry and more serious. Some songs are just love songs, or war related etc. Here are some standout lyrics from this CD.

In "Surrender" Ben sings "Even though I know what I’m looking for, she’s got a brick wall behind her door, I’d travel time and confess to her, But I’m afraid she’d shoot the messenger" These lines give me chills. I swear.

Or, In "Where Is The Line", Ben sings "Magazines from overseas, won’t teach you how to feel, They trade in their hearts for indie rock charts to tell them what is real" and "Where is the line?, Between your fashion and your mind, Where is the line?, To be your self is not a crime," A song about how some kids are just "dying" to be popular, and that popularity is not that important. E.g. "Trends come and go, but when your alone it doesn’t mean a thing "


Impression:// When I first heard this CD, I absolutely loved it. Now, I still like it, but personally prefer the first album more. Here's what I think of the songs individually.

01. Devil in A Midnight Mass - This song starts off the album right away, no short, slow intro's here. Just a cool distorted riff to start us off. This song ends with Ben whispering over and over, and then it turns into SCREAMING! Great song for the 1st single. 10/10

02. Red Flag - I heard this song literally Months before the album came out, so now I am tired of it due to Much Music. Although, I still like this song, (and the intro is cool) I heard it way too much recently. 8/10

03. This Suffering - Here comes Ian with his awesome guitar parts, but in the verses, I don't really like the way Ben sings the part. Very catchy chorus. 9/10

04. Worker Bees - Here's a track where Jon stands out. Killer bass line here. One of my favorite tracks on the album, about war/military whatever. Very cool. 11/10

05. Pins And Needles - Here's a love song. One of Billy Talent's only love songs actually. Good lyrics, and Ian's singing of "I'm walkin' on pins and needles!" gives me chills by the end of the song. 9/10

06. Fallen Leaves - I LOVE! the intro to this song. The way Ian plays it, it sounds so AWESOME! This is definitely a standout track. 10/10

07. Where Is The Line? - An other great song. Excellent lyrics, and guitar parts. Actually, there is another pretty cool bass line on this track. 9/10

08. Covered In Cowardice - My least favorite track on this Album. I don’t know why, but I don’t like Ben's singing with Ian's playing in this song. 6/10

09. Surrender - Very good song, about how Ben wants someone, but can't have her. Good lyrics, and drumming on this track. 10/10

10. The Navy Song (In the Fall) - A song about losing someone close to you, that you love due to war. Very powerful song. 9/10

11. Perfect World - A breakup song. This is almost reminiscent of their first CD. I love it. Plain & Simple. 8/10

12. Sympathy - Good bass line. But that’s all I really like about third Track. 6.5/10

13. Burn the Evidence - A good way to end the song. Catchy song, and I'm guessing it is about someone who never really had much fun in his life. Work, Eat, Sleep, etc. 9/10

If you were a fan of older Billy Talent, you may enjoy this album. If you haven’t heard them before, consider giving them a listen if you like these bands: Finch, Rise Against, Story of the Year, 30 Seconds to Mars, and losprophets.

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