Billy Talent

Billy Talent II

[4/5] In 2003, Toronto’s Billy Talent delivered 12 dangerously caffeinated-not to mention ridiculously tight-slabs of pop-punk catharsis in the form of Billy Talent. And though the album turned them into award-winning rock stars in their homeland, stardom and cred stripes proved harder to come by south of the border. That’s where the sequel comes in.
And as its title suggests, II isn’t out to reinvent rock, punk or even Billy Talent, but it’s not completely without invention, either. Frenetic vocalist Ben Kowalewicz has his caterwaul cocked and ready at every instant, but doesn’t hesitate to break into a rocker’s croon when it suits the song. That growth is apparent all over “Surrender,” a subdued anthem of angst and unrequited love amidst red-blooded vein-bulgers. While Kowalewicz carries “This Suffering” with his effortless hook, other numbers (“Fallen Leaves,” “Red Flag”) flourish because of guitarist Ian D’Sa’s oft-edgy, always contagious songwriting. The lead single, “Devil In A Midnight Madness,” is a perfect storm of both, further buoyed by the band’s fiery call-and-response yelping. All too often, grumblings about Kowalewicz’s vocal splaying distract from the fact that Billy Talent are one of the most underrated punk combos in operation today. But with Kowalewicz harnessing his howl while his band ace their second set of frenzied sing-alongs in as many tries, it’s simply undeniable: Resistance is futile. (ATLANTIC) Tristan Staddon


ROCKS LIKE: Billy Talent’s Billy Talent • The Buzzcocks’ Another Music In A Different Kitchen • The Living End’s Control