Billy Talent - Billy Talent II
Released June 27th, 2006
Benjamin Kowalewicz, Ian D'Sa
Genre: Punk Rock / Alt Rock
Intro
My favourite Canadian punk band is at it again- Billy Talent. The boys come out strong with many incredible songs on this album- including some of their most popular songs ever (Red Flag, Fallen Leaves). This album is great of course, and I highly recommend checking it out. There is a lot to love here. Not a lot changes between this and the last album besides some songs being a little slower and mellow.
Thoughts & Feelings?
This album makes me feel like I’m a kid again, to be honest. Sitting in my room playing Halo with the radio on, listening to these songs. I feel like I’m back in 2006. These songs literally sound exactly like the year they came out in, which I think is pretty impressive.
Billy Talent have a very difficult time making a bad album, because it feels like all of their albums are amazing. This one definitely follows the right path, I just wish it was a little bit heavier. Not a lot of screaming parts in this album which I sure do miss, but if you prefer slower rock / punk songs, this might be your cup of tea. This album has definitely slowed down a little bit, so if that’s your bag then go for it.
Smash or Pass?
Devil in a Midnight Mass – SMAAASSHHHHHH. This song kicks ASS and is a great start to this album. This song is metal right out of the gate and continues to be throughout the whole song. This is a popular one on this album and it’s no surprise why. I especially like the whisper whisper part near the end. That part goes hard as fuck.
Red Flag – SMAAASSSHHHHH HARD AS FUCK. You’ve heard this song and there’s no denying it. This song was on the radio every fucking day when I was a kid. This song rocks hella hard. Fast, bouncy, catchy, and full of energy- this song rocks. The guitar is on point as per usual for D’Sa. This is probably their most popular song of all time. Great song, absolute fire.
This Suffering – Smash. This definitely isn’t their best song of all time but it’s a great banger. The guitar riffs are great, and the groove is high. The pre-chorus is great, the chorus following it up is pretty decent. Kind of a generic song however.
Worker Bees – Smash. If you had to make me guess the name of this song off the bass line, I would get it immediately. I’m not sure why but it’s perfect. This song is pretty forgettable, but it has some great moments in it. Pretty heavy too if you ask me.
Pins and Needles – Smash. This is another pretty generic Billy Talent song- not to say that it’s bad or anything however. It’s just not as good as everything else around it. The song definitely becomes more interesting midway through when it gets heavier. The guitar is pretty neat in this one though.
Fallen Leaves – SMAAAAASSSSSHHHHHHHH. Naturally I have to rank this one high just because it’s so famous, influential, and popular. I can’t really stand listening to this song anymore just because I’ve listened to it 20 million times, but it’s still an absolute banger. This is also a song that you have heard in your life, if you’ve ever turned on a radio. I really love the midway through breakdown / bridge. It’s pretty neat.
Where Is the Line? – Smash. This is another pretty generic song but this one is a cut above the others. I especially love the guitar intro on this one, it’s pretty clean. The chorus is pretty good on this song too, it’s bouncy and catchy which is always appreciated.
Covered in Cowardice – SMASH. Finally, back to some big punk songs. The guitar intro is incredible as usual. This one immediately sounds like a Billy Talent song out of the gate. I especially love the chorus where a little screaming is involved. That shit is awesome. Not only is it heavy as hell, it’s also pretty catchy. I can’t get over how cool the guitar sounds in this song.
Surrender – SMMAASSHHHH. I’m typically not the one that enjoys slow songs, but this song is absolutely awesome. This is another one you’ve probably heard on the radio, a lot of these songs got a lot of playtime back in the day. This one is super soft but also super catchy. Definitely give this one a listen if you prefer these slow soothing punk songs. It also kicks ass when it gets going.
The Navy Song – SMAAASSHHHHHH. This is one of my personal favourites. This song is similar to Surrender in how slow of a punk song it is, but it’s great. I especially like this one because of the awesome catchy chorus. The guitar is also super enjoyable as per usual. I have many memories of being up late at night in college listening to songs like these just to get through my life.
Perfect World – Smash. This one is alright. I do not really like the guitar pre-verse (surprisingly). The redeeming quality for this song for me is the chorus- I really love the chorus. Other than that, it’s your standard Billy Talent song. It is pretty slow as per theme with this album. I also like the abrupt ending.
Sympathy – SMASH. This one is great. These little guitar lines are great, the pre-chorus is awesome, the chorus is awesome, everything is awesome about this one. I just wish it was a little heavier, because it just sounds like a standard rock song to be honest. This one is so close to being incredible.
Burn the Evidence – Smash. This one is a bit of a weird listen, to be honest. It’s like I can almost tell where it’s going, but can’t quite figure it out (shoutout to Royal Blood). Still, this is a good song but probably not the one I’d have used to finish the album off. I do really love the chorus, though.
Conclusion
This album slowed down a lot, so if that’s your thing then give this one a listen. If you prefer the grittier style of Billy Talent, then go back to the first album. That being said however, there are a lot of hits on this record, and they deserve to be. If you listened to the first album and didn’t like the screaming or fast pace, then this will probably be your album to listen to.
What do you think? Do you prefer the slower Billy Talent or was their first album better? Let me know in the comments!
RANK: A-
-Sharky
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