Off the back of the Canadian four piece’s triumphant Reading set comes their fourth album (Fifth is we include 1999’s Pez, most don’t), Dead Silence. Gone, along with the numerical album titles, is the angst and instead we have a more mature and slightly mature album. There’s still a very similar formula here with Ben Kowalewicz’s high pitch voice and the high energy music.
Lead single ‘Viking Death March’ is a song made to be chanted by thousands live, and Surprise Surprise highlights the satirical genius of this bands lyrics (‘And this revolution has been brought to you by’). ‘Love Was Still Around’ is reminiscent of Billy Talent II’s ‘Fallen Leaves’ and is surprisingly catchy for a punk song.
By track six, Dead Silence calms itself down into a more melodic adult album much like going from Green Day’s Dookie to 21st Century Breakdown in two songs. The noise starts again with ‘Man Alive!’ followed by ‘Cure For an Enemy’ who’s first seven second is one of the best riffs I’ve heard all year.
This album does become more stagnant towards the end with ‘Show Me The Way’ sounding like a forgotten Foo Fighters b-side and the build-up in ‘Swallowed Up By The Ocean’ dragging on before they regain the greatness with title track ‘Dead Silence’.
This is band who have grown up with the fans, no longer riddled with angst their hatred of society is still there only they’ve found a much more melodic way of expressing it. This album is a lot more accessible to the young fan who has outgrown their pop punk but there’s plenty of moments here for fans who have been there from the start.
Dead Silence is released on 10th September for more info visit www.billytalent.com