While it can be easy to side-step the recognition of common themes or repetitive behavior in human actions, the longer a set maneuvers reoccur, the harder it gets to ignore until finally one must either recognize the comedy of the repetition or risk being dismissed as oblivious. That's the point Billy Talent is at now – when they began their musical chronology six years ago (with their self-titled album and major label debut), they made the biggest of big impressions for a Canadian band; selling platinum numbers and winning international attention (including notice in the States – historically a difficult feat for a Canadian act) right out of the gate. The follow-up, II, found the band stepping up their game as far as running the sounds from the first record into overdrive, but the result really only amounted to a more frenetic re-enactment of their debut; the guitars punched harder and singer Ben Kowalewicz remained at the scream he reserved for the climax of songs on the record before. While audiences ate it up, the songs were really pretty interchangeable and the record, while solid, wasn't what one could call a step forward.
In many ways, III does the exact same things again – the subject matter and execution of the album can now easily be called archetypal Billy Talent – but it's impossible not to feel like this album doesn't mark more than just another notch. There is a growth here for the band certainly, but it's one of temperament.
There's no mistaking III as the work of Billy Talent right from the opening thrust of “Devil On My Shoulder.” As they have before, Ian D'Sa's guitars set the spiral to spinning with cyclical and recurring sonic motifs while Jon Gallant's bass punches through at every key moment to punctuate Kowalewicz' unhappy and tortured tales of indecision as well as the hopes and sorrows of it. Sounds like more of the same right? Without meaning to be coy, III both is and isn't more of the same old song and dance. The devil's in the details on III and, for the first time, Billy Talent asks him to dance rather than play against him – that characteristic scream of Kowalewicz which got so much play on II is nearly absent from III – and songs like the spiraling “Rusted From The Rain,” “Pocketful Of Dreams” and “The Dead Can't Testify,” all find Ben Kowalewicz turning more to melody than he has previously which gives his ranting a more accessible edge for the uninitiated and an incredibly attractive, resigned tone for existing fans. In these eleven songs, the singer isn't trying to fight or rant so hard as he has previously and, while it certainly doesn't come off as defeated or lackadaisical, that instantly more accessible delivery (it doesn't hurt either that Brendan O'Brien's production makes it easier to pick out and differentiate lyrics too) improves the tunes and make them seem destined to be regarded as definitive – if only because it polishes the hooks and makes them that much sharper.
That said, while calling III a revelation would be over-reaching the point (this is still obviously Billy Talent as they have always been), there's no denying that there is more maturity in the songs. III is sort of like how the average punk growth curve functions: in his teen years, a punk rocker that has bought the politics will fight tooth and nail and lash out at every institution he deems unjust. As time wears on, while those politics and beliefs remain important, the young punk grows up and begins stoically applying those beliefs to practical ends and becomes his own man – apart from any scene or dogma – in the process. III is Billy Talent's practical application – they're growing up and the future just started getting really interesting for the band because of it.
Artist:
Billy Talent online
Billy Talent myspace
Download:
“Rusted From The Rain” from Billy Talent III.
Album:
III is out now and available here on Amazon.
