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Album reviews Music

Billy Talent – Dead Silence

Rating: NNN


The fourth album by Billy Talent (fifth if you count their 1999 debut as Pezz) sounds exactly like what you’d expect from the maturing Mississauga pop-punk band: more middle-of-the-road radio-friendly guitar rock, with less punk energy and more classic rock than in their younger years. If you’re a long-time fan and haven’t grown tired of their formula, you’re probably old enough to appreciate the slower tempos and mellower mood.

Billy Talent still have a great ear for shout-along choruses, and Ian D’Sa is a very skilled guitarist. Their sound is definitely dated, but there’s a surprisingly large fan base for this kind of stuff. On the other hand, writing about them in 2012 feels a bit like reviewing a Mötley Crüe album at the height of grunge. Nevertheless, it hits all the buttons it’s supposed to, and will chart well in Canada, though probably not in the rest of the world.

Top track: Viking Death March

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