No one, we repeat, NO ONE sounds like Billy Talent, which can be a good or bad thing depending upon who is listening/jabbering about on social media. You see, Canada’s own Billy Talent is a truly, truly polarizing band that one either truly loves like a milkshake or despises like chronic back pain. Here at The Hard Times we are all for this distinctly original-sounding group, and ranked their six LPs from worst to best. P.S. Yes, we know that the group used to be called PEZZ, and we did not list anything pre-2003; if you disagree, that’s a red flag, so try honesty. Check out the river of music below:
6. Afraid of Heights (2016)
Well, one Billy Talent record had to be ranked last here, but honestly, this one definitely isn’t a stinker. Compared to the rest of the band’s lush and sonically pleasing audio catalog, “Afraid of Heights” just falls slightly short of the next-to-be-mentioned recent 2022 outing, and just doesn’t inspire repeated listens as often as the following five LPs. Still, it debuted at number one in a few countries, including The Great White North, so what the hell do we know? Don’t answer that.
Play it again: “Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rats”
Skip it: “Horses & Chariots”
5. Crisis Of Faith (2022)
As mentioned below in the handy dandy “play it again” section, the epic nearly seven-minute opener “Forgiveness I & II” is the best song on “Crisis Of Faith,” and without question the band’s finest since its preceding release “Dead Silence”… More on that LP later as it is likely ranked here differently than you may think! That song alone justifies the six-year gap between albums, which is the group’s longest since their debut LP as Billy Talent. Hopefully BT makes its next album much sooner as we’re going through a crisis. Get it? Don’t answer that II.
Play it again: “Forgiveness I & II”
Skip it: “Judged”
4. Billy Talent III (2009)
First off, you gotta admire a band for naming its first three albums chronologically, as it is a feat that few others besides Led Zeppelin can do so gracefully; don’t mess with Peter Grant, seriously. Anyway, our punk rock hearts still wish that “Billy Talent III” contained the original version of “Turn Your Back” with Anti-Flag’s vocals, but we still enjoy the album version, albeit slightly less than the one featuring Justin Sane; turncoat. Finally, It must be said that the band’s pristine musicianship is showcased quite well on this LP, but the next three records listed below just had more consistent and overall better songs. So sorey.
Play it again: “Rusted from the Rain”
Skip it: “Sudden Movements”
3. Dead Silence (2012)
We may get some hate for this, but “Viking Death March” is Billy Talent’s premier single that the band or most others may never top. That’s ok, because it fucking rules. Yeah. We also love it when bands close albums with the record’s title track, and no other song would make the album feel as balanced as “Dead Silence” does. The band’s fourth and longest record takes you on a whirlwind of textures and colors from start to finish, and we’re all here for it! However, the following two are quite hard to top and your opinion on the matter is wrong anyway.
Play it again: “Viking Death March”
Skip it: “Hanging by a Thread”
2. Billy Talent (2003)
Not too many bands make as strong of an audible statement as Billy Talent does with its album opener “This Is How It Goes,” which is without hesitation complete R-O-C-K in the C-A-N-A-D-A. Also, track three, “Try Honesty,” was a minor hit in America, and sadly one of the band’s last radio songs in the States. Perhaps the USA couldn’t handle the impossible-to-label (or spell) Benjamin Kowalewicz’s unique vocals or Ian D’Sa’s elegant six-string shredding; miscreant uneducated peasants. If you’re feeling frisky, like many ex(es), check out the 10th-anniversary edition reissue of the band’s debut LP, which has several demos and live versions of each of the LP’s twelve songs. Since it’s 2023, we’d love to see a 20th-anniversary run of this album!
Play it again: “This Is How It Goes”
Skip it: “Voices of Violence”
1. Billy Talent II (2006)
With the exception of classic AFI critical darling and multi-Academy Award-winning films “The Godfather Part II” and “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,” sequels are pretty much never better than the originals. Both Lauryn Hill and Jennifer Love-Hewitt would surely agree that BT’s sophomore LP “Billy Talent II” goes against the grain and manages to supersede both its former and four latter releases. Want more proof that we’re right and you’re likely wrong about this one? On the band’s 2014 greatest hits record simply titled “Hits,” four of the compilation’s fourteen songs come from LP2, making it the most represented LP on the release. Yep. Not sorey. In closing, guitar nerds should attempt to NOT butcher the gorgeous and complicated “play it again” track listed below.
Play it again: “Pins and Needles”
Skip it: “Burn the Evidence”