Album Review

Billy Talent – Rusted from the Rain

• 2nd Jul 2009

Billy Talent know which side their bread’s buttered; no change of direction in this straight-up rocker, riding an effectively simple riff that backbones the song, lurking in the bassline in the verse before erupting on the fist-pumping chorus. Benjamin Kowalewicz’s vocals are sharp as always, evoking (stop me if I’m wrong) vintage Axl Rose in places. So that’s a sound riff, big chorus, strong vocals. Throw in a neat little solo that doesn’t stick around too long to grate and you have a serviceable, if not blindingly original, four minutes odd of hard rock. It’s not going to catapult the Canadian quartet to any new heights but represents a retaining of form that’ll whet the appetite of existing fans for the forthcoming third album.