Familiarize Yourself

Billy Talent @ The Metro 9/16/09

Billy Talent torpedoed into the mainstream music market in 2001, almost 10 years after they first became a band in Streetsville, Ontario. My first exposure to the band came at the 2003 Warped Tour in Indianapolis, IN when my friend Robin and I skipped driver’s ed to head down to the biggest concert of our summer. Billy Talent was playing one of the main stages, but they did not seem to have a huge following so we stayed to check them out. I used to be a “pit chick” when I was younger, and I can still remember the exact feeling of getting my first fat lip from a humongous guy in the pit while jumping around to  ”Line and Sinker.”

I am still lucky enough to have that excited feeling in my gut when we walked into the Metro on Wednesday. Now, six years later my dedication to this little-known band in the United States has not faltered. They came through the Metro to promote their third major-label release, and put on a show filled with energy and excitement.

Although Billy Talent’s release, Billy Talent III came out in July in their home-country of Canada, as an American we are forced to wait until next Tuesday, September 22nd to own our (legal) copy of the album.

The guys kicked off the show to a packed club of screaming fans chanting “Billy, Billy” and did not disappoint the crowd as they tore through their debut single off their previous album called “Devil in a Midnight Mass.” Billy Talent continued to play old song after old song until finally we got a taste of the new material. To keep the crowd entertained the guys only played five new songs off of Billy Talent III since it quickly became obvious the crowd was there for their older albums. Some of the noteworthy new songs included, ”Diamond On A Landmine,” “The Dead Can’t Testify,”  and my personal favorite, ”Devil On My Shoulder.” This song featured intense, impassioned guitar and bass solos that were heavily influenced in the blues genre. If the subject content did not give it away initially, Ian D’Sa’s guitar riffs imitate some of the classic blue’s guitarists found at Buddy Guy’s bar every night of the week! Mixing their classic sound with this new influence created one of the most impressive Billy Talent songs I have ever heard.

Ben Kowalewicz commands the crowd at the Metro

“I got the devil on my shoulder
And I just can’t sink any lower
The hounds of hell are getting closer”

- “Devil On My Shoulder.” off of Billy Talent’s Billy Talent III

Billy Talent III comes out NEXT Tuesday, September 22nd!

Billy Talent rocking the crowd at the Metro