BILLY TALENT

Appearances can be deceiving. By all accounts, Billy Talent is a young band just releasing their second album. Hell, it's even called II. But like most stories worth hearing, the best part often lies beneath the surface.

While II is the Toronto-based quartet's sophomore record, the number hardly seems appropriate for this group of friends that first began this journey 13 years ago. And it's those years of grounded experience that kept them from sacrificing II to the dreaded second album curse.

Their self-titled major label debut came out swinging, establishing the band as a melodic tsunami of fist-in-the-air rock n' roll that garnered the guys accolades from Best New Group, Group of the Year and Album of the Year Junos trophies to Best Video and Best Rock Video MuchMusic awards, as well as a passionate following of fans at home and abroad.

For the follow-up, Billy Talent maintains the elements that makes them who they are hard-hitting, hook-filled, tight arrangements with an edge but with a more refined sense of purpose. While it's definitely clear the months of constant touring have sharpened their musical chops, one of the stand-out differences is the way Kowalewicz has tempered his screeching lungs of steel to reveal his inner punk rock crooner.

One thing Kowalewicz and the band haven't changed is their deft lyrical depiction of personal experiences and keen observations. The blistering opener "Devil in a Midnight Mass" shows how Kowalewicz can take an issue and talk about it in a personal way.

Like getting to know a good friend better over time, their lyrics and sound are familiar but delve deeper into who Billy Talent is and where they stand. The first 13 years of their career established them as an authentic, honest and direct force of energy and these next 13 songs add to that legacy. Welcome to part II.

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.