The Album Review Club - End of Round #9 Break (page 1904)

As I recall Biffy Clyro showed up in the "best bands" poll a while back and I remember thinking "who the fuck are these guys?" having never heard of them. I also recall listening to 4 or 5 tunes and feeling they had something to offer but also something that could be made fun of mercilessly. As such, I will look forward to this but suspect my review will likely skew to one side of the bell curve or another. Am I right that they have nearly no following in the USA?

Wikipedia suggests the following: The band cite influences ranging from heavy metal bands such as Metallica to progressive rock band Rush, while reviewers are often quick to link their sound to Nirvana and Foo Fighters – particularly in their use of shifting dynamics, which they adapted from Pixies and Fugazi.

Well, given how much I love Rush, Nirvana, the Foos, Pixies and was around during the pre-birth of Fugazi in DC (I loved Minor Threat, and Guy Piccioto was a college classmate of mine, also an English major with me and good friends with one of my roommates, though not me, when he was in Happy Go Licky and Rites of Spring), this could very well appeal!

Pretty big in the UK - I’ve listened to a lot of their stuff, never heard any heavy metal influence - perhaps I will in this album.
Always been standard indie/Pop, Radio X stuff - which I like.
‘Ellipses’ I bought - good stuff on there.
‘Many of Horror’ (not on this album) is a massive song world wide (I think) you should know that one
 
As I recall Biffy Clyro showed up in the "best bands" poll a while back and I remember thinking "who the fuck are these guys?" having never heard of them. I also recall listening to 4 or 5 tunes and feeling they had something to offer but also something that could be made fun of mercilessly. As such, I will look forward to this but suspect my review will likely skew to one side of the bell curve or another. Am I right that they have nearly no following in the USA?

Wikipedia suggests the following: The band cite influences ranging from heavy metal bands such as Metallica to progressive rock band Rush, while reviewers are often quick to link their sound to Nirvana and Foo Fighters – particularly in their use of shifting dynamics, which they adapted from Pixies and Fugazi.

Well, given how much I love Rush, Nirvana, the Foos, Pixies and was around during the pre-birth of Fugazi in DC (I liked Minor Threat, and Guy Picciotto was a college classmate of mine, also an English major with me and good friends with one of my roommates, though not me, when he was in Happy Go Licky and Rites of Spring), this could very well appeal!

Wikipedia is not wrong. They almost have two timelines, and there is a pretty noticeable change. This album is more or less the dividing line, a reason for picking it. There are fans that love their post-grunge albums and nothing beyond this one, and others that ignore up to this one. There is indeed as you say a lot there that at times borders gimmicks. Particularly later work, which also happens to have the more widespread popularity.
 
Pretty big in the UK - I’ve listened to a lot of their stuff, never heard any heavy metal influence - perhaps I will in this album.
Always been standard indie/Pop, Radio X stuff - which I like.
‘Ellipses’ I bought - good stuff on there.
‘Many of Horror’ (not on this album) is a massive song world wide (I think) you should know that one

I would agree, any 'metal' association is for me more an image thing than a sound. Prog-rock certainly there though, and Rush (having listened to the album nominated on this thread) has been I would say an influence. As has grunge, where they started.
 
I would agree, any 'metal' association is for me more an image thing than a sound. Prog-rock certainly there though, and Rush (having listened to the album nominated on this thread) has been I would say an influence. As has grunge, where they started.

Also heard good things that they’re great live - never caught them before
 
Biffy Clyro - Puzzle.

I will keep this to my own take on the album, rather than paraphrasing what has been written about it in reviews.

Many would agree it is not their best album, which I think has to be their debut, Blackened Sky. However as mentioned earlier, a bit of a dividing line album, where they take progressions to a whole new level, starting the sound they have become known for, and phase out the grunge derivations.

Probably also imo the last album that feels like they just didn't care if things ended up popular or sold, or about song and album structures and mixes of hits ballads that should work, but just put out what they felt like. Something that made them well liked to start off with, but the real widespread popularity came in the following releases.

The album doesn't have a consistent mood as such, but it does have a clear theme, and deals with particular topics, that are somewhat always relevant. Which is, dealing with loss, anticipation of it, anxieties, health and mental health, reaching out etc.

It has some filler. It has a few generic sounding songs. But it has some absolute monuments too. As Dust Dances is a song that still gives me goosebumps as it builds and breaks. A Whole Child Ago is a throwback to younger days, one my son sings along to but will only fully appreciate when at that age.

Some of the intros, outros and seemingly random pieces (literally), need powering through, but there is an apparent reason for them that is somewhat consistent with the theme of the album. I'm pretty sure Spotify have messed about with what songs they attach them to rather than having them as standalone bits, in a couple of places.

The end of the album, the last 5 or 6 songs is the strongest part of it. Machines has become a bit of a cult classic anthem. It also used to be the last song on the album and a fitting end, the addition of bonus songs on different releases has weakened that for me, and I would suggest ending it there.
 
Another band I know nothing about, this is just wrong, I have over 4000 albums on vinyl, another 8000 on mp3 plus assorted tapes, 7"'s and streaming services.

Once again, I am looking forward to this.
 

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