Biffy Clyro – Opposites
It seems impossible that Biffy Clyro continue to go from
strength to strength. Everything released prior to 2007’s Puzzle, their first when signed to Warner-owned label 14th
Floor, proved what kind of band they are: an extremely talented, creative and
above all unique one. And this followed on when Puzzle was released in ’07, and even more so with the masterpiece
that is Only Revolutions from 2009.
So it’s fair to say that great things are expected from all kinds of music fans
from the highly anticipated new double album Opposites. The Scottish maestros have also recently embarked on a
tour across the UK’s major arenas, and will be headlining Reading & Leeds
Festival this summer (which they have played many times in the past), so
they’ve evidently come a long way from playing in small smoky Glasgow pubs all
those years ago. As I said earlier, Biffy Clyro have gone from strength to
strength indeed.
The new record is divided in two separate albums, under the
sub-headings The Sand at the Core of Our
Bones and The Land at the End of Our
Toes. This is cleverly worked in to one of the songs on the first album,
named “Sounds Like Balloons” in which Simon Neil screams out “The land at the end of our toes goes on and on and on and
on, the sand at the core of our bones continues on.” The opening track “Different People” begins with a slow, slightly
electronic build-up before breaking into the melodic, metal-influenced rock
that has given Biffy Clyro their name as one of the most acclaimed rock bands
in Britain over the last 10 years. The key single to be released from this new
album, “Black Chandelier” is something of a ballad with the typical death-induced
and dark lyricism present.
The remainder
of The Sand at the Core of Our Bones is
a fantastic work of art. Every song has its own unique selling point, if you
will. No two songs sound the same. One track will be a metal-influenced, all
action rock anthem, and the next a slow, acoustic ballad, and then some in
between. Lyrically, it’s highly poetic and very well written. In terms of
lyrical song-writing, one track that particularly stood out to me was “The
Joke’s On Us”, which questions whether humans were placed on Earth after being
saved by God or if he placed us there as a practical joke. Poetically, the song
“Biblical” (also released as a single) works well with the lyrics: “You gave me
magical, I gave you wonderful, let’s make this biblical and hang from our
invisible chords.” Elsewhere, I really enjoyed the guitar work on a number of
songs, namely “Different People” and “Little Hospitals”. Yep, they’ve done it
again. The Sand at the Core of Our Bones is
a little bit more of what made Biffy awesome in the past. You could say that
they’ve taken more of a pop-influenced turn than before, with the word “baby”
being used in a lot of the songs and being the first word sang in the opening
track, but it definitely works. There’s something great about this side.
Sadly, I didn’t
get the same vibe from the second album, The
Land at the End of Our Toes. “Stingin’ Belle” is the opening track, and the
only song I’d previously heard before listening to this record in its entirety.
I wasn’t keen at first. I found the song, for lack of a better description, a
little boring. However, on a second listen I enjoyed the guitar work and
composition, and decided that this was a song I liked. I was a little let down,
however, from what I heard on the remainder of the album. I could be wrong, but
it seemed like this side had a lot less passion put into it than the first. It
felt like the majority of the songs recorded were fillers: add-ons to complete
the record and make a full album. The song “Victory Over the Sun”, however, was
one that really stood out as a work of poetic art. It’s enticing from the
start, as Neil sings “Trees will speak before you listen”, which instantly
makes one think about the meaning this song might hold. There’s something
really great about this track, which I unfortunately didn’t seem to pick up on
any other on this side, and as previously stated, most of the songs seemed like
fillers.
I could put it
down to human error, not listening to the whole double-sided record properly,
but I definitely preferred the songs available on The Sand at the End of Our Bones to those on The Land at the End of Our Toes. Biffy Clyro have, however, made
available a compressed version of the album. I may have to listen to this in
order to gain more of an appreciation for the second side. I’m not saying this
is a bad record, by any stretch of the imagination. Christ, compared to the
latest material from bands like All Time Low and Green Day (two bands I
previously really enjoyed), it’s an absolute godsend. So, to sum up the sort of
record Opposites is, it certainly is
a good album, it’s just not Only
Revolutions or Puzzle.
Album rating:
3/5
