‘Mon the Biffy’

I’ve been waiting for the fourth Biffy Clyro album ‘Puzzle’ for a long time. Since I first discovered them through their second album ‘The Vertigo of Bliss’, they quickly became one of my favourite bands and I quickly got my hands on their other two albums.

I’m pretty sure I don’t listen to any other bands like this Scottish alternative rock three piece. Their music is a fusion of “a quiet/loud dynamic, constructing songs that can range from a whisper-quiet pick on the guitar, to huge walls of noise with massive distortion and crashing drums. While Simon Neil sings lead, all three members provide vocals, which are again used to create delicate melodies, along with ferocious roars.” Although when I first heard the two singles off the upcoming album and suddenly saw videos on MTV I started to get a little worried that the band were heading towards mainstream radio friendly territory. It just seemed more “pop!?”

As I looked around for other views on this album, I’ve discovered quite the little debate about this one, depending on where you go, some fans and critics argue this is the bands best offering so far, while others say it’s pure shite and they’re a bunch of sellouts. But then again, who listens to what a stranger writes on a blog before choosing whether or not to buy an album!? Incase you’re reading this and you do, then I’d recommend checking out Biffy Clyro but maybe not this album first, they’ve made better.

It’s not that it’s pure shite or they are selling out, it’s that they’re trying something slightly different, something slightly more pop. But, if it’s “pop” then its them doing it the Biffy Clyro way and I like it. Some songs seem to have become more epic than previous albums, some songs are still the quiet/loud dynamic but with eerie string arrangements and ominous choirs while other tracks are more simplified Biffy Clyro songs never pushed to their full potential. They have however pretty much lost the “ferocious roars.”

Puzzle although it won’t be my favourite album is still great, it’s still Biffy Clyro and it’ll be one of my summer albums. I love the artwork, which is definitely my favourite of their four. Shot by Storm Studios, the inlay booklet which also features all the lyrics is filled with really great studio shots. Several strange pictures which fit with the bands lyrics which are heavily influenced by various literature.

According to Kerrang; “this band will change your life.” According to Oss237; “maybe they won’t with this album, but you should definitely check them out!?”