Album Review: Biffy Clyro – A Celebration Of Endings (14th Floor Records)

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At the core of this album, Biffy Clyro is a great Power-Pop trio. Relentlessly upbeat in mood even if a lot of the lyrics are dark, dystopian and desperate.

Musical passages encompass Grunge, Hardcore, Prog Rock and straight orchestral passages. All kept on course by a versatile and dynamic front man singer and guitarist Simon Neil.

Twin brothers James Johnson on bass guitar, and Ben Johnson on drums. The crucial engine room which keep proceedings moving along like a bullet train.

North Of No South begins with fast metal guitar riffing, leading into a quieter melodic passage and Prog vocals with nice harmony backing. And cycles around again. Trimmed of excesses it remains a lean beast.

Weird Leisure kicks off with tribal drums and repeated short bursts of guitar. But there are constant shifts in dynamics with changing tempos and pretty melodies. Followed by foreboding heavy passages. The subject matter seems to refer to the desperation felt in the self-destructive behaviour of those who could have once been close friends. The passion in the singing and the Glaswegian accent which shines at times recalls another favourite Scottish band, Big Country. Somewhere in the constantly changing landscape you can almost hear guitars tuned to sound like bagpipes.

Tiny Indoor Fireworks is a highlight and perfect example of their Power Pop heart. Hey hey hey! Kicks this Blitzkreig Bop off. There is some punky Clash energy here and the singer keeps it melodic and anthemic. Looking for a new revolution/ This one didn’t get very far/I didn’t want to spoil an illusion/Abracadabra! And it’s raining all through this one.

Worst Type of Best Possible opens with a dark storm but then has a measured slow build-up with drone riffs that show some Joy Division lineage. Subtle shifts in dynamics from the singer. Dark matters. I woke up to a busted lip/ And streams of words dripping down my face. The music ends in crescendos and bravado.

Space is quiet and melodic, and Neil is able to show his chops as an excellent singer. He can hit the high notes and comes close to a good falsetto. A straight-ahead pop song and a sentimental love song.

The darkness, dystopia and dissonance are back straight away on next song End Of.                    This is not a love song/ That was just a phase. A rumbling ominous bass guitar, lead guitar shedding noise like shards of glass. This the end of a relationship or a friendship. Energy and economy of hooks similar to another great band of Scottish heritage, AC-DC.

The Pink Limit is crammed full of tricks again, but also has a relentless energy which makes it stand out. Rapid drum fills and superb rhythmic attack. There seems to be a keyboard in there. Riffs and hooks appear, played judiciously. All played with a fierce energy and all the different elements cohere nicely. If you want your peacetime/ Then please prepare for war.

Opaque changes things again and is basically a Folk song with a strummed acoustic guitar starting off. The singer shines again and keeps things upbeat and uplifting even though the walls are closing in.

Well, time to jolt everybody out of any comfort in the closer, Cop Syrup. Waves of dissonance and raw nerve-shredding vocals. Signature guitar riffs energise. Quiet acoustic passages to break the intensity. It all then slowly builds with orchestral strings and some sort of peace as the song moves heavenward.

An album full of diversity. Power-Pop to the fore. No shortage of melody or passion. Therefore, a great Rock’n’Roll band that can swing and be light on their feet. In these times what can a poor boy do except sing for a Rock’n’Roll band?

Rev Orange Peel

Rev Orange Peel
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