A bit about the Biffy
Biffy Clyro, hailing from Scotland, have to date released 3 amazing albums, all with their unique sound and are growing in skill and depth every time. People have likened them to the Pixies and Nirvana, due to their style of changes of tempo, melody and distortion uses. However, don’t be taken by comparisons, Biffy have a style that is their own, and is one that appeals to both mainstream and alternative listeners.
This was their first full album, released on Beggars Banquet label in 2002.
Joy. Discovery. Invention
Perfect album intro, featuring all that is Biffy. Starts slow, then a stand out little riff, into a crunching distortion, with an insane sounding little section near the end, before heading back to where it started. Vocals are spot on too. 4/5
27
Same pattern as the first, but more vocal depth this time when the song kicks off into its heavier last third. The drums help the build up well. 4/5
Justboy
Begins with an overdriven section, but falls into a nice mellow section. Has a great chorus too, simple but effective guitar work, with nice effects at the end.
4/5
Kill the Old, Torture Their Young
After the natural harmonic intro, Simon discovers he can scream on this track, only for the first part, but it goes well with the powered riff The song slows down, goes to bare roots of a simple beat/strumming pattern. It then slowly builds up, then unleashes the heavier part, containing complementing vocals. At 6.10, it shows that Biffy have what it takes to write a longer progressive song, as well as 2-3 minute wonders. 4/5
The Go ‘ Slow
Another song that veers from heavy to clean on regular occasions. It has catchy lyrics too, and finishes with Simon once again discovering he has the ability to scream. 3.5/5
Christopher’s River
Emotional song this one, with a sense of defiance. Usual clean intro, but this has more feel to it, going well with Simon’s deeper lyrics. The break into the overdriven ending section is great, with the line ‘I’m not through..." repeated over and over to great effect. Finishes with a little octave solo-ish piece which brings the song to a good ending 4.5/5
Convex, Concave
More upbeat tempo with this song, but contains some of the most brutal Biffy riffs to date. A great live song, due to its great build up sections. 5/5
57
The most pop orientated song on this album. Full of catchy riffs, vocals that you will be singing for weeks, and the well know (for Biffy fans) ‘doo do dooo doo’ section, this track will stay in your head for a while after hearing it. 4/5
Hero management
Into section drags on a bit for this song, and the song s doesn’t appear to go anywhere for ages, until about 2 minutes in, where it picks up tempo. It ends well with feedback building up over the clean guitar, then heads into the heavier ending part, with nice octave work again. 4/5
Solution Devices
Overdriven bass lines are very noticeable in this one, another class Biffy song with its usual changes, and some more quality vocals. A more straight-to-the-point song than most of the others. 3.5/5
Stress On The Sky
The drums go racing away in this one; they get heavier while the guitar is still subdued. This changes before long, and a nice heavy section follows. Apart from the odd vocal section, this feels more of an instrumental song, with nice build up sections all over the place. 3.5/5
Scary Mary
And to finish, a ballad? Well it’s the tamest track on the album, but still has some nice parts to it. The vocals are spot on, and the little ending guitar section works well. A calm end to the album. 3/5
This album is a severely underrated classic, as it was lost (and even compared to) the surge of the Nu Metal market. It contains lots of catchy sections, which could easily share the charts with other manufactured acts that solely rely on forcing hooks on their listeners. Biffy however, creates and incorporates these sections brilliantly into their music. Also a great live band.
Suggested tracks
Justboy
57
Christopher’s River
