Billy Talent

The story of the Billy Talent band began when its original members met at one of the young talents contests as participant of two different groups. They had faced each other on several occasions performing on one and the same stage at local clubs and cafes before the leader of one ensemble, Benjamin, proposed to the leader of the other one, Ian, to start a new project. The offer seemed to attractive to say no. The two musicians also recruited Jonathan and Aaron. Later, Benjamin confessed that he was amazed at the ambitions of his new colleagues who ere not going to simply fool around on the stage, but were eager to develop into a truly prosperous project.

Originally, the ensemble was called Pezz and under this name issued their first self-released album, Watoosh (1998). After that, another American group, also called Pezz, threatened to ignite a trial against the younger musicians if they would not change the name. Therefore, it was decided to take up the Billy Talent variant. In 2001, the group delivered their new record, EP Try Honesty that showed clearly how decisive and talented these guys were. This work was so impressive that the management of EMI offered them a contract. Moreover, local radio stations were also determined to promote the fresher and did not spare their air time for Billy Talent’s compositions. These factors soon made the young formation a leading ensemble in the region and granted them a considerably army of followers. Even before the release of their first official album, Billy Talent were lucky enough to perform on one stage with such monsters of contemporary music as Busta Rhymes, Moby, and David Bowie. The musicians stated it clearly that playing alive in front of the crowds of fans was far more attractive to them than working in the studio.

In 2003, the music market offered the band’s first official long-play, Billy Talent. If compared to the group’s early works, this one was evidently heavier and much closer to aggressive punk rock. The album’s single, Try Honesty, became the outfit’s first big hit. The entire record gathered positive reviews and sold nicely. As a result, Billy Talent won two Juno awards in the nominations Best Album of the Year and Best Band of the Year. In 2006, the Canadians presented their new long player, II. The majority of critics appraised this work highly while the sales brought this record the double-platinum certificate. It was no surprise that the given album topped the Canadian charts. The following year, it earned the band another Juno prize as Best Rock Album. Staying loyal to the weird tradition of giving names, the musicians called their subsequent effort III and delivered it in the summer of 2009. The material was barely different from what they used to do before. Billy Talent remained on the path they once chose and kept on making top quality music in the easy recognizable and characteristic manner.