ALBUM REVIEW: Balance, Not Symmetry – Biffy Clyro
Forty-eight hours ago, not many would have been expecting to write about a new BIFFY CLYRO album. Materialising almost out of thin air, the prolific rock gods announced yesterday that their surprise 17-track album album Balance, Not Symmetry would accompany their upcoming movie project of the same name. What ensues is a career spanning emulsion sure to stir fond memories for fans of all incarnations of the band.
As they have grown and adapted throughout their acclaimed career, they have never lost the soul that resides at the centre of any BIFFY CLYRO song, and as much as this record sees them continue forwards, they also seem to have one eye fixed over their shoulder in a fury of nostalgia. They sound as huge as ever as the title track explodes into life. It’s Puzzle personified as devastating riffs and Simon Neil’s deranged vocals intertwine just like the DNA strands of their most prized album. Throw in a sing-along chorus and this track shows the Scottish trio at their best. All Singing All Dancing is a stylistic U-turn, showing a lighter side much more in parallel with the band’s later work. A clever pace change late on heightens the energy, which leads smartly into Different Kind Of Love, the album’s first tearjerker.
And then the riffs return. Sunrise is massive. Throughout the intro, guitars dance along with James Johnston‘s confident bass tone and Ben Johnston slamming the hell out of the drums, creating exactly the kind of BIFFY CLYRO sound famous for turning a crowd into mosh pie. These guys have been making music for over twenty years and they are still capable of surprising us with their unorthodox arrangement and molecule-bending step changes. Perhaps some of the quieter moments aren’t quite as impactful as discography gems like Machines or God & Satan but if we take an example such as Colour Wheel, there is plenty evidence to show that BIFFY CLYRO are still more than in touch with their cathartic side. Here they shadow the personality of Only Revolutions, ticking off another era on their quest to cover as much sonic ground as possible.
As a film score by definition, this record meant that BIFFY CLYRO had to diversify, and this has led to some intriguing additions to the track-list. Take Gates Of Heaven for example. It’s something we haven’t quite heard before, using piano and lively melody while providing a karaoke moment for this musical soundtrack. Similarly, Fever Dream and Navy Blue possess synth driven intros and hum with electric ease, providing another juxtaposed moment to an already polarised record. Tunnel And Trees is executed with a boyish charm, again evocative of Only Revolutions and featuring simple yet effective riff work that gains magnitude and concludes in one of the album’s most impressive summations. This one is a true stadium filler, yet never loses the technical intricacy that BIFFY CLYRO scatter so densely throughout their music.
The Natural is a stand out moment. Gang vocals litter the chorus, while jerky riffs and subtly employed string sections add layer upon layer of texture. It’s the kind of musical cleanliness born from decades of writing experience, and the execution is equally accomplished. “No-one will ever compare,” Neil croons throughout Touch, which unintentionally speaks volumes for the band. No one has or likely ever will capture the feeling that the music of BIFFY CLYRO contains, unique in its innate concoction of passion and technical skill that leaves the listener with a coat-hanger grin fixed firmly on their face.
The exquisite writing continues through Jasabiab and Following Master before ultimately concluding in Adored. After over an hour of listening, every hook still pulls us in, and what better to see out the album than a BIFFY CLYRO piano ballad? Neil‘s voice sounds better than ever as he punches through verses full of sorrow and longing. It’s nothing short of beautiful, and provides the final piece to a complex puzzle. This may be a new album – and perhaps their best for a decade – but it is also very much a celebration of what BIFFY CLYRO have achieved in their twenty years plus. Their flame is very much still lit, and Balance, Not Symmetry marks nothing other than the continuation of one of the best bands to ever grace British shores.
Rating: 9/10
Balance, Not Symmetry is out now via Warner Bros Records.
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