Billy Talent has been the premier Canadian punk band since the late 90s. They have gained widespread critical and commercial acclaim through their albums. The bands straight ahead punk rock sound with absolute ferocious raw energy has ensured a cult following. The band has still not broken into the mainstream US charts but that is not something they care about. They have always distance themselves from music trends and passionately forged ahead with their brand of "The Clash" inspired punk rock.

Billy Talent - Punk Revivalist

"I'm a big advocate for children's rights and this song looks at sexual abuse. It's not against the church or anything; it's more about that individual betrayal between adult and child." Ben Kowalewicz - Billy Talent (on their song "Devil in Midnight Mass)

The Canadian Punk Rockers

Billy Talent has been the premier Canadian punk band since the late 90s. They have gained widespread critical and commercial acclaim through their albums. The bands straight ahead punk rock sound with absolute ferocious raw energy has ensured a cult following. The band has still not broken into the mainstream US charts but that is not something they care about. They have always distance themselves from music trends and passionately forged ahead with their brand of "The Clash" inspired punk rock.

However they area also not your typical three chord punk band, the song structure and emotional lyrics have often gone though changes which cannot be restricted to one genre. The band has played worldwide tours have sold nearly 7 million albums in Canada. In Europe, they have a cult following and are regulars at the festival circuit such Pinkpop and headlining the Rock AM Ring in Germany.

The Formation

The genesis of the band can be traced to 1993 when Ben Kowalewicz (lead vocals) and Jon Gallant used to be part of another band. They were still in high school when they met Aaron Solowoniuk (drums) and Ian D'sa who played guitar. At that point all four of them were not playing together and then decided to start their own group with focus on producing creative songs.

They started calling themselves Pezz in Toronto. Playing in various clubs and local events, they garnered a lot of interest for their raw energy and aggressive live performances. They financed their demos while working and studying. Their music at this point was raw punk sound with rap-rock delivery. By 1999, they decided to record their first album. Again this was self-financed and roped in reputed Canadian producer Brad Nelson to produce the album. The effort "Watoosh" was released in 1999 and again re-released in 2005

Breaking Trough the Other Side

The sound of the album was not limited to punk and they mixed several genres that even included hip-hop beats. They changed their name to Billy Talent after a character in the book which was also adapted into a Canadian movie.

In 2002, they signed their major record deal with Atlantic Records and Warner. This joint deal was unique in the Canadian music scene. The band immediately recorded their first self-titled album Billy Talent. Released in 2003, the album broke into the top 10 on Canadian charts and charted in the US where they were not heavily promoted. The band's music was now their signature hard rock punk sound. The single "Try Honesty" and "The Ex" are notable crowd favorites during their gigs. The band went on the road and played sold out shows in Europe and their home country. The album has sold 3 million copies in the US and is certified Gold in Germany.

Billy Talent II and III

In 2006, their second album "Billy Talent II" to glittering reviews and it debut at No.1 on the Canadian album charts. The single "Devil at Midnight Mass" with its opening vocal screaming and ferocious raw energy was like an explosion in a Red Bull factory! The guitar riff was considered one of the best of the year and the song writing was emotionally charged relating to the Roman Catholic sex scandal.

The single "Red Flag" was another hit and was performed on several ate night appearances on US prime time TV. The band went on a long two year world tour which established them as stars and their raw energy now spilled over their stage performances. Performing several legs of the tour in Europe, America and Canada the band gained their reputation as one of the best new punk bands on the scene.

The band started recording their highly anticipated fourth album by roping in legendary producer Brendan O' Brien. During the summer of 2009 they started another tour in support of the un-released album, playing several festivals in Europe. The third album "Billy Talent III" was released in Nov 29. The album once again debut at No.1 in Canada. The sound was slightly more melodic as they are progressing well into the main rock territory. Adding blues riffs, even reggae rock for the song "Diamonds on a Landmine" remind you of The Police. A richly produced album as is expected from Brendan O' Brien; the album does not sell as much as it is predecessor.

The band are currently on their 09/10 world tour are playing all across Europe and North America. They return Germany in the summer to play headline the festival market.

• The name 'Billy Talent' is actually the name of the guitarist in Michael Turner's novel Hard Core Logo
• Before they changed their name to Billy Talent, the band used to be called Pezz.
• Their album Billy Talent II was leaked onto the internet on June 19th and the album was released four days after on June 23rd.

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