Canadian quartet Billy Talent makes some noise with its newest installment, “Dead Silence.” The album is an intriguing hybrid of alt-rock and punk. It’s what would happen if Anti-Flag and The Offspring blended together with just a dash of Ludo to make an aural smoothie. Fans of older albums can look forward to high-energy tracks such as “Viking Death March” and “Man Alive!” for signature riffs and aggressive drumming. The various vocals provide a nice emotional authenticity that pairs well with the band’s catchy lyrics and hooks. Despite its decent tracks, “Dead Silence” implores a new style that sometimes fails to land and winds up sounding a little too much like “radio rock.” Despite losing footing, Talent makes up for it by executing “Don’t Count on the Wicked” and the titular song “Dead Silence” with aplomb.
Grade: B-