Crisis of Faith

by Billy Talent

Overview

On 2016's Afraid of Heights, Canadian hard rock mainstays Billy Talent stared fear and anxiety in the face and struck an ideal balance between energy and message, delivering one of the best albums in their catalog. Six years later, they confront negativity and darkness once again on Crisis of Faith, ten tracks of cathartic release and hardened hope from a band still digesting the chaotic years between releases. Executive produced by guitarist and main songwriter Ian D'Sa, Faith sticks close to their winning formula, offering a few artistic surprises to push the group forward. Opening salvo "Forgiveness I + II" is an instant standout, a two-part prog exercise that unfolds from a crunchy riff-packed assault into an unexpected midtempo, horn-backed epic. It's one of the most daring and satisfying creative moves in their decades-long career. Aside from the somber, string-washed ballad "The Wolf," the rest of the set is fairly standard Billy Talent fare, with snaking riffs and pounding drums sending highlights like the urgent call-to-arms "Reckless Paradise" and the motivating "I Beg to Differ (This Will Get Better)" careening across imagined arenas. A trio of melodic earworms -- the cautionary "Hanging Out with All the Wrong People," "One Less Problem," and "End of Me" with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo -- tackles bad influences, frustrating friends, and the pressures of the world with deceptively catchy songwriting, while the raucous punk blast "Judged" dispenses with pleasantries as frontman Ben Kowalewicz, D'Sa, and bassist Jon Gallant rail against bigotry and discrimination on the LP's most thrilling assault. As the uplifting positivity of "For You" closes the album on an optimistic note, Billy Talent takes the storm of emotions churning through the preceding cuts and salvages the light that remains, avoiding the titular inner conflict by focusing on that which gives us hope and peace. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date:	01/21/2022
Label:	Spinefarm Records
UPC:	0602438329373
Rank:	42614

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Billy Talent   Primary Artist
Rivers Cuomo   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Barry Green   Bass (Vocal),Tenor (Vocal),Bass,Bass (Vocal),Tenor (Vocal)
Mary Kathryn Van Osdale   Violin
Catherine Umstead   Violin
Bruce Christensen   Viola
Karen Winkelmann   Violin
Alan Umstead   Violin
Ben Kowalewicz   Vocals
Anthony LaMarchina   Cello
Steve Patrick   Trumpet
Bruce Wethey   Violin
Ian D'Sa   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Moog Bass,Percussion,Synthesizer,Moog Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Billy Ray   Guitar
Jordan Hastings   Drums,Percussion
Andrew Dunn   Cello
David Campbell   Conductor
Janet Darnall   Violin
Craig Nelson   Double Bass
Charles Dixon   Viola
Carrie Bailey   Violin
Jon Gallant   Bass,Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Clare Yang   Viola
Elizabeth Lamb   Viola
Kevin Bate   Cello
Craig Pattison   Guitar
Ernesto Barahona   Trombone
Jonathan Gallant   Bass,Vocals
Dennis Passley   Sax (Tenor)
Thomas Moffett   Trumpet
Jung-Min Shin   Violin
Quentin Flowers   Double Bass
Tom Moffett   Trumpet
Bruce Mackinnon   Sax (Alto)
Alex Krew   Cello
Elizabeth Browne   Cello
Kimberly Yokoyama   Violin
Jun-Min Shin   Violin

Technical Credits

Ted Jensen   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Eric Ratz   Engineer,Recording
Alan Umstead   Orchestra Contractor
Ben Kowalewicz   Composer,Lyricist,Group Member
Billy Talent   Composer
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing
Rivers Cuomo   Composer
Rich Costey   Mixing
Ian D'Sa   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Group Member
Billy Ray   Bass Technician
Kenny Luong   Engineer
Jordan Hastings   Composer,Lyricist,Group Member
Aaron Solowoniuk   Composer,Group Member
David Campbell   Arranger
Jon Gallant   Composer
Benjamin Kowalewicz   Composer
Craig Pattison   Bass Technician
Nick Spezia   Engineer
Austin Atwood   Assistant Engineer
Jonathan Gallant   Composer,Lyricist,Group Member
Antje Schroeder   Package Design
Luke Schindler   Assistant Engineer
Sammy Sanfilippo   Copyist,Librarian
Jordan Gauthier   Drum Technician
Serge Sargento   Drum Technician
Ryan Quickfall   Artwork