Opposites

**_Opposites_, Biffy Clyro’s newest release, is a double concept album which stems from the difficult years which have plagued the band since its predecessor. One half has its roots in depression and addiction, while the other takes a more optimistic view towards the future.**

As ever, the record is full of the vocal harmonies and complex riffs that define **Biffy Clyro**, but this time they’ve thought outside the box with regards to instrumentation. There’s a healthy use of strings throughout, a great brass section in ‘Spanish Radio’ and an appearance of bagpipes in ‘Stingin’ Bell’. Meanwhile, the synth in ‘Skylight’ could even be accused of borrowing a little from **Muse**’s repertoire.

This record includes fewer crowd pleasers than _Only Revolutions_, with more emphasis on the experimental sound of the earlier releases. There are some real gems like ‘Different People’, ‘Black Chandelier’ and ‘Sounds Like Balloons’, but the band have succumbed to the curse of the double album. _Opposites_ includes many tracks that just don’t need to be there, and by the time you finish the twenty-two song monster, the listener my find themselves panning for gold.

A shortened version of the album drops eight tracks in favour of a more concise sound, which instantly improves greatly on the longer edit. Releasing this instead of making listeners wade through another _Stadium Arcadium_ could’ve been a real achievement for the band. With the adage “less is more” coming to mind, the only thing **Biffy Clyro** have achieved is to demonstrate that they peaked in 2009.

**Similar To**: Foo Fighters, Sucioperro

**MP3**: ‘Different People’, ‘Black Chandelier’