Billy Talent is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rock band formed in 1993. They performed and recorded together for about a decade before finding a wide mainstream following. Originally called Pezz, the group originates from Streetsville, in Mississauga, Ontario, but now hail from Toronto, Ontario. The band are releasing a new album, entitled “Dead Silence” in September 2012.
The name is inspired by a character named “Billy Tallent” in the 1993 book “Hard Core Logo” by Michael Turner (filmed in 1996) and it has been the name of the band since 2001, after a dispute with the American Pezz.
To date, the band have released four studio albums, the first under the name Pezz named “Watoosh!”, the second under the Billy Talent name is called “Billy Talent” with the third called “Billy Talent II”. The fourth album,”Billy Talent III”, released in 2009, was produced by Brendan O’Brien, who previously worked with AC/DC, Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam and The Offspring, among others.
Billy Talent have also released a live DVD/CD, “666” featuring live performances from London, Dusseldorf, and the Rock Am Ring festival, held at the Nürburgring in Germany. They have also released two live albums from London and Manchester in September of 2006, of which only 500 of each exist.
Drummer Aaron Solowoniuk revealed that the song “This Is How It Goes” was written for him by Ben with the subject being Aaron’s struggle with multiple sclerosis, in an open letter to fans posted on the official website in March 2006. As a sign of the dedication to finding a cure for MS, the band hold an annual show in Canada named “F.U.MS” in which all funds go towards the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. In it’s first year, F.U.MS raised $19,000, and in it’s second raised $50,000.
