After years of anticipation, Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro have released their Biblical new record. Entitled A Celebration of Endings, Biffy’s new release charged onto streaming platforms last night (14th August 2020).
Just like the poetic album title suggests, A Celebration of Endings has a mantra of getting up and facing whatever life throws at you. Frontman Simon Neil concurred with this idea, relaying that “The thought behind this whole album is that change is not a bad thing.”
Composed of eleven songs, A Celebration of Endings is the band’s ninth album and follows the 2016 released Ellipsis. A record of high extremes, A Celebration of Endings runs across an emotional tightrope of self-assured defiance, helpless woe and optimistic hopefulness.
As high hats shake with anticipation, and a staccato electric guitar flashes, ready to pounce, Biffy launches into North of No South. The opening track immediately starts an introspective dialogue, with frontman Neil asking “Have you ever been to a place in which you couldn’t leave/But of course, you couldn’t stay?”
Aggressive in the best way, Weird Leisure is an ode to the classic, heavy Biffy Clyro we all know and love. The menacing bassline loops incessantly, whilst the strong drums shake you from the toes up.
Tiny Indoor Fireworks highlights the album’s paradoxical nature. Whilst its backing track flourishes with high energy, Neil’s heart-wrenching lyrics like “This weight is crippling me” and “Summit the ocean, scale the lake/And I’ll pray for the better days” keeps the listener guessing.
Biffy flips this vibe on its head and slides into Space. A slow tempo track, Space is a rock ballad that echoes Biffy’s emotive, slower tracks like Many of Horror. The album reaches its climax at Cop Syrup, an epic song that knocks the wind out of you and leaves you already wanting more.
Recently Simon Neil broke down the monumental record with NME. When speaking on the album, Neil said “the metaphor of the album is finding your true north. In certain points over the last few years, personally and societally, there’ve been moments when I think ‘where am I turning here? Who’s actually going to tell me what direction to go in?”
The Born On A Horse hitmakers took to Instagram yesterday to celebrate the arrival of their latest release. Sharing an animated version of the album’s cover art with a snippet of Instant History blaring in the background, the exciting post has gathered over 16,000 views and likes.
In other exciting news, Biffy Clyro will deliver a livestream performance in commemoration of A Celebration of Endings. Taking place tonight, Biffy Clyro will play live from the Barrowland Ballroom, a Glaswegian gem and beloved music venue of the city.
Offering an intimate look behind the scenes of a legendary Biffy set, the live stream will feature a fly on the wall look into the band’s soundcheck, as well as rare footage of the Scottish trios’ studio recordings. As well as sharing this intimate content, Biffy Clyro will play A Celebration of Endings in its entirety. Sharing some information regarding how to watch the live stream, Biffy deemed the upcoming virtual show “an immersive audio experience (headphones advised).”
A Celebration of Endings is out now.
