The Canadian alternative punk band Billy Talent have been quietly building a name for themselves globally. Actually, "quietly" is probably the wrong word to use there. A big part of Billy Talent's signature sound is the impressive screaming range of spastic lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz. Anyone who has heard their songs or seen them live can attest to the spine-chilling emotion that Kowalewicz puts into his vocal delivery, and Billy Talent definitely leave themselves and their audience exhausted. Also, with Billy Talent, everything clicks at once. For a band, there's no shortcut to experience, and Billy Talent have had plenty. The band existed for nearly a decade before finally cracking the mainstream. Feeding off of Toronto's thriving new music scene, the members of Billy Talent actually all met up in high school and formed a rock band named Pezz, later changing their name for legal reasons. In the beginning, the band had to build their own stages in abandoned Masonic meeting halls because the musicians and fans had trouble getting into downtown clubs. The day-to-day reality of gigging and touring mean that Billy Talent practically finish each other's guitar solos and succeed in making rocking out look effortless and even (gasp!) fun. It wasn't until the band released their debut self-titled album Billy Talent on Warner Music Canada that they began getting attention outside of the local club circuit. Their snide debut single "Try Honesty" was an instant radio hit, with Kowalewicz's unique voice carrying well over the band's fast, melodic racket. Follow-up singles included some of the band's other signature tunes, including "The Ex", "Nothing To Lose" and "River Below" and the Billy Talent received their first Juno award in 2004. Their second album, Billy Talent II, has gotten serious critical praise from both fans and journalists, and it sees the developing band concentrating on their musicianship and trading stately chord progressions for the snide lyricism that characterized their debut.