Only Revolutions
Only Revolutions keeps Biffy Clyro's guitar music immediate and highly melodic. The songs are compact, the choruses large, and the production gives the performances a bright finish. There is still plenty of force in the playing, although the album is more interested in making its ideas connect quickly than in making the listener work through difficult structures.
The Captain introduces that approach with jagged guitars and brass. Its size and confidence make an immediate impression, even if the pop side feels slightly too prominent. That Golden Rule follows with a harder attack, showing how well the band can combine a clear hook with more restless movement.
Bubbles is the most convincing meeting of those qualities. The main riff is strong, the chorus is easy to grasp, and the guitar playing has room to develop beyond the shortest route through the song.
Mountains finds another effective balance. The movement towards its broader, slower-feeling chorus gives the melody room to expand, while the guitars retain enough weight to stop the song becoming soft around the edges. The result is direct and emotionally open without losing the band's physical energy.
The quieter songs provide useful relief. God & Satan reduces the pressure, while Many of Horror and Know Your Quarry give more space to the melodic singing.
Elsewhere, Booooom, Blast & Ruin and Cloud of Stink keep the record moving through concentrated riffs and energetic playing. Born on a Horse introduces a more danceable pulse, adding another variation to the album's otherwise guitar-led approach.
The polished presentation can smooth away some of the music's stranger character. A few moments push so hard towards a broad chorus that the tension between roughness and melody becomes less interesting.
Still, Only Revolutions has a clear sense of purpose and several excellent songs. Its strongest tracks show that accessible rock can retain detailed playing, sharp changes and a strong individual voice.
