Mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, noted producer and mixer to the stars, Billy Talent’s sort-of self-titled second album is a loud, brazen, and aggressive rock album.

Opener and single “Devil in a Midnight Mass” is a fine portend of what comes on Billy Talent II, with the Canadian pop-punk four-piece delivering a tight and punchy collection of tunes that borrow from likely sources and inspirations such as the Buzzcocks.

Indeed, it takes until “Pins and Needles” for the band to slow the tempo, and it’s not until “Fallen Leaves” has amped it up once more. Vocalist Ben Kowalewicz has one of those snotty voices made for singing bratty tunes such as these, and the band keep the tempo up for near all of the thirteen tracks on Billy Talent II. It’s derivative, but it has its charms.