The first time I listened to Biffy Clyro I was not impressed. The second time that I listened to them I was blown away. Wow.

I have to admit I was one of the newcomers, not one of the dedicated originals that stuck with them through the years before their mainstream success. And I also wish that I listened to my friends when they rambled on about their greatness well before puzzle came out. But I wasn't, and I'm more than eager to make up for it.

Puzzle is the fourth album by the rock band from Ayre, and the one that took them into the public eye. Before that they had almost 10 years of experiance playing to the infamously expressive Scottish audiances, and had earned themselves a dedicated and thoroughly loyal fan base. Their previous albums are well worth checking out btw, the Vertigo of Bliss is a good one, containing the brutal "Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys"

Having such a legacy, its easy to see why many fans thought that Puzzle seemed a bit diluted, a bit softer and more pop than their previous works. I think this criticism can deffinately be applied to their most recent album "Only Revolutions", but while there may be some songsin Puzzle that seemed a bit meh, and the style has seen a deffinate change, I can't say that its a change for the worse. While loving their previous work, Puzzle seemed more than apt to me. They didn't seem to ditch their old style completely, just add new ingrediants to it. The likes of "Living is a Problem", "Saturday Superhouse" and "Get F**cked Stud" (not sure if I'm allowed to swear on DooYoo) are reminiscents of their old self, but with a different Panash (I'm not sure if thats a word).

Other slightly lighter songs include "Whole Child Ago" and, to me atleast, they are equally enjoyable, with catchy guitar riffs and Simon's wandering vocals. I love the rythm of the bass and drums in all the tracks, and again, Simon's vocals show interesting variation and diversity, from soft melodic whispers to haunting moans and harsh shouts and screams.

But ultimately, I think what distinguishes this album from everything else is the distinct sadness and bitterness shown in almost all of the songs. "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies" says it all, while sad songs like "As Dust Dances" and "Machines" are evident of this too and songs like "9/15ths" show a chaotic state of mind that can be frightening to listen to. I heard that the album was as the lead singer's mother died, but this is only from friends, I've never actually heard the band mention it before.

The album itself hangs together wonderfully, driving the listener on from song to song with such force that you don't seem to be able to or want to break off before the end.

I might get some backlash from any potential Biffy fans for this, but I think Puzzle is Biffy's finest work to date, before the commercial success dulled them down in Only Revolutions but also produced in a mature and forceful tone. A must have heard for all fans of the genre, and those new to it alike.