Biffy Clyro - A Celebration of Endings review: Comeback for live music greats may lack audiences, but not ideas

This is a tough time to be organising the comeback of one of the greatest live bands on Earth.

Scottish rock trio Biffy Clyro’s eighth album has already been delayed from May due to the pandemic. Recognising how unlikely it is that they’ll be able to perform its songs in front of a crowd any time soon, they’ve called a run of small shows scheduled for next April the Fingers Crossed Tour.

While they wait, they’ve thrown everything at their recorded music. Those who miss the unhinged Biffy of the early days will gravitate towards End Of, with its grungy bass and harsh stabs of guitar, or Cop Syrup, which is, frankly, bananas. A lurching assault of noise and Simon Neil’s cries of “F*** everybody!” give way to a tasteful acoustic interlude before ramping up the energy again for a howling finale. The Champ is another big one, which could pass for a Bond theme with its Abbey Road-recorded orchestra if it wasn’t so fast and loud.

There’s also plenty here for those who prefer the band’s second phase shift towards melody and craftsmanship. Space is a beauty, with simple piano notes and a stately pace. Worst Type of Best Possible mostly holds back on the guitars to give more air to Neil’s emotional vocals. And there’s a look towards a possible next step too, on Instant History, which unveils a grandiose synth riff, of all things, in its enormous chorus. Restricted in other ways, they’re still a long way from running out of ideas.