Being faced with a twenty-track double album would usually be a daunting task for any journalist, but not this time. Biffy Clyro‘s sixth studio album ‘Opposites has been building up to be one of the finest releases of 2013 since it was announced as the successor to 2009’s critically acclaimed ‘Only Revolutions’ and as a result every reviewer around has prepared for the inevitable barrage of ass-kicking guitar riffs that awaited.

It doesn’t take long either. Opening track Different People starts slow and soft as Simon Neil shows off his ability to reach the upper echelons of the vocal scale before it bursts into an all out guitar thrashing, fist pumping tune. It’s a fitting intro as Neil proclaims “We are alive tonight!”

‘Opposites’continues where ‘Only Revolutions’ left off. The raucous riffs which are synonymous with Biffy Clyro are intertwined with lyrics that leave a long-lasting impression on their listeners. None more so than in The Joke’s On Us, a song that holds no bars, one which was born to close out every gig that the Glaswegians play from here on in.

Given its name, one would expect that the second half of this deluxe album would bring something a little different to the plate. Alas, in what is the only disappointing aspect of the record, it continues much along the same lines as the first. That’s not to say there’s a drop in quality, not one bit. Songs like Stingin’ Belle and the Springsteen-esque Pocket are every bit as good as anything else the album has to offer, but with the room that Biffy Clyro had to experiment,, it’s a shame they didn’t use its full potential. Of course, experimentation can often lead to ridicule, but even the most staunch critic wouldn’t have deemed it a fruitless venture in this case.

As a complete body of work ‘Opposites’ ticks all the boxes required to be one of the finest releases of 2013. Despite its length, the quality of the songs is relentless throughout. A slight lack of variety means it may not reach the dizzying heights that some may have expected of it, but it’s every bit as good as its predecessor, and that is more than enough.