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Punk revivalist quartet Billy Talent used to be known as Pezz back in their Streetsville, Ontario, high-school days. But by 1999, the quartet -- vocalist Ben Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jon Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk -- had adopted a new moniker and were making their way in Toronto with the self-released Watoosh! LP under their belt. The Try Honesty EP followed in 2001; it led to strong local buzz, exposure supporting larger touring acts, and an eventual demo deal with EMI. The band entered the studio in early 2003 with producer Gavin Brown and emerged with its eponymous debut in July, which was slated for a September release on Atlantic. Billy Talent got the word out during that summer with a slot on Lollapalooza and a series of dates with the Buzzcocks. Before they knew it, the band had not only garnered an impressive following, but also a slew of Juno (Best New Group, Group of the Year and Album of the Year) and MuchMusic (Best Video, Best Rock Video) Awards to their name. Billy Talent hit the studio in February 2005 to begin work on their sophomore offering. Submitting to fan requests, the group re-released Pezz's Watoosh! that September before the highly anticipated and explosive II appeared in June 2006. A handful of festivals and U.K. dates were played prior to spending the rest of the summer on the Warped Tour. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
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