Billy Talent II is the second studio album by Canadian rock band Billy Talent, released on June 27, 2006. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 48,000 copies in its first week. The album also reached No. 1 on the German albums chart. Despite its great success in Canada and Germany, the album was not as successful in the United States, where it peaked at No. 134 on the Billboard 200 music chart, selling just 7,231 units in its first week.
Billy Talent II
Billy Talent is a Canadian rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup changes, although Solowoniuk has been on hiatus from the band since 2016 due to a relapse of multiple sclerosis. In the three decades since their inception, Billy Talent has sold well over a million physical albums in Canada alone and nearly 3 million albums internationally. During their most successful period, they were ranked as one of the top 10 best-selling native bands in Canada.
Billy Talent in 2017. Left to right: Ian D'Sa, Benjamin Kowalewicz
It wasn't until the recording of Watoosh! that Kowalewicz (left) and D'Sa started singing, "creating unique harmonies accented by the loud rock sound that the band was pumping out."
From left to right: Jonathan Gallant, Ian D'Sa, Aaron Solowoniuk, and Benjamin Kowalewicz.
Kowalewicz at the Cardiff University Students' Union on August 8, 2006. This was the band's second international tour, and played in countries like Finland, Norway, Luxembourg, and Belgium for the first time.