Hear Billy Talent and Rivers Cuomo duke it out on their new “Hendrix + Weezer” track, End of Me

Billy Talent have announced their return with sixth album, Crisis of Faith, and the first taste is a new collaboration with Rivers Cuomo, dubbed End of Me.

The track represents a moment of wish fulfilment for the Ontario band, channeling a sizeable wedge of Blue Album-era Weezer in its irresistible, technicolor chorus. 

There’s also a definite nod to Hendrix’s Hey Joe tones and rakish Strat licks in End of Me’s opening moments – a dichotomy that Ian D’Sa later plays off in the solo. (And if that’s not Cuomo joining in on guitar in the second half, then D’sa is doing a damn good six-string impersonation of the Weezer man.)

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"This is a full circle moment for us,” say the band. “We've admired and have been fans of Weezer since the Blue Album until now. Before we had a title, this song was originally called ‘Hendrix+Weezer’ so it only felt right to ask Rivers to sing on it. The song encompasses the essence of 90s alt-rock which was a hugely impactful and influential time for our band. We’re proud of the song and very happy to have Rivers be a part of it.”

The record has reportedly been produced by D’sa in the band’s own Toronto studio. You can check out the cover art and tracklist below.

Cuomo, meanwhile, has been jamming Talent's fellow 2000s breakthrough band, Fall Out Boy – performing an endearingly stutter-y solo cover of their hit Sugar, We’re Going Down, after the group were forced to pull out of the recent Hella Mega Tour.

Crisis Of Faith track list

1. Forgiveness I + II
2. Reckless Paradise
3. I Beg to Differ (This Will Get Better)
4. The Wolf
5. Reactor
6. Judged
7. Hanging Out With All The Wrong People
8. End of Me (featuring Rivers Cuomo)
9. One Less Problem
10. For You

Pre-order/pre-save Crisis Of Faith.