Four years after the release of their last album The Myth Of Happily Ever After, Biffy Clyro are back with brand new material in anticipation of their upcoming album Futique, due to release on 26 September. Formed in Kilmarnock in 1995, the Scottish rockers are now a household name, known for their seemingly endless on-stage energy and powerful songwriting, with hits like ‘Many of Horror’ and ‘Bubbles’. But does the new track live up to its predecessors?
‘Hunting Season’ is the second track to be shared from the new record and it’s a powerful song, that discusses the effects of constant judgement in modern society.
Kicking off with an electrifying riff and stampeding drums, the track sets itself up nicely for frontman Simon Neil to come in with raging, throaty vocals. Criticising those who are judgemental of the band, Neil calls out their superiority complexes, snarkily yelling that, “(They) think (they’re) so special / Is there something I don’t know?”. Inviting his critics to “Come on, give it to (him)”, with a promise to “play along”, it is clear that Biffy Clyro won’t be backing down.
After the rampaging beginning of the song, however, the track takes quite a different turn, with the band seamlessly sliding into an anthemic chorus. Marking a change in pace, the band pauses briefly before leaning back into a more melodic rhythm. Casting his voice a lot further in this part, Neil manages effortlessly to change the atmosphere of the track completely to be almost laid back. This is the part of the song that is arguably most impactful. Not only is it notably different to the rest of the single which of course allows it to stand out, but the slowing down of the pace truly allows the listener to digest what the band are saying: that people will try their best to “snuff you out” at any given opportunity, and people have to try their best not to let it get to them.
The contrast with the rapidity of the beginning of the track shows a level of acceptance, that this is the way it will be and it is futile to argue against it, rather just ignore it. Letting all of the panic and fleetness of the verses fade away for a moment is a perfect metaphor for this, and is one of the key reasons this single manages to be so impactful.
As Simon Neil told NME: “I feel like we’re all judged so much by people in the outside world who don’t know anything about us and that can be really scary.”
In a society so riddled with cancel-culture and the idea of ruining people for the most minor of “offences”, ‘Hunting Season’ manages perfectly to make a mockery of this without dulling down any of the fear and panic that constant judgement entails.
‘Hunting Season’ is an undeniably strong, anthemic track that can easily be imagined screamed back at the band in a packed stadium, as it surely will be on their upcoming tour in January 2026. Timeless in both its message and lyricism, as well as its ability to carry forward the classic Biffy Clyro sound 30 years on from their debut on the music scene, it is no wonder why this tune has been so well received by fans and new listeners alike. If the rest of the album continues with this ferocity, the Scottish trio will undoubtedly have another adored album in the catalogue.
Words by George Connell
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.