Since their beginnings as a heavier, more progressive-sounding band Biffy Clyro have refused to stay confined to a particular genre.  While their earlier work is sometimes labeled as “math-metal” for the more discordant aspects, their recent major albums have seen them morph into a band turning out stadium-size belters that are equally radio-friendly.  One might be tempted to equate popularity with a decline in “standards” or a betrayal of roots, but Biffy Clyro’s lunchtime set at the Green Stage showcased a band who have become more nuanced over time. 

The set mainly comprised of numbers from recent albums “Opposites” and “Ellipsis”, opening up with “Wolves of Winter”, a song full of rock swagger, catchy guitar riffs and a chorus that demands to be sung along to. Songs like “In The Name of The Wee Man” and “The Captain” offered more of the same bombastic riffing, all mixed up with lyricism and harmonies that lifted the music into something entirely different.  When bassist James said: “Fuji Rock is probably the most beautiful festival in the world” the chorus to the following “Black Chandelier” felt like the band had imbibed the scenery around them and thrown it back out into a song that made your heart trill with all the crunchy breakdowns.

Stand out songs included “Biblical” and “Bubbles”, showing the band at their most powerful and popular.  Singer and guitarist Simon’s emotional “Biblical” soared across the crowd at the Green Stage, with soft accents picking out quieter moments and every band member singing in a chorus which smashed through and lifted the song up and over the mountains around the stage. Meanwhile, “Bubbles” was much as the song suggests, a joyous riot of punk posturing, sing-a-long choruses and an energy that set the crowd off into the first mosh pit of the day.

The show was a welcome return for the Scottish band to the hills of Naeba, and the Green Stage a perfect venue for their massive sound.  A good band should never stay still, both literally and figuratively.  The Biffy Clyro on stage today were a far cry from their old selves, but when they broke into heavier numbers the metal ghost tore threw briefly.  A 12-song set seemed barely long enough to really get a sense of the band as a whole, but the band they are right now is killing it.