Pierce The Veil's highly anticipated new album, four years in the making, was released on May 13. Already it has received signs of a huge response from their rabid fan base, including over 750k streams within just two weeks on YouTube for their single "Circles" about the Paris attacks.
The San Diego post-hardcore band, with the combined attack of Vic Fuentes' melodramatic, emo singing, and swirling, buzzing, and wailing guitar work by Fuentes and Tony Perry, paints a musical landscape that can gently buzz both the body and the heart.
Fans will not be disappointed by the wait for this record, which begins its sonic attack with "Dive In," where keys and anguished vocals eventually give in to a wall of rapidly and falling guitar lines, rollicking bass and drumming, and some words screamed for emphasis, hinting at what is to come. The first single from the record "The Divine Zero," like many of their songs, alternates aggressive screaming and heavy guitar riffs and drumming with verses of melodic catchiness of the pop-punk variety. Second single "Texas Is Forever" comes on heavy and fast, and then finds its strongest melodies in the chorus before powering back into a lightning-fast assault of guitar, bass, and drums. Wildly popular single "Circles" may moderate the extremes of Pierce The Veil, echoing the pop/punk roots of the brothers' earlier band Before Today while touching upon topical events, just with heavier instrumentation. "Nowhere to go, so we both spin around in circles," Fuentes croons after talking about running from bullets, lending the song added emotional weight that resonated with audiences everywhere.
Pierce The Veil consists of brothers vocalist/guitarist Vic Fuentes and drummer Mike Fuentes, bassist Jamie Preciado, and guitarist Tony Perry. The band, which headlined the Warped tour last summer, begins their new North American tour on June 5. Tour dates are available on their website here.