Review Summary: When you talk in your sleep, I'll be there to slow your breath...
After four years of anticipation, Pierce the Veil's brand new album, "Misadventures," is finally here. Without a doubt, expectations for this record were high as can be. Not only was the wait unbearable for some fans, but with Pierce the Veil's excellent prior release of "Collide With the Sky," many looked forward to see what they could do to expand and improve their already stellar sound. Fear not, because "Misadventures" does not disappoint.
To put it bluntly, Pierce the Veil took what worked with their last two releases (such as the instrumentals, songwriting, originality) and improved upon them. For example, the instrumentals in "Texas Is Forever" are among some of the band's best. Its energetic tempo, led by terrific drumming from Mike Fuentes, is complemented by a stellar guitar riff. In fact, this album is filled with memorable riffs. In the opening seconds of the album's opener, "Dive In," Pierce the Veil hits you with a wonderfully catchy riff combined with great piano composition behind it.
Many people feared that "Misadventures" would lack the heaviness that was found in previous Pierce the Veil albums. However, with the breakdowns in "Dive In" and "Phantom Power and Ludicrous Speed," it almost seems silly to have even worried about it in the first place. Pierce the Veil seems well aware of what their talents are, and they capitalize on nearly all of them. One thing that may surprise fans though is the surprising lack of slow songs. Even the softest tracks from "Misadventures," such as "Circles" and "Bedless," have some sort of pop-punk rhythm to them. This won't be an issue to all, but for the fans looking for another song like "Stay Away From My Friends," you won't find it here.
The only real issue with "Misadventures" is the fact that not every one of its eleven songs is memorable. Don't get me wrong, each song is good and enjoyable to listen to, but songs like "Today I Saw the Whole World" and "Gold Medal Ribbon" don't stand out in any significant way. With that being said, "Misadventures" is a wonderful album full of emotion, wonder, fun, heartbreak, and most of all, talent. Pierce the Veil exceeded all expectations with this release, and found new ways to capitalize on what they do best. Even if you're not a Pierce the Veil fan now, you might be converted by the end of this album.
