Review Summary: Black Veil Brides Vs The World; Take 2
It’s hard to Fathom 2 things about this album; 1) it's 10 year old, like seriously where did that decade go? And 2) The undeniable splash it made on the alternative music scene.
I remember the first time I became aware of Black veil Brides. My immature toxic masculinity wanted me to hate the band and their music, cause that's what young Black Metal / death Metal heads do right? Wrong. I was taken in from the first 20 seconds of their Single “Fallen Angels” and never looked back. Those Guitar licks, that drumming, and above all - that Voice - I had never heard anything quite so gritty and deep yet so perfectly melodic, and that voice became the soundtrack to all the best and worst times of my life to follow.
Set The World On Fire above all is a documentation of growth. Released just under a whole year after their unpolished DIY debut “We Stitch These wounds” - the difference between the 2 records is astounding. Whereas WSTW felt like a headfirst rush into the world of recording albums by some young guys obsessed with rock music, STWF feels like a professional collection of arena sized choruses and chunky riffs, like something Black Veil Brides had been doing for 10 years already.
With the recruitment of new Drummer Christian “CC” Coma and 4-string assault by then-bassist Ashley Purdy, the rhythm section of BVB had improved tenfold since their debut, as had the stellar guitar work of Jake Pitts and Jinxx. At times the guitar work on WSTW felt random almost sometimes to the albums detriment, odd solos placed here and there within strange riffs - this is replaced on STWF with razor sharp soloing and much more melodic guitar work in general (see “Ritual” and “Rebel Love Song” for reference).
And that is the main theme of STWF; Improvement. Everything that worked and was present on WSTW has been turned up to 10 on this album. Isn’t that the whole point of a sophomore record? And whilst we are on the subject of improvement, I would be amiss to not mention the vocal and lyrical performance of frontman Andy Biersack. Incorporating universal themes of loving who you are, being a little off, and of course the odd dash off romance and taking on the world head on are all what Rock N Roll was built on. However The Young frontman has an excellent grasp of vocabulary and melody, making ground that has been trodden before seem surprisingly fresh. Biersack’s clean-cut monotone voice of the debut has been replaced with a gritty snarl that immediately catches the listeners ear, with a vastly improved range in just under a year. While the frontman would later recount that he has personally little attachment to any songs on the album, a case of writing what he felt he had to as opposed to wanted to, the lyrics and vocals still make for a more than enjoyable listen.
Production on the album is stellar, all instruments and vocals are perfectly balanced in the mix, making for a tight and focused listen.
No this album isn't for everyone, there are still those who can’t and won’t stomach BVB’s clean cut pop appeal and larger than life stage persona’s - and that’s okay, but maybe after 10 years the time is right to revisit one of Hard Rock’s most misunderstood outfit?
More than anything, and at their very core; Black Veil Brides are songwriters. Their mission is and always was plain and simple, to create a world of Hard rock tunes and stories for the listener to get lost in, and on Set The world On Fire the band achieved the stepping stone they wanted to, and certainly won this reviewer over all those years ago, and for that I am forever grateful.
