Review Summary: Honing the signature sound of their previous record, Pierce The Veil create something truly brilliant, with meandering guitars and well thought out vocal melodies. This is their finest work, and one worthy of a listen.
Pierce The Veil were one of the forefront of the 2010's "scene queen" movement, with a sound distinguishable from the rest due to the layering of numerous lead tracks over distorted chords and far more of an emphasis on melodic crooning than the aggressive screaming of bands such as Asking Alexandria and Bring me The Horizon. They released their debut in 2007, before building an impressive fanbase after the release of 'Selfish Machines', but it was their third record that truly catapulted their career. 'Collide With The Sky' released in 2013 to high praise from both critics and fans alike, with singles such as Bulls In The Bronx and King For A Day ensuring they were scarcely off of alternative music television and radio, the latter boosting their fame even further with a guest appearance from Sleeping With Sirens' Kellin Quinn, another popular musician within that scene.
'Collide With The Sky' focuses on honing to perfection the sound established on 'Selfish Machines'. This means that the band often have large dense instrumental passages incorporating numerous lead guitar tracks that never descend into mindless soloing, extremely soft singing sections, and energetic verses driven by chords that are not the open string chugging or power chords of many acts surrounding them on tour. Rather than taking inspiration from those sort of bands, 'Collide With The Sky' is closer to albums like 'City Of Evil' by Avenged Sevenfold, or even the guitar work of Iron Maiden - although that is admittedly a stretch. The truth is that categorizing this band is difficult, with the post-hardcore label often attached to them without ever really defining them. After an opening track that lasts over a minute, the band launch directly into Hell Above, which really showcases their signature sound better than any description really could. The pull-offs on the higher strings over a fast-paced riff lead into a much slower verse, before the track explodes into its chorus. "This is a wasteland, my homemade retreat; with Heaven above you, there's Hell over me" declares singer-guitarist Vic Fuentes in a very catchy moment, before the breakdown shows off the band's knack for layering screams over slightly quieter singing and keeping those distinctive leads playing softly in the background.
King For A Day is one of the band's best known tracks, primarily due to the aforementioned feature of Kellin Quinn. The dual vocals here compliment each other, with Vic's middling range leading interjecting between two repeated sections of Quinn vocals used a few times throughout the song. The riffing is very simplistic, and strips back a lot of the lead playing to make it a more straightforward metalcore track. The heavier section in the second half is a highlight here, with the pull-offs giving the riffing a little more variety. Props & Mayhem is an underrated gem, with meandering guitars weaving in and out of each other to create a fantastical musical tapestry. When the music cuts back to minimalism after the two minute mark, before gradually adding elements and then using a drum fill to lead into a simple yet effective guitar solo, the album truly hits one of its heights. Of course, no discussion of 'Collide With The Sky's' merits would be complete without paying homage to Bulls In The Bronx. Written in the aftermath of a fan's suicide, this is the epitome of the band's sound, and the best possible entry point into their discography. Kicking things off with a brash, in-your-face riff, the song then settles down for the beginning of the verse, allowing Vic to carry the track vocally with the riff momentarily relegated to the background. The leap between the intensity of the screaming in the second half of the verse and the infectious, brilliantly measured vocal patterns in the chorus that then fade back into those screams is insanely well thought out, but it is the prolonged instrumental section that seems to leave Earth. Utilizing Spanish-sounding guitars, constantly altering drum beats, and a couple of clever tempo changes, this is one of those pieces of music that stays with the listener long after hearing it for the first time. After a nifty little guitar run, we hear Vic implore us "please don't take this out on me", before the song eventually builds up to a climactic chorus. This song is absolutely incredible.
Were I asked to pick out flaws for this record, one would be the lack of quality to the vocals themselves. Whilst Vic fits the style of music here perfectly, and it is hard to imagine anyone else delivering, say, the calmer sections of Hold On Till May, there is no getting away from the fact that he is not possessed of the most outstanding voice on the planet. Also, the bass is not all the audible here, and whilst this is not necessarily an issue due to the overwhelming quality of the songs, it would be nicer to be able to hear it. To list the worst song on the album, the deluxe edition variant of I'm Low On Gas falls a little short of the high standards that the rest of the album hits, although the use of synths is something a little different. None of the songs on the regular version of the album are even slightly sub-par, but when listening to this version, this is the track that lets it down a little. Other than that, it would really be a case of clutching at straws attempting to degrade this album.
'Collide With The Sky' is a bold and different album, packing a sound altogether different from the vast majority of "scene" bands out there. Whether we see another tour or album from this band ever again is another question, but Vic Fuentes can be proud of writing an impressive body work spanning four albums and over a decade, and this was the pinnacle. The First Punch shows the band can do the heavier stuff well, whilst segments of Bulls In The Bronx and Hell Above show how creative this band can be when writing melodies. This is a wonderful record that I highly recommend.
