Review Summary: the last punch
There is something to be said for albums that exist, and
The Jaws of Life is an album that exists. It is an album by a band called Pierce the Veil who have decided to release some more music after roughly seven (7) years and one (1) attempted soft launch of their highly questionable ex-drummer's return. In spite of this, the primary takeaway from this record is that it comprises music.
It is music that, much like the album, exists. By incorporating guitars, drums, vocals, and bass (sort of), it is not all that different from previous Pierce the Veil albums. However,
The Jaws of Life sets itself apart by not really doing anything memorable or interesting. In fact, it doesn't do much at all besides existing. It neither follows trends nor tries its hand at anything original - guitars guitar and vocals vocal, songs song and the album albums. One could use words like ‘grungy’ and ‘mid-tempo’ to characterise these songs, but frankly, why would you? One could make a funny remark about
The Jaws of Life not having any bite, but frankly, why would you? After all, the album ends after about 40 minutes without leaving any impression. It's not a relief, it's merely a minor event that bears no significance. Pierce the Veil have made an album and that's good for them, but I doubt it'll be good for them.
