ALBUM REVIEW: Pierce The Veil - The Jaws On Life

To Be released 10th February via Fearless Records.

I am extremely excited for the return of Pierce the Veil, or at least my inner teen is, truth be told the last I had heard of them was almost 10 years ago now, I called it my “Collide With the Sky” phase, with this album replaying for weeks. By the time “Misadventures” were released in 2016 I had since moved onto other obsessions. So to be able to return to PtV is honorary nostalgia and the same music scene I grew up in are eagerly awaiting this album especially after so many years apart.

For vocalist Vic Fuentes, this album had brought him and his band mates closer together, finding It extremely difficult to be apart and off the road. Saying further, “We've never missed anything more than playing music together and never had such a strong appreciation for recording, touring, and simply being in the same room together than we do now. The Jaws of Life is about how life can sink its teeth into you and try to devour you. The negativity in the world and within your mind can be a vicious thing. We're extremely grateful for this record, our fans, and the opportunity to play live music again."

In my research I realise that “Emergency Contact” had been written in Seattle- A place that is homestead to the 90’s grunge, so I’m hoping that the album has a hot taste of that.

So let me get started...

“Death Of An Executioner” Hypes the listener up with blaring noise of a record starting up and then slips into percussion grungy deep bass. A great curtain-opening introduction for a band making a come-back with jarring guitars, fluid vocals and heart felt blasts of drums in the chorus. Fuentes vocals are absolutely on-point and ageless.

The iconic PtV style is left intact as I had listened as a kid but with a little more of a desperate undertone. It’s a track that makes you fall in love with them all over again. Especially lyrically having the romantic and dark contrasting themes interweaving.

I had been curious of “Pass the Nirvana” hoping that this would have some sort of nod towards Nirvana themselves, being an album written and inspired by Seattle grunge scene. And I think I was right on that point, as this track begins with a rather lazy guitar riff and very deep grunge bass and drums combo. I might be wrong but this is the heaviest I have heard PtV and I haven’t been so present and excited for a track, it sucks you in from all aspects.

“Even when I’m not with you” Diverts its energy into a pop- orientated hip-hop vocal but still incorporating a grunge and almost industrial baseline. It’s repetitive drum beats are easy to follow and the calmness of this track transports you almost cinematically and builds delicately retaining. Very romantic all together.

“Emergency Contact” The very first single released of the album had me intrigued, it followed quite a familiar bubble-grunge formula that I had come accustomed to within the last year, which really pulled me in but, I thought it had been quite out of depth and different for PtV, however it really works with the bitterness and desperation of vocal.

Lead album title “ The Jaws of Life” definitely quite a romantic chuggy track with pop-punk tropes with a very melancholic undertone and lyrics. - makes me personally feel like I am trapped or robbed of something but I gotta make the best of the situation. As Fuentes describes, it’s a track that metaphorically digs it’s teeth into you.

“Resilience”- is a vintage flight monologue followed by sombre acoustic guitar riff and hushed percussion and sparkly synths and delicately building up in the prechorus. That warm deep bass is too die for so satisfying and heartfelt. I believe this track is the most emotive of them all. The solo in this hit me different as I had picked up on jittery effects of which painted a broken picture in my head and the character has the resilience to pick up the pieces and fix this picture. Very powerful but short track that I had wished was a lot longer.

The very final track - “ 12 Fractures” is very simple clean muted electric guitar and vocals with occasional sparkle of bright synth cutting in. The second set verses contain a mystery female vocal of which is quite soothing and splits from the usual formula, the lyrics “ Yeah I miss the pain sometimes..” Cuts pretty deep with the underlying meaning that moving on is much harder than sitting in a painful situation. I feel this track ends rather abruptly but makes for a nice return to the opening track. Overall, I’m shocked at how heavy and angry PtV had become especially - “Pass the Nirvana”- They are usually so delicate but exceed my expectations. I love that every song has no set formula and goes beyond with peaks and troughs inter weaving harmonies. There’s not one track you can’t vibe with. The introductions on some tracks, as well as the interlude pulls everything together- there’s a vintage and ironic touch to it which is unique and amusing.

I came to this album expecting to have an different opinion having grown out of PtV perhaps I expected disappointment but I was very much wrong on that and I find myself very impressed and much in love with them all over again. Listening to this album felt a reunion of sorts for myself. After the initial excitement of listening to the album, you can feel yourself plunging into the shared pain of the themes and lyrics and that’s what PtV does so well. In coming to understand traumas and hardship and transferring the negative into something as productive as music. For a listener to pick up and relate so deeply is something special and I’m curious of the impact this will have on my age group as well as new and younger

generation that are introduced to this album.

I am very much excited to see what Pierce the Veil have in store for us after a very long six years and I give a warm welcome back to the music scene.

I very much urge others to purchase and listen to this album on release as it brings such a unique and emotive experience that even I haven’t felt in a very long time.