Pierce The Veil - Misadventures (Album Review)
It takes time to make the right album. Great bands are meticulous with this sort of thing as when it has to feel genuine. Time has to pass and life has to just happen. With an initial recording start date back in 2014, San Diego's own, Pierce The Veil set out to top everything that they had previously done up to that point. Fans salivated over a prospect of a new album given last year’s stint on Vans Warped Tour and the release of the single, "The Divine Zero". Good things come to those who wait.
Listening to the album and recalling seeing the band on the festival stages surrounded by their post-hardcore contemporaries, the fans were still as devoted as ever, but the band itself had morphed into a well-oiled, veteran machine. Misadventures is everything that fans loved about 2012's Collide with the Sky with a little more anger put in. These are eleven tracks that perfectly bridge the gap between bringing you into their world and projecting you out of it.
With Misadventures, Pierce The Veil comes back a little scratched and scarred – a little battle tested and more personal. There's a concurrent theme lately with a lot of music albums that have come out in recent months in regards to musicians showing their unadulterated selves. Many of these songs could be taken. "Dive In" is both telling in title, lyrical content, and song structure. The song itself is aggressive, but also infectious. This is your tour guide as a fast and furious descent into an album which covers a lot of heavy topics. Whether self-inflicted or with outside pressures, PTV gives you a glimpse into live after the big explosion of recognition of a band.
"Texas Is Forever" harkens back to older material with breakdowns mixed with a faster cadence. Instrumentally, this is a very technically sound album. Lead singer/guitarist Vic Fuentes and guitarist Tony Perry combine their intricate chords with bassist Jaime Preciado and drummer Mike Fuentes rhythmic power behind them. I feel that this album was recorded with a live setting in mind because these songs are made to get you moving whether in a crowd or your pair of headphones.
There's a theme of escape throughout the album, whether it be in reference to the Paris terror attacks ("Circle) or Fuentes leaving the music scene with his girlfriend ("Floral & Fading"). Fame of a certain stature can subjugate you to different things, albeit with negative side effects. It seems like love and friendship keeps him sane where time might not be at a premium given a demand of a popular touring band.
Misadventures sees PTV at the top of their game, even though they may have had to sacrifice and fight for what they cared about amidst getting on top of that mountain. Honesty is the best policy - full of tension and heart, the band has now made amends with what they went through to get to where they are.
Get the album now: www.piercetheveil.merchnow.com
