BLACK VEIL BRIDES | Vale | Album Review

What an odd way to start off 2018 by discussing a newly released Black Veil Brides effort in the form of "Vale". It is obvious that you start the new year by taking on the album that is very near the beginning of the release calendar, but it seems like an album I was not really looking forward too was among the first releases of the year, so here we are. As you may already guess, this is a band that I didn't ultimately care for. Seeing as how the sole mention of the Black Veil Brides gets many people's bloods boiling while there are others who gush over the band for hours at a time, I have mostly steered clear of this band. Yes, like any band, their discography has some good tracks, but the rest of it is material that doesn't really suit me as a music listener. With this disc, people have waited for over 3 years for its announcement and its unveiling, even though frontman Andy Biersack definitely stayed relevant in between this time with his solo work. So, now that "Vale" is here and the Black Veil Brides start their massive touring cycle in support of this new project, does this album make me think higher of the group or is this another album that doesn't have as much appeal? Unfortunately, this disc doesn't really do much in the way of impress or blow anyone away, even though this music isn't necessarily awful or material you'd want to run away from as quickly as you can. 

Right away, with the first actual track on the album "The Last One", and looking at other tracks on this effort such as "Wake Up" and "Our Destiny", you can easily notice what the main theme of these songs are right away without having to examine much of the lyrics, that being the theme of being victorious and rising up against those who put you down. It's an idea that can be done well in a song, but if it's a theme that carries 90% of the album, and if much of that percentage is executed in a very mediocre and expected way, there really isn't any breathing room. This has been a well known staple throughout the band's work, especially with albums like "Wretched And Divine" that made an entire concept based around this idea, and it didn't work out too well back then, so it's not going to be executed any better now with a different project. Add in some "woah-oh-ohs" that also constantly show up throughout the disc's runtime, and there's really nothing exciting or innovative going on, and it starts to feel like one long victory chant sliced and diced in a lot of different ways with one being pulled off just the same as the other. There isn't really any emotional resonance felt or a unique or interesting idea to make the tracks any different. They just simply exist. 

Listening to this album, I can definitely see that the band has talent to their name. The instruments all come in clear and are very technically profound, especially in the guitar department, and Andy Biersack has a good voice that I feel like is trying to lift all of this mediocrity off the ground. And truth be told, there is potential in tracks like "The Outsider", and especially in the closing tracks on the disc entitled "Throw The First Stone" and the title cut, both of which have unique qualities and make you wish that the band took a little bit more time to explore these elements rather than just sticking to what they have been known for through the past several discs and throughout their career. However, these are the only tracks worth REALLY checking out. As previously stated, I don't think there's any logical reason to hate this album or call it a disgrace to humanity or anything like that. For fans of the band, this is an album that has many things that would gravitate towards your tastes and there are solid riffs and solos that are the major selling point. However, I don't feel like this album will have the same effect on music listeners looking for much more, and the good guitarwork won't make your experience any better. Simply put, this album is highly mediocre, and rarely takes any risks, so approach this at your OWN risk, but don't expect a masterpiece. 

RATING: 5/10 

What did you think about the record? Was it good? Was it bad? Let me know in the comments below. And of course, these are only my opinions. If your opinions are different, awesome! If they're similar, then that's great, too. So, don't hesitate- comment to me about it down below. Take care.