PIERCE THE VEIL - THE JAWS OF LIFE
Pierce the Veil have been a staple in the alternative music scene for years now. With albums that have remained timeless within the community, such as Selfish Machines and Collide With The Sky, they dominated the early 2010s, before they dropped out of the spotlight in 2016 following the release of Misadventures.
Almost seven years later, they are back with the latest entry to their repertoire, The Jaws Of Life, which sees them approach their sound from a multifaceted perspective, channelling inspiration from all their previous eras, as well as adding some new twists that are most notably the highlights of the project.
The album begins with a modernized reintroduction, as ‘Death Of An Executioner’ could easily be placed in the bands older catalogue. A catchy riff and chorus standout through all the detailed and additions of maracas and bongos throughout the track, signalling the familiarities their fanbase have come to love all these years. Each song featured on The Jaws Of Life has its own character and catchy element, however the album is elevated with undertones from the band’s signature sound and personality, (quite specifically Misadventures) and the intro track proves this.
The experimental ambitions of this project become apparent early on. The following three songs, which were also released as singles for the album, ‘Pass The Nirvana’, ‘Even When I’m Not With You’, and ‘Emergency Contact’ show a completely different side to what their audience are used to. The sonic differences between the three released singles are very interesting, with each track varying from grunge to slower paced alternative ballads. In particular, ‘Pass The Nirvana’ serves as a highlight of the album, and is definitely a route the band should continue down in future releases, as it gives them a completely new energy and attitude that fits them perfectly.
The songs that follow feel like a mellow evolution of their last album. Each chorus and instrumental is crafted in a way which will keep their listeners moving their heads, yet the fast paced intensity of their previous projects isn’t as apparent this time around. Subsequently it allows the album to sound and feel more mature, despite the playful characteristics of each track’s structure, which isn’t surprising considering the fanbase have grown up alongside the band.
While the album as a whole embraces this maturity, the final three tracks, ‘Shared Trauma’, ‘So Far So Fake’, and ‘12 Fractures’ emphasize this change quite successfully, and feature some unexpected elements that listeners are sure to be pleasantly surprised by. In conclusion, The Jaws Of Life is a more than welcome return for Pierce the Veil, while it also allows the band to avoid the danger of sounding outdated, especially in an industry and genre which is known for rapidly changing based on current trends.
Dan Tsourekas
★★★★☆