PIERCE THE VEIL
Collide With The Sky
(Fearless Records)
Don’t let the screaming and synths put you off. Pierce The Veil have crafted an album with a depth of sound and intricate melodies that you can totally get lost in. Singer Vic’s vocals soar above searing guitars and pummeling drumbeats but there are interludes of quiet amongst the full-on noise. The overwhelmingly heavy instrumentals are offset by the sheer melody of the vocals throughout although there’s admittedly the odd background scream here and there to keep the intensity up.
The riff on ‘Bulls In The Bronx’ is ballsy and bold, leading into a catchy melodic chorus punctuated with a guttural growl. A bizarre acoustic guitar picked interlude brings a samba-influenced flavor to proceedings before building back into the heaviness. Production is intense throughout this record, with the sound always feeling very big. There are also several guest spots on the album, the most notable being Jason Aalon from letlive. on the truly epic centrepoint ‘Tangled In The Great Escape’. His slightly deeper melodies intertwine with Vic’s higher pitched vocals to create something quite special. The chorus is one of the catchiest on the record yet unassumingly so and elegantly put together. It’s almost six minutes long and a lot happens in that time. Heavy and gracefully beautiful in twists and turns (see the piano epilogue), this is definitely a standout track.
With proggy, screamo, hardcore and punk elements, along with PTV’s unique ability to bring in the unusual instrumentals, this album is an ambitious and impressive effort.
Sarah Maynard