Pause King For A Day people, new PTV has dropped. Their new record The Jaws of Life has just been released, and if you read my 2022 review post (if you haven't, give it a peek after this), you know that this has been on my radar for a while, so safe to say that I've been looking forward to listening this record through, and my god...I was not disappointed. So here's my back to back breakdown and review of The Jaws of Life:
(The Jaws of Life - Pierce the Veil - Album Art)
1."Death of an Executioner"4:27 - This one starts with a bit of a strange intro, it has some congas and building synth that set a weird tone for the beginning of a record, but I'm gonna go with it. As soon as I end up thinking this however, the rolling snare shoots in, and is brilliantly introduced before the main body of the track builds. There is some really nice suspenseful guitar riffs that pair brilliantly with a really slamming bassline and meshes together really well. What I really enjoy about this track is that every addition in this opener feels brilliant and necessary, there's no extra random instrumentation, everything belongs in it's place and works. Vik Fuentes' voice is brilliant and deserves a lot of praise in this track, and the chorus is classic PTV with sliding guitar and some really smooth mirrored vocals, paired with good harmonies. Again, every verse seems to grow more and more and it really keeps the song fresh and new, and although sometimes the chorus feels a touch held back in comparison to the rest of the song, it chugs along at it's own pace really nicely. Nearer the end of this track the breakdown and second bridge are really awesome and leads to some perfect instrumentation in that final chorus. Silence is a big motif by the looks of it, and it is used SO WELL in this track for some heart stopping effect. This is a really strong opener, and left me even more excited for what comes next.
2."Pass the Nirvana"3:17 - This track was released as one of the singles before the full album came out so I was already familiar with it, but god damn is this song is an emo masterpiece. Laden with crunchy and seriously impressive guitar work that really compliments the vocal delivery, Pass the Nirvana seems like a nod to the styles of old that got played in grungy basements across the world. This song flourishes in it's building of suspense and tension before blasting through, with Fuentes' extreme vocals really shining in the chorus sections. Talking about the chorus, it is so unbelievably strong, the continuous guitar motif that runs through the middle is so playful and yet similarly foreboding, and having it leading into the breakdown during the second verse is such a creative way to keep the track new and fresh while looping back through the familiar steps. The way the guitar meshes together in the chorus, especially in the latter part of this song is really well thought out - the way the wailing riffs and muting all comes together is so effective and adds to the overall vibe of this song so so well, even two songs into this record, Pass the Nirvana is already such a highlight.
3."Even When I'm Not with You"2:54 - This was also released as a single but I haven't had a chance to check it out before the album released so this was completely new to me. The guitar motif paired with the low electric drums make it a really unique track that's a less head on crusher like the last two. There are a lot of really cool moments throughout, some great mirrored vocals and effects here make this a really interesting mix that gets your head moving. Again, it's nothing huge, but it still stands pretty well among the other tracks as a bit of an introduction to the more stripped back and evolved songs coming. There are some really nice melding effects making all the almost discordant sounds in the outro work too, which makes for a nice climax as it all comes together really satisfyingly into the track. I like this style, and it's really refreshing to see the band taking it's own steps in creating music that maybe isn't exactly what they're known for.
4."Emergency Contact"4:00 - I'll preface this one with the fact that as far as the singles go this one is definitely my favourite. I've had this on repeat for weeks since it's release and just think it's brilliant. The guitars weaving in and out of the brilliantly simple drum beat and absolutely solid bassline, the subtle subject and beautifully poetic lyrics that help flex some more of the subtleties in Fuentes' voice brilliantly...it's everything you could ever want. The pre-chorus also builds in such a brilliant way, with the mirrored guitar notes and slowly revealed bassline and muted notes, it really is a masterclass in building and growth naturally within a track. And the use of SILENCE! It's used so well and so sparingly it hits every single time, it never fails to give me goose bumps. I love what this song is about too, it's so beautifully morbid, its a plea for someone to be the person that gets called when it all goes wrong, and really isn't that what love is? It links back, I guess, to the imagery of the album itself, of the 'Jaws of Life', when you need saving, who will be there for you in your time of need? It's another more relaxed ballad, but it's so well done, and the breakdown takes it straight back into more familiar territory as the drums build into a bridge that plunges into the last climactic chorus. This is not only one of my favourite songs off this record, but potentially of all time. And I mean that.
5."Flawless Execution"4:00 - I like the guitar in the opening of this one, it's very Pearl Jam with the gentle distortion, and as far as openings go its another brilliantly basic one from PTV. Fuentes is brilliant in his upper range in this song and he sounds good alongside the fabricated electric drum beat behind them. There's more silence before plummeting into a chorus and again it's so well done and well created, it feels so bespoke for every track. It's another another ballad-esque song, echoing the last track nicely in the delivery, and feels a lot like an MCR song in the latter end. I think it has something to do wtth the rock opera type instrumentation, because it has some definite flavours of Welcome to the Black Parade. That's not to say that's a bad thing however, because the instrumentation is so so good - practically flawless really. There's also a really well deserved guitar solo too that's such a nice echo of the rest of the track. Really strong contender among the rest of the album, no complaints from me.
6."The Jaws of Life"3:42 - Really strong heavy guitar opening with the title track here, and I like strong opener. Letting it grow back into a stripped back picked riff is a really nice way to not let the heaviness overthrow the rest of the track. The verse sounds, again, like classic PTV but with new flavours thrown throughout, more complex lyricism, more emotion. The scream running into the second half of the verse is really clever, and is such an interesting way to traverse into the chorus section smoothly, and again there's some really complex guitar going on in the background that is fun to tune in and out to. This is such a ride of a track that grows and changes even more rapidly than the last few, some parts a smashing halftime breakdown, other times some amazingly distorted strings over electric drums. The lyrics are also really impressive and flex the writing chops of the band. I keep coming back to the fact that it's all so well built and created, and it's evident here with the ending with just the guitar, perfect choice.
7."Damn the Man, Save the Empire"3:57 - Another strong guitar opening with a nice explosive vocal delivery, the drum beat really pops too and creates a pretty playful tone here. The stripped section is also really nice before the chorus, which again sounds classic with notes of new with the major and then dissonant minor riffs slamming in after. I'm a big drum guy, and cowbell is always welcome to hear when it adds to a verse like this one, and then helps create more insane instrumentation and build-up in the pre-chorus. I really love the guitar tone in this song, it phases between super crunchy and really clean riffs that give some really nice dynamism and range of sound, and to then have that taken away in the acoustic bridge really allows the vocals to shine through. More stunning build-up into a crushing chorus, with the guitar mirroring the vocals continuing the brilliant feel of this record straight into the ending. Amazing.
8."Resilience"3:40 - This one feels more stripped back in the opener here, nice and foreboding, and then merges into the drums and more muted picked guitar pretty well. It's seemingly echoing 'The Jaws of Life', which I like, and is seemingly another slow mover but it's a nice refresher from the last few tracks that threw you around a little. It's really pretty to listen to, and again feels very MCR, specifically the track I Don't Love You, which isn't a bad thing, it just sings the praises of these guy's range and how they can build a song. It really earns the breakdown that it builds and slams into perfectly, with more really solid composition- whoever is on drums also deserves a raise for all the pace changes they're keeping up with in this song, and when it's paired up with really good guitar work, it creates a nice and serene bop. Lovely stuff.
9."Irrational Fears (Interlude)"0:21 - Honestly, I know this is an interlude, but it's really just an airplane safety video? It makes sense I guess in retrospect, Irrational Fears (this track) could potentially lead to Shared Trauma (the next one)? Maybe? Nice, poetic.
10."Shared Trauma"4:12 - Ooh, a different opening to this one, a nice electric beat and some wailing synths, it feels like a Joji track or something similar. Tt's more alternative pop focused, but I don't mind it, it's another really pretty that feels more reflective than performative. There's this sound of falling rain in the background that builds this really solemn atmosphere, it's definitely an introspective look at someone seriously suffering, and I really like that. After all the slow jam synth, it earns it's slight build at the end, and again builds on it's own motifs and creation in a really clever way. Fuentes' vibrato is really impressive on this song, and the instantly stripped back piano bridge is very nice, bringing some definite flavours of Fall Out Boy's Save Rock and Roll and brings it back before throwing it into another cool instrumental section to close it out, very chill but equally hard hitting track, I really love how with every song it's always something new. It's definitely worthy of praise.
11."So Far So Fake"3:56 - More foreboding guitar loops and muted build-up on this one, the drums really help create the body of this track which again I'm a fan of, however I will admit I was getting a touch confused in the opening with all the conflicting sounds. The switch up into the main song is yet more classic PTV magic, really fast moving and dynamic, full of brilliant picked guitars and appearing riffs and choppy cuts. Where this song lies is an interesting one, because it's not a rager, but equally it's not a slow moving song like some of the ones before, it's a really nice in between track that is at times explosive but also stripped back, and walks the line of that really well. The bridge is brilliant and builds really well with a hi-hat drum beat, with that 'GO!' , which is used in this album a lot, but every time leads to some brilliant fast paced moments. We get to the last parts of this track with more perfect build-up and lethal execution, with some great guitar layering and more strong vocals, and leads to a fade out - which actually on this song I'm a fan of, it feels a lot more natural than a sudden stop, and brings this track to a nice clean finish.
12."12 Fractures" (featuring Chloe Moriondo) 3:01 - I like the more muffled guitar, again it lets the vocals shine nicely and with some featuring vocals I feel like this final track should definitely let it shine through. The slow building is also really nice, and this track is gushing with more great lyricism. I like the guest vocals too from Moriondo, the style really suits her voice, and Fuentes' vocals are switched up nicely to mirror that. It's another slow mover but I'm not mad about it per say, but the tease for the big ending was mean and In my eyes a little unnecessary. It leaves cheques uncashed for another big build up and close, but it ends on a pretty nice note, even if it leaves me wanting more from this final song, and that's a shame, but it's only one small mark on a pretty amazing experience all round.
(Pierce the Veil - Image courtesy of Louder Sound/Celina Kenyon)
Overall: What an album. Quite honestly this record is in it's entirety something the band should be insanely proud all. All parts expansive and experimental whilst also nailing down everything they're good at tenfold, this proves that Pierce the Veil are back, and in a big way. Please listen to this record if you have the time of the inclination, I guarantee you wont be disappointed - in saying that, I'd be amiss to not point out the one con of this album which comes in the form of the closing number. It's a great song, but the tease for a large opener and then the continuation of the more stripped back vibes wasn't something I enjoyed, and left me feeling just a little unsatisfied...
SCORE: 9/10
HIGHLIGHTS: Pass the Nirvana, Emergency Contact, The Jaws of Life, Death of an Executioner
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