Ahead of a sold-out UK tour, emo-core giants, Pierce The Veil have released their sixth studio album, ‘The Jaws of Life’. Following on from the highly acclaimed ‘Misadventures’ LP, which came out in 2016, it is also the band’s first release without original drummer Mike Fuentes, who was released from the band in 2017 following a series of sexual misconduct allegations with underage women. Now, before I share my thoughts on the new release, bear in mind that this is not a genre of music I typically have much time for, save for some of the early stuff from bands like Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance. Nevertheless, Pierce the Veil’s new release had some components that even me, an emo-novice, could appreciate.
The most compelling of these is Vic Fuentes’ impressive vocal display on the album. While I don’t have masses of time for the screaming he sometimes leans on, as it reminds me of that screaming goat meme from 2012, I understand that it can be pretty central to this sort of music. For this reason, however, I found the first two tracks on the album quite tiresome. In spite of this, the decision to keep the vocals more mellow on the rest of the album really does allow Fuentes to shine. This is particularly true on ‘12 Fractures’, the album’s closing track, which also features a stellar performance by Chloe Moriondo who’s presence compliments Fuentes immensely.
Ultimately, the fact that my favourite moment on the album didn’t come from the music at all but from the use of a scene from Dazed and Confused may indicate that ‘The Jaws of Life’ went over my head. Regardless, if emo is your thing and you’re a big fan of the band’s other stuff, I implore you to give this a listen. It’s just not for me.