Review: Pierce The Veil’s Collide With The Sky

Collide With The Sky shows a much heavier aspect of San Diego’s Pierce The Veil than that of their preceding albums (A Flair For The Dramatic-’07 & Selfish Machines-’10). With no suitable genre (besides the self-proclaimed “mexicore”), PTV proves that they have no limits when it comes to their music. The pleasantly-complex sound is the result of an experimenting and evolving Pierce The Veil.

Pioneering in the art of song writing, the band constructed a record that to offers a sound like no other album has before. With drums recorded in an abandoned warehouse to the band’s Hispanic influences (as heard in the first interlude of the album and the mariachi breakdown in Bulls In The Bronx), it’s clear that plenty of thought and attention to detail went into writing and recording. The record also features guest vocals from a variety of artists including Kellin Quinn (Sleeping With Sirens), Jason Butler (letlive.), and Lindsay Stamey (Oh No Fiasco).

Collide With The Sky could be seen as a major revolution for the band, and has proven to be an unwelcomed change to many people. A listener opposed to heavier, fast-paced songs and in favor of the more somber sounds of the band may have a hard time accepting the new CD. However, many songs have softer, melodic moments within them and songs like “Tangled In The Great Escape” and “Hold On Till May” provide a more tender vibe.

While Pierce The Veil’s latest album may be significantly different from their previous work, the extremely personal, yet relatable lyric style of Vic Fuentes remains a main feature of the band. Many of the new album’s riffs, solos, and the sense of control over their general sound (even at faster tempos) is recognizable as Pierce The Veil’s unique sound and characteristic work represented in all three of their albums.

Collide With The Sky has been drawing attention as one of the summer’s most anticipated albums. Pierce The Veil definitely stepped out of the box, disappointing some, while satisfying others with their maturing sound. One thing is for sure though: this album will attract a new crowd and have a pretty big impact on the Pierce The Veil fanbase as a whole. Collide With The Sky is now available at Best Buy, Merchnow, and iTunes and is worth checking out, especially for fans of post-hardcore.