Seventeen years since their formation and with four full-length albums under their belts, Pierce The Veil easily broken into the mainstream and are armed with a devoted fanbase who has been following them for nearly two decades. Because of this, they have the chance to really experiment with their sound, and that’s exactly what they’re doing with their fifth full-length album, The Jaws Of Life. And it works.
At its core, The Jaws Of Life contains everything that a classic Pierce The Veil album has: emotionally vulnerable lyrics, creative songwriting, and songs that are sure to make you want to scream along. But what sets the album apart from the band’s previous work is its overall tone, which is carried by grungier guitars, darker themes some of their most technical songwriting to date.
The opening two tracks on the album, “Death of an Executioner” and “Pass The Nirvana” are the perfect introduction to this new direction. While the first song feels like a classic PTV track with powerful vocals and energetic guitar and bass, “Pass The Nirvana” gets a bit heavier and grungier. But, in true Pierce The Veil form, right when you think they’re going to go right, they go left. “Even When I’m Not With You” takes a hard turn sound-wise from “Pass The Nirvana”, swapping screams and heavy guitar riffs for soft vocals programmed beats. The sweet love song finds vocalist Vic Fuentes musing, “What is love besides two souls trying to heal each other?”, which is sure to become a fan-favorite lyric in no time.
From there, the band begins to lean heavily into the timeless, grungy sound that The Jaws Of Life will soon be known for. One of the brightest songs on the album, “Emergency Contact” is another unconventional love song, leading perfectly into “Flawless Execution” and the emotionally heavy title track, “The Jaws Of Life”, which arrives just about at the halfway point of the album.
If there is any downside on The Jaws Of Life, it is in the tracklist. While the first few songs on the album are aggressive, hard-hitting and unforgiving, the second half of the album tends to lose a little bit of that energy. That’s not to say, however, that aren’t any shining moments on the back end of the album, though. “Damn Man, Save The Empire” doesn’t take itself too seriously, while the reflective “Resilience” feels like a callback to the days when every band in the scene would start each song with a sound clip from a movie – this one features an iconic quote from Dazed and Confused. Meanwhile “Shared Trauma” is one of the most unique songs on the album, taking on an almost lo-fi vibe. Picking things up near the end of the album is the second to last track, “So Far So Fake,” which is sure to become yet another fan-favorite.
The best part of The Jaws Of Life lies in its fearlessness. Nearly twenty years into their career, Pierce The Veil are still trying new things, and are doing so in a way that doesn’t feel forced or unsure. The album feels very solid, perfectly produced and well thought out. It makes the seven year wait since Misadventures feel like it was worth it.