American rock band Pierce the Veil (PTV) has been on the music scene since 2007 with their debut album, “A Flair for the Dramatic”. Since then, they have released four studio albums and toured worldwide.
They released their latest album, “The Jaws of Life”, on February 10, 2023 with singles such as “Emergency Contact” and “Pass the Nirvana”. The album consists of twelve tracks with one collaboration.
The set debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums In February of 2023. “Emergency Contact,” which is my second favorite song off the album, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay.
The album begins with “Death of an Executioner”. This track is definitely in my top five, as the vocal range and control are insane. Vic Fuentes portrays his talent in this track once again.
The overall energy and vibes of this song make my brain tingle. Vocally, this is probably my favorite song by PTV.
Track two, “Pass the Nirvana”, is easily in my top five as well. I can’t really explain what I love so much about this song. It represents the angst and mental illness many teens face nowadays.
The angst and energy of this song are probably the reason I like it so much as it instantly boosts my energy.
The third track, “Even When I’m Not With You”, is one of the most ethereal songs I have ever heard, especially in the rock scene. With music and vibes alone, this song is incredibly relaxing and is a complete juxtaposition from the previous track.
The lyrics, however, maybe even more beautiful. This song is about the unconditional and long-lasting love the speaker has for someone.
My favorite lyrics are “Even when you think I hate you, I still love you”, “look how far we’ve come, think I’ve finally won”, and “I inhale the future slowly, I exhale the past, let go.”
Track four, the first single from the album, the top song on my 2023 Spotify Wrapped, “Emergency Contact”, is probably my second favorite PTV song. I played this song ON REPEAT for MONTHS and I still do.
Everything from the vocals to the vibe, to the message, to the production of this song is absolutely perfect. Over a year later, this song still makes me as happy as it was the first time I heard it. One day, I may even get “there’s no greater vengeance than learning to enjoy again” tattooed.
I could go on forever about how much I love this track, but no one has the time for that. This song was a huge part of my life in one of my more recent dark times, even though I couldn’t relate, and even if I do someday, I will always love it and I cannot wait to scream this in a stadium with other fans.
If you think “Emergency Contact” was amazing, wait until I tell you about track five.
“Flawless Execution” is my all-time favorite PTV song. Once again, everything about this song is absolutely flawless. This song really is a flawless execution. This is one of the songs I skipped for a while until I realized just how amazing it is.
I will never be able to properly express the amount of love I have for this song, which brings me to one of my all-time favorite lyrics from PTV. While I would never tattoo “I didn’t mean to burden you with love in my condition” on my body, that will never stop me from screaming it internally and doodling it in my silly journals at every chance I get.
Another lyric from this song I love is “Pain is unavoidable at times, but if it gets s*** off your mind, I understand, that’s kind of why I’m here right?”
The title track of the album is one I seem to skip. The chorus feels forgettable, but the melody and instrumental of the song are impeccable. This track feels like it should be an opening track. I can’t quite explain it, but it feels like an opening track. I just need to listen to it more and I’m sure I’ll love it soon enough.
Track seven, “Damn the Man, Save the Empire,” was never a favorite, but it’s so catchy and I forget how good it is. I don’t have much to say, but it’s really catchy and I love cleaning it.
“Resilience” is another I skipped for a while, but upon another listen, track eight fits perfectly on the album. It’s not my favorite on the album, but I was wrong to skip it for so long. Once again, Fuentes’s vocals leave me speechless.
“Irrational Fears – Interlude” is a nice transition from “Resilience” into “Shared Trauma”.
What is technically track ten is another I skipped for a while. Upon another listen almost a year later, the sound is incredible and I will never get over the development of Fuentes’s voice from 2010 to the time the album was recorded. I can easily see this song becoming my new obsession.
“So Far, So Fake” is also one of my favorites on the album. The sound, angst, betrayal, and emotion is so evident in the vocals and lyrics, which is appropriate seeing as though the song is about a betrayal by a friend of Fuentes’s.
I’ve never taken a close look at the lyrics, but upon doing so, I love it even more.
The twelfth and final track, “12 Fractures”, features Cloe Moriondo. The sound reminds me of some unreleased track because of the production, which I love. The track depicts the pain and grieving of losing a partner the speaker was once dependent on.
While I’ve not been a fan for long, this album is a masterpiece, even if it took me a while to realize it. I look forward to future projects from the band and I hope to see them in June with Blink-182.