An Experiment - Black Veil Brides, We Stitch These Wounds

(I could never spend that long getting ready, I'd just get bored and forget to paint one side of my face)

If you’ve read an issue of Kerrang! Magazine, then you know who Black Veil Brides are. I don’t remember where they came from, but very suddenly they were here, there and everywhere, painting themselves stripy and being very melodramatic and making people either love them or hate them. I don’t personally know anyone who loves them, and in fact am probably endangering my life because if Alix finds out I’m listening to BVB, she will throttle me.  However, I’m going to be naughty and do it anyway, for the same reason I did the One Direction experiment – a lot of people like them, so can I find what’s there to like (aside from Andy Biersack being fit as, obviously, but that’s nothing to do with the quality of their music)? This time, however, I’ve picked a group that’s closer to the genres of music I actually listen to, so it might not hurt my head as much.

I’ll be going through their debut album, We Stitch These Wounds, although their second one seems to be much more recognised. The album cover for this kind of annoys me, because it's just Andy Biersack (vocals), when it's not only him in the band. I don't like it when they just idolise the singer and ignore everyone else. But, ignoring the vanity, I shall give it a listen. The love/hate had to start somewhere, right?

The Outcasts (Call To Arms)

Just an intro, I think. It sounds like from the inside of a placenta. You don't want to know how I know that.

We Stitch These Wounds

Oooh big guitar riff, very fancy. I think it’s a riff? I don’t know. But so far it’s nice. Wow, this guy has a deeper voice than you’d expect. This song’s not as big as I thought it would be from the first few seconds – I was expecting more explosions, you know? This sounds like being angry in someone’s living room. It’s alright though. Kind of boring. Is it that it’s boring though, or is my concentration just that short? His voice is really creeping me out though. I feel kind of like it doesn’t really fit the music, especially not the sudden screechy bit. It doesn’t all seem to fit together; it’s like a sort of collage of screamo, rock and metal, but not by someone who does a lot of collages. It’s just a lot quieter than it should be.

Beautiful Remains

Oh, this sounds promising. No. No, it’s let me down. They do this thing where they’ve got a pretty cool intro and you expect some big massive song, and it’s just . . . not massive. This sounds more together than the first one, though, although Biersack still doesn’t sound quite right with the rest of it. He’s got a very weird voice. The song doesn’t really grab your attention, but it’s alright in the background. This one goes on a bit though. It just doesn’t really sound like they’re putting all their effort in, but if they did, it’d be awesome.

Children Surrender

Ooh, they’re getting better with the starts. This sounds like another promising one . . . is it? . . . it’s getting there, they’re working on getting the rest of the song up to the same standard. The screaming feels kind of like they’re just putting it in because they can, though, and not because it’s appropriate at that point (which it isn’t, I don’t think). They keep doing these sort of bridge bits that sound like they’re going to build up to something really big, and then you get the chorus and it’s just not big enough. Like, it’s nice, but it needs to be BOOM WOW AWESOME IT BURNED MY HEAD OFF

Perfect Weapon

I do like a song that starts with screaming. Or not . . . this is too slow. I want faster and angrier . . . It really does feel like they’re not trying hard enough, and it’s infuriating, because you can hear that all the songs so far would be kickass if they really went to it, but they’re just coasting along on 5/10 effort (that was the 666^th word) when they need to be doing like 20/10 for a first album, and then find more and more effort. The songs are sounding more together as the album goes on though. Does anything I say make sense? I feel like I’m just typing the first thing that comes into my head here, and I don’t know if it sounds like a real critique or not. Ugh, do they need this guitar solo? Is it really necessary? I loathe unnecessary guitar solos.

Knives And Pens

These songs are all sounding a bit same-y to me, like none are really standing out from the others. Like, I’m not really picking up on the lyrics or anything. They’re not songs that make me curious to try them again in case they grow on me. This one’s just more of the same, just singing, a bit of screaming, half-hearted chorus, guitar solo . . . blah.

The Mortician’s Daughter

Oh, a different sounding one. Acoustic. Mmm, doesn’t really suit his voice though, it makes him sound more nasal. It’s still kind of boring, but it’s different and I think I’d want to listen to this one again. It’s a nice relief from all the other ‘look mum, I can shred’ type ones. Aaah, nice.

All Your Hate

Oh god, the angst is back. Are they going to go anywhere with this? YES! THEY’RE GETTING IT, THEY’RE ACTUALLY SORT OF GETTING IT. Yes, it’s looking up now, actually. I’ve figured out what my problem with the others was. There was sort of a lot of empty space in them where there could have been loud noises, and they’ve sorted that out a bit here, which is good. They’re putting a bit more effort in, about 7/10. Yep, aside from the still-unnecessary screaming and the fecking guitar solo, this one’s another good one. I’d listen to this one again.

Heaven’s Calling

Can they keep up the good work? Yes, it looks like they can. I’m finally starting to get excited about this album. They’re finally getting into their stride here. I feel like the effort’s gone down a little bit again, but there’s still more there than the stuff before The Mortician’s Daughter. I just don’t like the screaming. I feel like if you’re going to put it in the way they’re putting it in these songs, you need an extra singer, like Sean Smith in The Blackout. I suppose I may as well let them off on the guitar solos a bit though, since it’s that style of music. It just gets a bit annoying, because it’s not like being able to play guitar’s a rare skill. Being a douchebag about it certainly isn’t.

Never Give In

OOOOHH,  I LIKE THIS ONE, IT ACTUALLY SOUNDS A BIT DIFFERENT TO THE OTHERS OH MY GOD THIS IS ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD I FEEL LIKE THE CAPS ARE MAKING ME SOUND MORE PLEASED THAN I AM BUT I’M JUST REALLY SURPRISED BY HOW THEY’VE SUDDENLY STARTED REALLY GOING FOR IT. Yes, I like this one, it’s good. The music and the lyrics and Andy Biersack’s weird voice actually all fit together in this. Yep, this one’s good. I’m beginning to get that feeling you get when you find a new band to listen to. Aaaahahaahah I’m quite pleased with this. Yessss, NEVER BACK DOWN.

Sweet Blasphemy

Aah brilliant, brilliant, they’re actually doing yet another different-sounding song. They’re breaking away from whatever they were doing with the first few songs. This is starting to sound more dark and dramatic, but it’s sounding more like they know what they’re doing. However, this one’s bored me slightly without me realising. I forgot it was playing. It’s still pretty good though. I’d try it again. They’re not just relying on the same old stuff they seem to have been told would work.

Carolyn

And another acoustic – oh no, there’s electric guitars in there too. Intriguing. Oh no, we’re going more electric. Those aren't bad 'oh no's though. I feel like this should be the soundtrack to some kind of romcom scene where they go running about in the rain on a cliff (I don’t watch romcoms). I like this one, it’s good. However, on the chorus, I feel like he should be really belting it out and he’s not. I just like it when people belt things out. This is their Sad Song. It’s a nice one to end the album on, but kind of. . . I feel like this song is, again, supposed to be really big and wowwy, and like fireworks to end the album on, and they’ve not quite managed to do that.

So there we go. We Stitch These Wounds. An alright album, and better towards the end, definitely. However, it’s about a B- for effort, and I’m not sure why it made all the fuss that it did, because there’s nothing there that’s really spectacular. However, I find myself listening to some of their later stuff as I'm editing it, and they are a band I could listen to again. Over time they seem to have themselves figured out a lot better. So yes, maybe not the best debut album out there, but it's alright.