The leap between the intensity of the screaming in the second half of the verse and the infectious, brilliantly measured vocal patterns in the chorus that then fade back into those screams is insanely well thought out, but it is the prolonged instrumental section that seems to leave Earth. Kicking things off with a brash, in-your-face riff, the song then settles down for the beginning of the verse, allowing Vic to carry the track vocally with the riff momentarily relegated to the background.
Written in the aftermath of a fan's suicide, this is the epitome of the band's sound, and the best possible entry point into their discography. Of course, no discussion of 'Collide With The Sky's' merits would be complete without paying homage to Bulls In The Bronx. When the music cuts back to minimalism after the two minute mark, before gradually adding elements and then using a drum fill to lead into a simple yet effective guitar solo, the album truly hits one of its heights. Props & Mayhem is an underrated gem, with meandering guitars weaving in and out of each other to create a fantastical musical tapestry. The heavier section in the second half is a highlight here, with the pull-offs giving the riffing a little more variety.
The riffing is very simplistic, and strips back a lot of the lead playing to make it a more straightforward metalcore track. The dual vocals here compliment each other, with Vic's middling range leading interjecting between two repeated sections of Quinn vocals used a few times throughout the song. King For A Day is one of the band's best known tracks, primarily due to the aforementioned feature of Kellin Quinn. "This is a wasteland, my homemade retreat with Heaven above you, there's Hell over me" declares singer-guitarist Vic Fuentes in a very catchy moment, before the breakdown shows off the band's knack for layering screams over slightly quieter singing and keeping those distinctive leads playing softly in the background. The pull-offs on the higher strings over a fast-paced riff lead into a much slower verse, before the track explodes into its chorus. After an opening track that lasts over a minute, the band launch directly into Hell Above, which really showcases their signature sound better than any description really could. The truth is that categorizing this band is difficult, with the post-hardcore label often attached to them without ever really defining them. Rather than taking inspiration from those sort of bands, 'Collide With The Sky' is closer to albums like 'City Of Evil' by Avenged Sevenfold, or even the guitar work of Iron Maiden - although that is admittedly a stretch. This means that the band often have large dense instrumental passages incorporating numerous lead guitar tracks that never descend into mindless soloing, extremely soft singing sections, and energetic verses driven by chords that are not the open string chugging or power chords of many acts surrounding them on tour. 'Collide With The Sky' focuses on honing to perfection the sound established on 'Selfish Machines'. 'Collide With The Sky' released in 2013 to high praise from both critics and fans alike, with singles such as Bulls In The Bronx and King For A Day ensuring they were scarcely off of alternative music television and radio, the latter boosting their fame even further with a guest appearance from Sleeping With Sirens' Kellin Quinn, another popular musician within that scene.
They released their debut in 2007, before building an impressive fanbase after the release of 'Selfish Machines', but it was their third record that truly catapulted their career. Pierce The Veil were one of the forefront of the 2010's "scene queen" movement, with a sound distinguishable from the rest due to the layering of numerous lead tracks over distorted chords and far more of an emphasis on melodic crooning than the aggressive screaming of bands such as Asking Alexandria and Bring me The Horizon. This is their finest work, and one worthy of a listen.
Review Summary: Honing the signature sound of their previous record, Pierce The Veil create something truly brilliant, with meandering guitars and well thought out vocal melodies.
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