Words by Laura Mae

After an almost seven year long hiatus, American rock band Pierce The Veil have come stomping back
onto the music scene with their new record Jaws of Life. This release is the bandÔÇÖs fifth studio album
since they made their beginnings in 2006, and the first since their 2016 album Misadventures. Pierce The
Veil are a well known name in the alternative music scene, finding great success with their 2012 album
Collide With The Sky, with the lead single ‘King For A Day’ hitting #1 on the Billboard Hard Rock
Streaming Chart in 2022 after a resurgence in popularity thanks to TikTok.

The last few years have been a tumultuous time for the band; several years of inactivity following the
departure of original drummer Mike Fuentes left fans unsure about the future of the group. However, the
band have taken these years of inactivity in their stride and have delivered an album which not only
utilises the sweet nostalgic feeling of living through the 2010s emo scene, but explores a new range of
sounds for fans to indulge in.

The twelve-track album opens with ÔÇÿDeath of An ExecutionerÔÇÖ, a song which combines the bandÔÇÖs signature
post-hardcore sound (think shredding electric guitars and Vic FuentesÔÇÖ infamous vocals) with a fresher,
more alternative sound. From the beginning of this song alone, itÔÇÖs clear to listeners that this is a brand
new era for Pierce The Veil; this album is more grunge influenced than their past releases, most notably
ÔÇÿCollide With The SkyÔÇÖ, which could almost have passed for a screamo album thanks to FuentesÔÇÖ vocals.
The diversity of both tone and sound is incredible. The single ÔÇÿEven When IÔÇÖm Not With YouÔÇÖ features
heavily distorted guitar and even some electronic elements, whilst the closing track ÔÇÿ12 Fractures (feat.
Chloe Moriondo)ÔÇÖ is a slow-paced, mellow song which opens with a sound that I could only describe as
psychedelic or futuristic. The bandÔÇÖs exploration of new sound works to their advantage, and to me this
album has very few misses; the only song that I feel could be more musically developed is the single
ÔÇÿEven When IÔÇÖm Not With YouÔÇÖ, which does have very moving lyrics, but is slightly musically flat and
not as intricate as some of the other songs on the album.

The three songs which close out the album are all much softer than the ones which open the album, which I
feel was a great choice on the bandÔÇÖs part; when listening to the album in full, you are taken on an up-and-
down journey of sorts. The band lifts you through peaks with hardcore guitar riffs in the opening track
ÔÇÿDeath of An ExecutionerÔÇÖ, and swoops you through valleys with more lo-fi sounding songs such as
ÔÇÿShared TraumaÔÇÖ.

All in all, this album is a fantastic first release after seven years of inactivity, and a welcome comeback at that.
The band easily pull off the difficult balancing act of keeping their core sound intact whilst also
experimenting with new genres, making it clear that they are not going to fall victim to the downfall of
the veteran band, which we have seen happen to other 2000s/2010s emo bands.

I know that many fans, myself included, are curious to see how the band will progress as they continue to
release more music and reaffirm themselves as one of the more versatile and talented bands on the
alternative music scene.