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BLACK VEIL BRIDES
Wretched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones

Lava / Universal Republic (2013)
Rating: 9/10

Hollywood, California’s Black Veil Brides has been challenging the status quo since their debut hit the scene in 2010. We Stitch These Wounds roared from stereos, and brought melody and rebellion to the masses.

With a look that hearkens back to early Mötley Crüe or W.A.S.P. and a grasp of both heaviness and melody, Black Veil Brides has created a sound and an image that is a rallying cry to metalheads everywhere. Add to this incredibly talent musicians, and the end result is a band that is making metal as dangerous as it was back when W.A.S.P. and Ozzy Osbourne were leading kids astray. Good times, they were.

Wretched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones is Black Veil Brides’ third full-length album. In an ambitious move, this release takes on the rock opera format, telling the story of The Wild Ones. In a world where an oppressive global government has full control, The Wild Ones live on the fringe of society, and lead the resistance against tyranny. The concept fits well with Black Veil Brides’ aggressive image and music. For a band who sounds like a rebellious battle cry, an album about a group of outsiders rebelling against the system seems a perfect fit.

Musically, Wretched And Divine is an engaging listen. As the album opens, keyboards and a short spoken word piece set up the theme of spirituality that underpins much of the lyrics. Several of these short interludes exist between songs, mixing keyboards and violins with statements from the government and apocalyptic spiritual proclamations reminiscent of what was heard in the Zeitgeist movies in recent years.

The music itself is lush and full. Classic metal riffs are married with Linkin Park-style keyboard and programming moments and ferocious drumming that brings out hardcore and metalcore influences. In particular, lead guitarist Jake Pitts plays with virtuosity that is reminiscent of a young Yngwie Malmsteen. The fluidity and speed of Pitts’ solos is a rare find.

The first full track featuring the full band is ‘I Am Bulletproof’. A short piano introduction leads to a guitar driven piece that immediately reminds me of the best bands in the 80s glam scene. When vocalist Andy Biersack begins singing the first verse, the furious guitars calm down to a seething undercurrent, allowing the vocals to shine. This sets the tone for much of the album. Songs burn with intensity, giving way to melody, only to burn all the brighter at the next vocal break. ‘I Am Bulletproof’ moves directly into ‘New Year’s Day’, a song that mixes proto-industrial percussion loops into a metal anthem atmosphere. The title track mixes the intensity of Marilyn Manson with the pop metal mastery of Mötley Crüe.

My only criticism of this release is that it’s a full album of anthems. Nearly every song is a huge, arena rock, crowd rallying anthem. Is this bad? Not at all. With the exception of the Pink Floyd-style ballad ‘Done For You’ and the introspective, piano based ‘Lost It All’, every song is a fist pumping, headbanging anthem. The positive side of this is that it makes for an album that invites the listener to be involved in the music. Everyone who’s ever felt like an outsider can feel the power of ‘We Don’t Belong’ and chant along: “It’s the anthem of the underground, so get back up when they push you down!”

The W.A.S.P.-esque riff of ‘Days Are Numbered’ leads into a sing-along chorus that connects with the desire to rise above the mundane experience of daily life. Black Veil Brides take the yearnings of mankind, and build them into the kind of anthems that can bring an arena full of fans to their feet, as a single organism.

Modern metal often seems to rehash old formulas, or throw out classic sounds to forge ahead. Black Veil Brides is one of the bands that has come along to challenge these approaches.

Wretched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones is full of fresh sounds steeped in heavy metal tradition. Fans of 80s metal will find much about the music they love, and modern metal fans will connect with the power and fury of these songs. While the anthem after anthem approach can make the album seem like a one-sided listen, it’s one hell of a side. Black Veil Brides have landed mere inches from perfection on this release.

Jim McDonald

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