Pierce the Veil - Misadventures [Silver with Red Splatter]

Misadventures took four years and a scrapped set of sessions to finish, and the strain is audible in the best way. Released in 2016, Pierce the Veil's fourth album is the tightest thing in their catalogue, eleven songs that cut most of the theatrical excess of Collide with the Sky and replace it with sharper hooks and better guitar playing.

"The Divine Zero" arrived first and remains the heaviest thing they had recorded, a full minute of build before the chorus lands. "Texas Is Forever" is the fastest song here, all double-time drums and a riff that never quite settles. "Circles" was written about the 2015 Bataclan attack and handles it with more restraint than the band's reputation would suggest. "Floral & Fading" and "Song For Isabelle" show the melodic instincts that keep this record in rotation years later.

Vic Fuentes' vocals are more controlled here than on any previous album, and Tony Perry's guitar work gets more room in the mix. The whole thing runs under forty minutes, which for a band prone to sprawl was a deliberate and correct decision.

This indie exclusive repress comes on silver vinyl with red splatter, cut at Sterling Sound by Ray Janos and made in the USA for Fearless Records. Includes a fold-out insert.