Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Black Veil Brides Set The World On Fire Company: Universal Release: 2011 Genre: Hard Rock Reviewer: EC

Quality playing, superb vocals and above average song writing

Black Veil Brides are a California migration that relish in the look and feel of 80s glam rock and big stadium acts like KISS. The youngsters remind me of the spirit of Poison in the way they uprooted from their hometown in Ohio (Poison came from PA) and migrated to the West coast to hone their sound and hit the club scene in the chase for money, fame and women. I'm sure they have hit all three by the arrival of this sophomore record "Set The World On Fire". I caught wind of the band on the front page of Best Buy's Sunday paper insert over the summer...not a bad landing strip for 20 year old kids from the Midwest. Now they have their painted faces and sleek leather all over Hollywood movies (see "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon") and gaining recognition and prominence by Revolver and Kerrang. The group have also landed "Set The World..." at number 17 on Billboard.

The band's second effort is an improvement on the mosh and metalcore outing of the debut "We Stitch These Wounds". The group had some internal strife and after a few member changes the end result on the debut left something to be desired. It sold 10,000 copies the first week but I felt the band really didn't have an identity or any way of convincing me that the Hot Topic T-Shirt movement was valid or worthy. Now with this new record the band have cut ties with the guttural screams and growls and are left holding a precise and distinct sound that is really trenched in 80s work. The band obviously have the look of early 80s Motley Crue or late 70s KISS (I see Rogue Male...look'em up) that help them identify with the vintage movement. But beyond the look and big label (Republic/Universal) the act are really solid and emphasize quality playing, superb vocals and above average song writing.

Big name producer Josh Abraham (Linkin Park, 30 Seconds To Mars) has his hands on a super clean polished feel for BVB. The twin guitar is all over the record complete with leads and a good sense of melody. The band aren't afraid to step up and do anthems and the writing reminds me of the 80s. You can hear the teen angst on the title track with lots of "back to the wall" and "break the chains and show them all" sort of lyrics. This pens the sort of lyrics you would hear in the 80s with bands like Crue and Accept all the way up to Sweden's new found glory of Crash Diet and Crazy Lixx today. The vocals incorporate lots of gang vocals for the united front stance and advance the tracks into more of a loud stadium rock affair. Choice cuts are the quick paced "Rebel Love Song", "Fallen Angels" and "New Religion".