Black Veil Brides

Black Veil Brides have been called a lot of things in their career.  Widely derided for being all style no substance, the band have risen up to be the latest whipping boy of the heavy metal community due to a perceived notion that their over the top rock and roll is a bit shit, most of which people on the internet have probably decided because of how they look.  The truth is that Black Veil Brides have never been as offensive as people like to believe they are.  They play pretty simple rock and roll, inspired by the likes of Guns ‘N’ Roses, but instead of sex, drugs and rock and roll, they instead embrace being different and how being so doesn’t make you alone.  Much like other bands who have embraced that message, My Chemical Romance being the most obvious recent example, it has led to them amassing a huge teen audience (something else people seem to think is a bad thing) and they look well on their way to being this generations gateway band into the world of rock and metal.

All of this brings us on to their newest album, which is self titled,  and saw the band bring in the lefendary Bob Rock to produce.  It’s an album that sees the band embracing their mainstream hard rock image, as they strip back some of the pageantry (the outfits are now a lot less over the top) and embrace some of the big rock and roll songs that Bob Rock has spent his career producing.  All of which has lead to an incredibly polished effort, that has some alright rock and roll moments.  Opener “Heart of Fire” is a big fist in the air number designed to get people jumping up and down, while “Faithless” has a sing along chorus that you can already hear arenas bellowing out.  Sure there are a few shit moments on it.  The likes of “Stolen Omen” feel like little more than filler, adhering to the same formula of the rest of the album but lacking that special something.  “Walk Away” meanwhile is one of the cheesiest, most overwrought ballads you will hear this year and should probably have been left on the cutting room floor.

I think what strikes me most about this album though, is how little there is in it to get angry about.  There are some truly shit bands out there, some of whom are actually offence, but Black Veil Brides are far from that.  Sure, it’s pretty much just dumb over the top rock.  However, I spent yesterday checking out Accept’s new album Blind Rage and that was exactly the same thing.  It had a bit more balls to it and I probably would choose to listen to it over this, but the lyrics and music were just as over the top as this stuff.  Yet Black Veil Brides are repeatedly beat around the head, while bands like Accept are considered legends by most.

I am not a Black Veil Brides fan.  I will probably never listen to this album again and I’m unlikely to join their army anytime soon.  But, I can’t help but kind of like Black Veil Brides.  I have to admit that part of this is probably because so many other people hate it, but I think it’s mainly because it’s just quite good fun.  This is an album that will inspire hundreds, if not thousands of kids to get into rock and roll.  Some of them may well pick up a guitar and end up playing in fantastic bands, while others will just move on and find bands like Guns ‘N’ Roses and Metallica and become one of us.  God, in 10 years time they might be sitting writing an article about the latest bombastic rock band to catch the attention of the teen market.  It’s because of this Black Veil Brides are an important band and quite frankly as long as they bring more people to the cause, I find it very hard to get angry at them.