Black Veil Brides: IV

Black Veil Brides IVBlack Veil Brides has emulated KISS in many ways, mostly with great results. On their fourth album, they turned to notorious/legendary savior/lightning rod producer Bob Rock who either helped or destroyed such bands as Motley Crue and Metallica, depending on your point of view. The output is similar to the Desmond Child / KISS collaborations – great pop hits or a horrible devolution of the band, depending on your perspective. The songs here are easily digestible, which is good if you are new to the band, but a bit disappointing if you have followed them from the beginning. The songs are short and most are fast paced, full of big background vocals and staccato riffs. There’s nothing quite wrong with this album, it is just not as emotionally captivating and memorable as their previous efforts. Perhaps this is an attempt to grab some more mainstream success. Hopefully BVB will be more inspired to return to their emotional roots on the next effort.

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