Collide With the Sky

Pierce the Veil’s third album, Collide With the Sky, released on July 17^th, 2012 and features the epitome of their musical progression and growth as a band. The album contains twelve songs, features Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens, Jason Aalon Butler of letlive., and Lindsey Stamey of Oh No Fiasco. It contains a song dedicated to fan Olivia Penpraze, who tragically took her life. It was re-released as a companion to Pierce the Veil’s documentary This is a Wasteland, so in honor of that, here we have a track-by-track review of Pierce the Veil’s Collide With the Sky.

“May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep Tonight”

An echo of earlier short song “Southern Constellations,” this is the lead-in to “Hell Above” and serves as a powerful reminder that Pierce the Veil has a harder sound than many other post-hardcore bands. The lyrics are powerful despite the small amount of them. In is concluded by the powerful duet of vocalist Vic Fuentes and guitarist Tony Perry’s guitars, given a strong backbone by drummer Mike Fuentes and bassist Jaime Preciado. Though short, this track definitely holds its own against the rest of the album and serves as a perfect opener.

“Hell Above”

The first full-length track on the album, “Hell Above” is a perfect reminder of just how powerful a voice Vic Fuentes has, not only on his clean vocals but also on his unique screams. The juxtapositions in the lyrics, between heaven and hell, a “wasteland” and a “retreat,” serve to create an interesting image. Fuentes composed the song for the fans who feel as though they do not have a home but whom feel like they do when they are at a concert, a common belief expressed by many fans (including me). Pierce the Veil deeply care for their fans and have worked hard to please them and make them feel special and loved, and this song does an excellent job of conveying that perfectly.

“A Match Into Water”

This song does have a particular meaning: Fuentes composed the lyrics about an ex-girlfriend and her battle with breast cancer. Though many fans started out believing the song was about self-harm, based on the opening lyrics “I kissed the scars on her skin. I still think you're beautiful and I don't ever wanna lose my best friend,” these lyrics are most likely about scars from various treatments to fight the cancer. The song is heartrending and powerful, describing how Fuentes felt as he stood by her side during his event. The ending lyrics, “She’s mine! You stay away from her, it’s not her time,” are particularly emotional as it shows how desperately he wanted her to survive. It is definitely one of the most powerful tracks on the album. Fans will be happy to know she is better.

“King for a Day”

Without a doubt the fan favorite, this track features guest vocals from Sleeping With Sirens vocalist Kellin Quinn, whose higher-pitched cleans and screams provide an excellent foil for Fuentes. Also to be noted during this track is the incredible guitar work of Perry, who kept it fast and hard during the verses but changed it up during the chorus for a different yet still amazing rhythm. The lyrics provide an obvious yet still thoughtful meaning. The speaker has been pushed past his breaking point and is aiming for something much higher in “living like a king someday” and being tired of “sleeping like a dog on the floor.” For many fans of Pierce the Veil, this message is incredibly uplifting while the song remains commanding and excellent to mosh to. Fans may be interested to know that Fuentes’s brother, drummer Mike, named the song, and the fans’ desire to see Fuentes perform with Quinn was what led the two to singing this together.

“Bulls in the Bronx”

The second highly emotional song on the album is the fifth track, dedicated to the memory of fan Olivia Penpraze. This track features the most prolific guitar work by Perry as well as the sweeping lyrics and vocals of Fuente and screams by Preciado. The lyrics contain paraphrased lines from Olivia’s suicide video, which can still be viewed on YouTube: “I’m sorry I can’t see that you truly love me” and “I don’t want to wait for the downset date ‘cause I would rather end it all tonight. And if I mean anything to you, I’m sorry, but I’ve made up my mind.” This song is a haunting reminder that many people fall into dark places in their lives that they cannot get out of, and some of them turn to suicide for help. As Fuentes sings at the end of the song, though, “So darling, close your eyes ‘cause you’re about to miss everything.”

“Props & Mayhem”

Fuentes wrote himself into film Attack the Block with this track, adding a love story and his own experiences in a way to make it interesting. Certainly, it has garnered a lot of attention from fans as well. Poetic lyrics and a more melodious feel to the music makes this an almost-echo of first album A Flair for the Dramatic. While I am only slightly familiar with the film, enough to know it had something to do with aliens, I enjoyed the song nonetheless, especially the lyrics, “Burst into flames. Scream in the dark. I'm gonna light up this place and die in beautiful stars tonight.” Fuentes has a poetic touch in all of his lyrics, and this song in particular showcases this.

“Tangled in the Great Escape”

And here we come to my favorite track on the album, the duet with letlive. vocalist Jason Aalon Butler, whose passionate voice is a lovely contrast to Fuentes’s. The song was written about a friend of Fuentes’s who was fighting drug abuse to the point where he most likely would have died if he did not stop (Butler was actually chosen to sing on the song due to the topic because Butler follows a straight edge lifestyle). This song, to me, is extremely passionate, sad, and contains some of the best lyrics. Butler’s cries of “Mayday, I’m in trouble! Send somebody on the double,” and Fuentes’s promise to “never wander, my friend” were absolutely beautiful. Not only that, but the music did not lose any of its punch as it softened.

“I’m Low on Gas and You Need a Jacket”

The title of this song comes from the film Wayne’s World II and has been covered in a live acoustic session for Hot Topic. Fuentes wrote this song about a girlfriend at home who texted him that she was at a party, and this song was born of his feelings about not being there and his bitterness. This can be most seen in the bridge’s lyrics: “You're just another set of bones to lay to rest. I guess it's time to say goodnight. Hope you had a really good time.” Yet again, the music was slowed from its usual fast-paced aggression, but despite this it fit the mood of the song perfectly, and Fuentes’s voice came through strong and clear.

“The First Punch”

This song, I feel, can be particularly understood by younger fans. The lyrics are about allowing your emotions to guide you in a relationship, then deciding you only want to be friends and re-uniting after the fact. With this track we return to the fast-paced and powerful beats and chords, the lyrics stronger as a result. The ending of the chorus, “It's not that easy but it's half of the fun to see you throw the first punch,” particularly reveal the tumultuous battle to make a relationship work and how emotions collide and cause destruction.

“One Hundred Sleepless Nights”

Fans of song “Caraphernelia” from second album Selfish Machines will no doubt know exactly who this song was written for: Cara Crawford, infamous ex-girlfriend of Fuentes. The song describes the night they were supposed to resolve their differences and become a couple again, only for Fuentes to find out Crawford was pregnant and determined to stay with the father of her child. The song conveys a lot of confusion and pain, particularly in the lines “You said you're having a baby and before I could cry, you're leaving me just when I thought you were mine.” The music is beautifully interwoven with the lyrics to create another powerful song that I, for one, hope Crawford never forgets.

“Stained Glass Eyes and Colorful Tears”

The meaning of this song is also simple: standing by the one you love, hoping for something better. The music has slowed down to an almost haunting tune while Fuentes’s voice quietly speaks the verses. While this song is also short, at least in lyrical content, the message is still powerful and the lyrics beautiful, such as “I changed your mind and ended up here through stained glass eyes and colorful tears.”

“Hold On Till May”

Arguably the second favorite among fans from the album, the title, also taken from Olivia Penpraze’s suicide note, has mistakenly led many fans to believe this song is about her. Actually, it is about one of Fuentes’s girlfriends, her childhood, and the ups and downs in their relationship. “She sits up high, surrounded by the sun. One million branches and she loves every one. Mom and Dad, did you search for me? I've been up here so long I'm going crazy,” for instance, is a story this girl told Fuentes about how she used to climb a tree just to see if her parents would notice if she was gone. A sweet and romantic song, it also features an acoustic version and a version with Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive.

Without a doubt, this is Pierce the Veil’s most mature, most progressive venture, and if this album is a sign of things to come, this band will quickly rocket into ultimate stardom.