Picking up where 2013's
Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones left off,
Vale sees the goth-glam metal troupe once again reveling in the dark pageantry of rock & roll by way of a narrative-driven 12-song set that's generously stocked with fist-pumping singalong choruses buttressed with wordless gang vocals and slick guitarmonies. Easily their most pop-oriented release to date,
Vale finds
Black Veil Brides completely jettisoning their metalcore past. The band's 2014 eponymous fourth long-player, while not directly linked to the rock opera that preceded it, didn't deviate too far from its predecessor's overall message -- rise above, speak truth to power, etc. -- and
Vale follows a similar path, though it does make some semi-direct references -- spoken word sections and orchestral flourishes abound, as does a general predilection toward pomp and melodrama. ~ James Christopher Monger