First Thoughts: Black Veil Brides - Vindicate
VEEPS Early Listening Stream - 6 May 2026
Invocation To The Muse - Similar spoken word intro to previous albums, but feels so much more raw and honest. Really sets the tone of vengefulness that Andy has been consistent about when discussing the album. The religious trauma undertones are strong
Vindicate - STRAIGHT INTO IT GOD DAMN, the intro scream is an incredible and wild start. The music videp is honestly a whole separate art from the song itself, incredible title track. Vampire Andy is everything I have ever wanted. Once again strong religious trauma messaging and very visceral imagery. This song as an opening song really throws in your face how much heavier this album is compared to any previous Black Veil Brides record.
Certainty - This one also starts off on an interesting note, the hymnal vocals in the opening set the kind of ominous tone of the song. This music video also has very interesting imagery, the association of goat imagery and Satan is something Andy has talked about when discussing this song. The screams in this are so good.
Bleeders - We love nerdy theatre shit in this house, especially a goth classic like Sweeney Todd. This is the oldest of the songs released for the album so it's the one everyone's gotten the most familiar with. More tame than the 2 preceding songs but still has the very signature Black Veil Brides sound. This one despite being heavily inspired by Sweeney Todd has the touch of Andy's personal revenge agenda tied into the sound and imagery of the music video.
Hallelujah - My personal favourite of the singles released prior to the album release. The chorus vocals in the intro that then go straight into the screaming vocals and riff, I am obsessed. The visualiser is one of my favourite music videos as well cause it really tells the story of the song. This one is the most explicit in the imagery and messaging about rebellion against religion. The visuals tell a slightly different story in the tale of Adam and Eve, and their corruption in the Garden of Eden
Cut (ft. Lilith Czar) - Oh a ballad, makes sense if Lilith is featured. NEVERMIND THEY SKIPPED IT LMAO??? I guess no one gets to hear this song until release day.
Alive - WHAT THE FUCK. THE SCREAMING. This has very early 2000s metalcore vibes, sounds very reminiscent of We Stitch These Wounds.
Purgatory (Overture IV) - I LOVE THE OVERTURES. JINXX AND HIS VIOLIN. The overtures are always a perfect break from the intensity that changes the pace of the album while still fitting in perfectly. It does also keep us prepared that there is still more ahead, and ties together the first half and second half of the album.
Revenger (ft. Machine Head) - The last song they released prior to the album's release. The instrumentals are super intense and heavy. You can clearly hear the trash metal elements in this, with the Machine Head feature that makes perfect sense.
Sorrow - This feels a lot more reminiscent of their Self Titled album. I feel that this one is the song off the album that is the epitome of the Black Veil Brides signature sound. This feels like a song that would fit in to any of their previous eras, with a little bit of a touch that makes is more obvious that it's from a newer era, but this is definitely the most Black Veil Brides sounding song off the album.
Grace (Interlude) - Another instrumental. I just really love Violin on BVB Records.
Ave Maria - WOW. This one has a very strong trash influence to it too, like Revenger. This one reminds me of the songs from the The Night EP. Definitely strong on the heavy instrumentals especially following the beautiful instrumentals of the interlude. I love the drums on this one a lot. Somehow I can feel the essence of what the original Ave Maria song signified in this, primarily through the lyrics.
Woe & Pain - Loving the spooky piano off the bat. This one sounds like the more recent Black Veil Brides sound. Very similar tonally to something off of The Phantom Tomorrow. A little bit more tame compared to the preceding songs. This is the song they sneak peak premiered on a WWE Broadcast.
Eschaton - This one sounds similar to something off of Wretched and Divine, the kind of story telling moody ballad. It is meant to be a conclusion to the album, and wraps up the album and it's primary theme of revenge and religious trauma very well.
Final Thoughts
(Currently writing this while still watching the making film so excuse my commentary that I slip in between.)
This album is the heaviest Black Veil Brides record to date, they were not lying about that. However to me, as a long time fan--who has experienced many eras of the band-- it also appears to be a tribute to their history as band, there are individual songs on the album that sound like they could fit perfectly in other Black Veil Brides eras. In the making film Andy talks about how there was significantly less outsider input--which I feel is the reason why this record sounds the way it does-- it still sounds very them. There are a lot of different metal elements and genres that clearly influenced different songs on the album, but the tone and vibe of this album is clear and consistent from the get. From the beginning in the spoken word intro--which is also a signature element of a Black Veil Brides record--to the beautiful instrumental overture--Jinxx was conducting an orchestra for the overture, legend behaviour-- all the way to the slower song that caps off this record. I have never not been excited for a new Black Veil Brides album, but I can say the songs released set my bar pretty high and they just continued to deliver even better and better the further into the album we got.
The Album Officially comes out Friday, 8 May 2026.
Black Veil Brides fan of not I would recommend people give it a listen.