The Black Veil Brides are at it again and dropping a new release entitled The Mourning on October 21st.  Following up 2021’s The Phantom Tomorrow, this four-song EP is small in stature but delivers a mind-blowing punch that rivals any of the incredible releases we have seen this year.  Produced and mixed by Erik Ron, The Mourning highlights the uniqueness of BVB in a time where many within their genre are simply going through the motions, providing little substance or emotion on any cognitive level.  If you are looking for your next fix of incredible metal prior to the end of 2022, The Mourning is just that.  Let’s dig in.

As I dropped the needle on The Mourning, I quickly realized that this EP was going to be special. After a quick spin, I immediately found that all four songs the Black Veil Brides included on their release were sonically unique.  Each on their own could be considered singles on any major release and were not just a collection of songs where average is acceptable and everything ends up sounding the same.  Instead, “Devil”, “Savior 2”, “The Revival”, and “Better Angels” challenged the status quo with rich meaningful lyrics, heartfelt vocals, and out-of-this-world musicianship that is second to none.  Make no mistake, these songs captured me (and that’s typically not easy to do).

Now all of that said, I must say that heading into this review I was not a huge Black Veil Brides fan.  While Biersack and company have had some tracks I really loved in the past (“In The End” and “Fallen Angels” to name a few), the band as a whole never really piqued my interest as one that I’d follow more religiously.  However, taking some time to research BVB along with a more in-depth review of these tracks may have changed my mind going forward.  Black Veil Brides are actually a lot deeper than I thought, and it comes out loud and clear in ways I can't describe (but definitely can feel).  Bottom line, The Mourning is a breath of fresh air across a stale musical landscape and an EP I would highly recommend checking out.  It's a winner and 100% Hunnypot approved.

- Matthew Belter