How did they get a picture of me when I first wake up in the morning for their cover?! *cricket noises* In all seriousness with the 10th anniversary of their debut album “We Stitch These Wounds” being in 2020 the guys of Black Veil Brides released an improved version of their older album calling it “Re-Stitch These Wounds”. The opener to this new album still contains Andy‘s grandfathers voice but with a bigger sound – like a true opener. It reminds me of something they would play to get you amped at a concert right before the curtain drops! There are a few other differences in key elements of these releases that stick out, everything from the artwork and guitar solos to better sound quality overall.

While changing some things here and there throughout the album, they were careful not to change it too much and still reel in the emotion and meanings of the original songs. The production value of the newest release is way better, and so are the tones. The music is clean and crisp and the vocals hold their weight in quality as well. I think it was a very wise decision to work on the old material and lay it all out for us to hear how it was originally intended to be! I approve!

I’m a sucker for some badass guitar solos and this album certainly did not let me down! While they wanted to improve their debut album they did so gracefully without taking away the familiarity of the music. Jake Pitts (guitars) took control of the production as they all stripped the music down and recreated this masterpiece from scratch. One big difference is Andy‘s vocals. You can tell he’s no longer a 16 year old by the maturity of his voice, as well as the stability and control he has without wavering or straining his vocals. His screams almost blend into the music perfectly providing a great listening experience. What a set of pipes! When it comes to instrumental improvements you can hear how the riffs are rhythmic and the solos stand out so much more! The track “Never Give In” is a perfect example of how the riffs gracefully flow with the music while still being recognizable. “Never Give In” also has a gnarly guitar solo in it as well as “Knives and Pens”.

The song that I say has the biggest change to it is the song “Morticians Daughter”. If you’ve heard both versions you’ll know why. The re-released version has no lyrical content! It’s now an orchestral piece that still captures old emotions while being modernized. Overall it’s a very beautiful song!

My personal favorite off of the new release is “Never Give In”. It served as an anthem to those of us who dare to stray outside of the “normal” standards of society. I believe this even more now, with the re-done instrumentals it makes me want to crank that volume all the way up and say “This is who I am and I’m PROUD of that!” Then flip the bird to the world!

Release date: July 31st, 2020
Label: Sumerian Records
Tracklist:

1. The Outcasts
2. We Stitch These Wounds
3. Beautiful Remains
4. Children Surrender
5. Perfect Weapon
6. Knives and Pens
7. Morticians Daughter (Overture 111)
8. All Your Hate
9. Heavens Calling
10. Never Give In
11. Sweet Blasphemy
12. Carolyn