Black Veil Brides

Black Veil Brides are an American rock band based in Hollywood, California. The group is composed of Andy Biersack (lead vocals), Ashley Purdy (bass, backing vocals), Jake Pitts (lead guitar), Jinxx (rhythm guitar, violin) and Christian "CC" Coma (drums). Black Veil Brides are known for their use of black makeup, body paint, tight black studded clothing, and long hair, which were all inspired by Kiss' and Mötley Crüe's stage persona, as well as other 1980s glam metal acts.[4]
==Background==
===Formation and early years (2006-2008)===
The band originally formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2006 by Andy Biersack.[4] The band released two EPs which were Sex & Hollywood (2007) and Never Give In (2008).[4] Eventually they relocated to Los Angeles, California.[4] In September 2009, using the current name, Black Veil Brides signed with the independent label StandBy Records.[4][5] The writing process for a tour and a record began immediately. In December 2009, the band embarked on their first US tour, titled "On Leather Wings".[6]
===We Stitch These Wounds (2010)===
Main article: We Stitch These WoundsThe group's debut album We Stitch These Wounds was released July 20, 2010 and sold over 10,000 copies in its first week, ranking at No. 36 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and No. 1 on the Billboard Independent chart.[7][8] In late 2010, Black Veil Brides went on tour with bands The Birthday Massacre, Dommin and Aural Vampire.[9][10]
Black Veil Brides first came to the attention of Lava Records president Jason Flom when the chief music officer at Hot Topic, John Kirkpatrick, told him about the incredible buzz that was building around the band, with their t-shirt attracting the second biggest sales in the country at that point.[11] What was even more impressive was that they had built their fanatical following in a "DIY" fashion, such as in making their own self-funded videos.[11] When Flom then heard their music and met the group, he decided that they were exactly what he'd been looking for, later commenting to HitQuarters:
“	They are bringing back what has been missing for over a decade: they are rock heroes that are truly larger than life. The make-up, the hair, the leather, and most importantly they have great songs, great playing …[11]	”
Flom then made a deal with Neil Sheehan, founder of StandBy Records, to sign the band over to Lava.[12]
Set the World on Fire and Rebels (2011-2012)Black Veil Brides supported the Murderdolls in the "God Save The Scream Tour" 2011 and also toured America on the AP Tour from March 18 to May 6.[13] The band continued on to the Vans Warped Tour, which began June 24, 2011 and ended August 14 of the same year.[14] However, on June 18, Andy fell from a pillar while performing and broke his ribs, which caused them to miss the first week of the tour.[15] The band also performed at festivals such as the Download Festival in the UK[16] and Bamboozle.[17] The band also played at the Rock am Ring festival at theNürburgring motorsport complex in Nürburg, Germany in June 2011.[18] On April 20, it was revealed the band had won Revolver Magazine's Golden Gods Award for Best New Artist, the title forKerrang!'s Best Newcomers, and were nominated for the title of Kerrang!'s Best International Newcomer.[19]
Main article: Set the World on Fire (Black Veil Brides album)The band's second studio album, Set the World on Fire was released on June 14, 2011 through Lava Music/Universal Republic Records. The cover art was released in April.[20][21] The title track from Set the World on Fire was planned for use in the movie Scream 4. Upon learning that the song was not going to be used in the film, the band released a statement and an extended song preview.[22] It was later announced on May 23 that the song was to be featured in the movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon.[23]
A clip of the album's lead single, "Fallen Angels", was released in late April.[24] It was then fully released in the UK on May 1. The US release was pushed from May 3[25] to May 10 to be given for free with the pre-order of Set the World on Fire on iTunes. Because "Fallen Angels" was delayed, the band released a preview of the song "Youth and Whisky" on May 3.[26] The album's next single was The Legacy, with a music video filmed by Patrick Fogarty that premiered on YouTube on June 6, 2011. Their third single from Set the World on Fire was "Rebel Love Song", which also had a music video directed by Patrick Fogarty. The video was released on YouTube on October 19. On October 25, the band announced that they had to cancel tour dates for "certain reasons". It was later announced that it was because Andy had broken his nose on the drum set rising platform during a performance.[27] Despite the injury, which was bad enough for people to notice that he was having difficulty breathing and talking, he was determined to finish the show. After a visit from the doctor, he was told to sit back for a few weeks to rest and heal. They announced that they would return to tour for the beginning of the Buried Alive Tour with Avenged Sevenfold, Asking Alexandria, and Hollywood Undead.[28]
Main article: Rebels (Black Veil Brides EP)It was announced via Andy's Twitter that they would be releasing an EP titled "Rebels". They released a trailer on YouTube which shows Andy recording vocals for their cover of the song "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol, which was to appear on the EP. Another trailer for the EP was released, in which Andy gives a few more details about it. The third and final trailer about the EP was released on November 14, in which Andy goes into detail about the track "Coffin" which was a left over song from the previous album Set the World on Fire that was to be released on the EP. In an interview with Chris Droney from Glasswerk National, they hinted that there would be a guest guitarist to appear on the EP,[29] who eventually turned out to be Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society), who plays the guitar solo on the cover of the song Unholy, originally performed by Kiss. Rebels was eventually released on December 13, 2011.[30]
===Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones (2012–2013)===
Main article: Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild OnesA Black Veil Brides song, titled "Unbroken", appeared on the soundtrack to the movie The Avengers on May 1, 2012, and is the only track released by Black Veil Brides solely on a compilation album.[31][32] On June 13, the official music video for the song "Coffin" from the Rebels EP, was released.
Regarding the band's third album, guitarists Jinxx and Jake told Chris Droney in an interview for Glasswerk National that the band is constantly writing new music, and that they were planning on recording their next major full-length album in April 2012.[29] On February 18, Jake tweeted, "Amazing stuff. This next record is going to kick your arses." In a February 2012 interview, Ashley Purdy announced that the band's third studio album is scheduled to be released at the end of 2012.[33] On May 2, Black Veil Brides had this to announce: "As of today, we have officially began recording our new album which will be released on October 30th!"[34] Andy said in an interview at the Download Festival that "We've got three songs tracked. We've set ourselves a deadline of the end of August to finish it. We've got 20 to 25 songs written and we're narrowing it down now. John Feldmann is producing it. It's going to be more of a punk rockrecord than anything we've done before. It's Social Distortion meets Metallica."[35] September 4, Andy announced that they had finished recording of the new album: "Well, tracking has officially wrapped for the new record! Still some stuff to finish up, but I’m so happy, excited, and proud of this album!"[36]
It was announced that the release of their third album was to be pushed back from October 30, 2012 to January 2013. On October 8, the album cover art and album title were released—Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Oneswas the title, and pre-orders were launched from iTunes on Halloween, October 31.[37][38] The cover art for Wretched and Divine was painted by Richard Villa, long-time Black Veil Brides cover artist who also painted the cover art for We Stitch These Wounds, Set the World on Fire, and Rebels.[39] The lead single from Wretched and Divine, "In the End", was featured as one of the theme songs for WWE's Hell in a Cell.[40] The band will embark on "The Church of the Wild Ones" North American Tour in support of the album, with further details to be announced. On October 29, the band announced the official tracklist and the new, re-scheduled release date for the album (January 8, 2013).[41] On October 31, a trailer was released, revealing that Black Veil Brides planned to release a full-length film titled Legion of the Black in 2013 in select theaters.[42][43][44] Wretched and Divine is a concept album, and the film is a visual depiction of the story within the album.[44] The movie was screened at The Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles, California on December 21–23, 2012. Andy Biersack appeared at the showing to surprise fans, to their delight.[45] Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top 200.[46]
Black Veil Brides played on the Warped Tour from June–August 2013.[47] On June 11, 2013 Black Veil Brides released the Wretched and Divine Ultimate Edition containing three exclusive tracks: "Revelation", "Victory Call" and "Let You Down" along with the Legion of the Black DVD included.[48]
In November 2013 Andy Biersack made his fourth appearance on the cover of Alternative Press magazine (Issue# 305) for the feature story "The Making Of Andy Biersack". The issue became the highest pre-ordered issue in the history of AP Magazine and went on to be the top selling issue of 2013 as well as one of the top selling issues in AP history.
The band won in 20 categories in the 2013 Alternative Press Readers Poll .[49]
===New album (2013–present)===
In an interview with Artisan News, the band's singer Andy Biersack said that the band decided to start working on their fourth album saying
	Yeah, it's crazy. We've been touring together for, what, almost half a decade, and that's it. We don't have the long, storied history, but we've gone through so many evolutionary changes and even stylistically in the band, we've never released two records that sounded the same. I think that the next step for the band is to do something we've never really done before, which is to take a minute and really evaluate where everything around us is and what we wanna start writing about and what the next step is for the band, logically. But also just on an artistic feel, let it be organic and let us feel something new, because we've always been… With the exception of 'Wretched And Divine', the first two records were, 'OK, now you have to make a record. Go do it. You have this amount of time, you have this amount of money. Please get it done.' With 'Wretched And Divine', we had more of an opportunity to do something that was outside the box. We still didn't have much time, but we were allowed a little bit more of an opportunity to express ourselves. So now, I think, we're the band that I think we should be. I think we're at the right place. We're the best that we've ever been musically. The camaraderie within the band is at an all-time high. And it's not always been that way. There's certainly been fights inside of this band, like any band, over the last couple of years, but I will tell you that on this tour, there's not been anything that's been negative; it's been a very positive experience and we've all had a lot of fun. Because, again, we're all adults and we've been doing this long enough to know that those personality differences are not enough for you to try to ruin the career that you've paved. And I think sometimes bands forget that: 'Wow, we just can't get along.' Well, maybe you will soon. Just wait it out. You're not getting along today; just wait. Stay with the thing you love. And that's what we did. We've had our darkest moments and we've all had big in-fighting and everything, but we're best friends and we're brothers and we've gotten through it, just like we always will, so I'm excited to make another record with my four best friends.[50]	
Andy also said in an interview with Pit Cam TV that they may finish the album in the studio during around the summer of 2014.[51]
==Criticism==
The band has been labeled as "emo" during their earliest years due to the style they sported and have been criticized for their appearance.[52][53] However, in an interview Andy Biersack said
“	Yeah I mean just always identify yourself as you. Whatever your name is, whatever your interests are like you know don't allow them to call you "emo" or whatever else cause those things, they really don't exist. That's the term of a guy who trolls message boards and those things. Like "emo" and "faggot" and those things cause those are what people learned ostensibly outside of what reality is so I just don't listen to those people. Don't let those people affect you.[53]	”
Even when Black Veil Brides won their Golden God Award for their song "In the End", winning "song of the year" and mass radio hits, the band got berated and booed at by the audience.[54] In 2011 Philip Labonte, the frontman for All That Remains, posted a controversial comment towards Andy Biersack in an image of him with the caption "So a radio station has a 'vote for your fave song' kinda thing. I'm not commenting on our music at all. LOOK AT THIS FUCKING FAGGOT! Lulz" [55]
==Tours==
===On Leather Wings Tour (December 2009)[56][57][58][59]2009–2010===
*Royal Family Clothing Tour (with From First to Last, Eyes Set to Kill, Confide, and Sleeping with Sirens — March–April 2010)[60][61][62][63]
*Sacred Ceremony Tour (with Vampires Everywhere!, Modern Day Escape, and Get Scared — July–August 2010)[64]
*Entertainment or Death Tour (with William Control and Motionless in White — October–November 2010)[65][66][67]
*Pins and Needles Tour (with The Birthday Massacre; supported by Dommin, and Aural Vampire — November 2010)[9][68]
===2011===
*God Save the Scream Tour (supported Murderdolls with The Defiled in the UK — February 2011)[56][69][70][71][72]
*AP Tour (with D.R.U.G.S., I See Stars, VersaEmerge, and Conditions — March–May 2011)[73][74][75]
*Warped Tour (June–August 2011)[58] Black Veil Brides missed the first week of the tour on account of Andy's broken ribs.[15]
*UK Tour (with Yashin and My Passion — October–November 2011)[76] Black Veil Brides missed a couple dates due to Biersack's broken nose.[27][77][78]
*Buried Alive Tour (supported Avenged Sevenfold with Hollywood Undead and Asking Alexandria — November–December 2011)[28]
===2012–2013===
*UK and Ireland Tour (supported by D.R.U.G.S. — March–April 2012)[79][80][81]
*European Summer Tour (supporting Slash and Mötley Crüe — June 2012) Black Veil Brides cancelled the last week of the European Summer Tour dates due to the death of Biersack's grandfather.[35][82][83][83]
*The Church of the Wild Ones Tour: first leg (supported by William Control — January 2013)[84][85][86][87]
*Kerrang! Tour (with Chiodos, Tonight Alive, and Fearless Vampire Killers — February 2013)[88][89][90][91]
*The Church of the Wild Ones Tour: second leg (supported by William Control — February–March 2013)[84]
*The Church of the Wild Ones Tour: third/European leg (supported by Heaven's Basement — April 2013)[92][93][94]
*Warped Tour (June–August 2013)[47]
*HardDrive Live presents: Monster Energy Outbreak Tour (supporting Bullet for My Valentine with Stars in Stereo and Throw the Fight — September–November 2013)[95][96][97][98][99]
==Background information==
===Lyrics and message===
Black Veil Brides' lyrics have dealt with topics aimed at people who feel like outcasts in society. Their bass player, Ashley, said this in an interview about the message the band sends to its listeners:
	We carry a message of believing in yourself and letting no one tell you otherwise. We stand up for the underdog and the disenfranchised. Anything strange, odd, or unique… we embrace that. So basically standing up for yourself; have fun and live your life how you choose. You only have one life, make the most of it.[100]	
===Band name===
Purdy also explains the meaning of the band name "Black Veil Brides":
	Black Veil Brides is a Roman Catholic term used for when a woman marries into the church and gives up all the pleasures of life to devote her life to God. She is then deemed a Black Veil Bride. Sorta similar to a rock band where you have to give up many things in pursuit of what you're passionate about or believe in. It also has the dichotomy of the positive and negative. The happiest time in one's life, could be getting married. And the opposite of that in one's life would be at a funeral of a loved one. It all tends to fit really well for a dark and heavy rock band.[100]	
==Musical influences and style==
Black Veil Brides' music has been described by critics as shock rock,[101] glam metal,[4][102][103] hard rock,[103] and metalcore.[104][4]
The band's influences include: Kiss, Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Mötley Crüe,[105] Poison, AFI, W.A.S.P., L.A. Guns, Aerosmith, Misfits, The Dead Boys, The Damned, Dropkick Murphys, David Bowie, Queen,[106] Twisted Sister, Def Leppard, Skid Row, Social Distortion, Rise Against,[107] Billy Idol, Alice Cooper, and Hot Water Music,[105][105][108][109][110] In an interview Christian Coma cited his greatest musical influences as Pendulum, Deadmau5, As I Lay Dying,In Flames, and Rise Against.[107]
===Evolution of style===
	
Black Veil Brides' style has constantly been changing ever since the group was formed in 2006. When they debuted with Sex & Hollywood, they had a classic hard rock sound. The addition of guitarist Jake Pitts led to guitar solos on almost every track. Their first album We Stitch These Wounds was where the band was described as primarily metalcore.[104]With the release of Set the World on Fire, their appearance changed to resemble that of glam metal/shock rock bands like Kiss and Mötley Crüe, while their sound dropped the smooth singing and harsh screams in exchange for clean, but gruff "James Hetfield" style vocals.[4][111][112][113][113][114][115][116][117] They followed this musical style all the way up to their most current release, Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones. The classical influence of Jinxx (rhythm guitar, violin, cello, and piano) is much more pronounced on Wretched and Divine, with many symphonic additions and the band's first instrumental track, titled "Overture," featuring violins played by Jinxx.[118][119][120][121] The band self-identifies as simply rock 'n' roll.[52]
==Band members==
Black Veil Brides was founded in 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio with members Andy Biersack, Johnny Herold, Nate Shipp, Chris Riesenberg, and Phil Cenedella. They went through various member changes, (at the time of the release of theKnives and Pens music video they only had three members: Biersack, Sandra Alvarenga, and Chris "Hollywood" Bluser), recorded We Stitch These Wounds with Biersack, Jake Pitts, Ashley Purdy, Jinxx, and Alvarenga in 2010, and came to their current lineup when Sandra left Black Veil Brides to join the band Modern Day Escape and they put Christian Coma in her place. Andy is the only founding member remaining.[100]
;Current members
*Andy Biersack – bass (early), lead vocals, keyboards (2006–present)[122]
*Ashley Purdy – bass, backing vocals (2009–present)[122][123]
*Jeremy "Jinxx" Ferguson – rhythm guitar, violin, backing vocals (2009–present)[122]
*Jake Pitts – lead guitar (2010–present)[122][124]
*Christian "CC" Coma – drums, percussion (2010–present)[122]	
;Past members
*Johnny Herold – lead guitar (2006–2008)
*Nate Shipp – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2006–2008)
*Phil "Catalyst" Cenedella – bass, backing vocals (2006–2008)
*Chris "Craven" Riesenberg – drums, percussion (2006–2008)
*Chris "Hollywood" Bluser – lead guitar, backing vocals (2008–2009)
*Sandra Alvarenga – drums, percussion (2008–2010)
*David "Pan" Burton – rhythm guitar (2009–2010)