Exclusive: The Secrets Behind Black Veil Brides' New Album

Black Veil Brides' new abum Vale is out today. You've no doubt had it on repeat already. And you're probably wondering what the songs are about, pouring over the lyrics and trying to decipher what was going on with the band when they were writing.

Well, you're in luck, because we spoke to Andy Biersack and he shed light on everything for us. Because he's nice like that. Enjoy!


1) INCIPIENS AD FINEM/THE LAST ONE
“You have a spoken word intro then I think there’s something fun about starting the record with a song called The Last One. It’s a song I feel sets the tone for the album, both musically and lyrically in the same way I Am Bulletproof did for Wretched And Divine.” 

2) WAKE UP
“There are political and global connotations to it and to me it’s just a good rallying cry. It’s in a similar vein to Fallen Angels. It’s got that anthemic sort of quality and it’s the sort of song you can’t wait to get out and play live.”

3) WHEN THEY CALL MY NAME
“This is a song that’s really dear to me. It’s about dealing with my anxiety and having my wife helping me to do that and helping me through these scenarios. On this album I found myself writing more and more honestly and openly about different sorts of issues.”

4) THE OUTSIDER
“That song was written during the Democratic debates and hearing all these issues of personal civil liberties and gun control gave me an interesting jumping off point. It was also the first song released from the album so it was interesting to see the reaction to that.”

5) DEAD MAN WALKING (OVERTURE II)
“Dead Man Walking is the big, long 7-minute opus. It was written the day after the Presidential Election. That was a very taxing time and I was going through these issues being newly sober and all these things sort of came together into this song.”

6) OUR DESTINY
“This was supposed to be an Andy Black song. I remember playing it for Juliet in the car and she goes, ‘Oh, is that a new Black Veil Brides song?’ I sent it to Jake and Jinxx to do their thing on and it ended up one of my favourites.”

7) THE KING OF PAIN
“The title is a homage to the Alkaline Trio. There’s a Police song called King Of Pain but to me it’s a play on Alkaline Trio’s Queen Of Pain, which was the first song I ever played as Black Veil Brides on a stage in a high school battle of the bands.”

8) MY VOW
“It seems like it’s maybe a very pointed, specific and angry song but in reality it’s me talking more broadly about a personality type and people I found were surrounding me. In my drunken phase I feel there were sycophants around me and it’s about not letting them sway you.”

9) BALLAD OF THE LONELY HEARTS
“When I was younger I faced a lot of scrutiny about what I was able to do and achieve. Most of the people and bands who were awful about BVB in the early days have fallen now fallen by the wayside so this is my selfish shit-talk song to them!”

10) THROW THE FIRST STONE
“Again this is about the idea that there are people who are just not good for you. It can be hard to spot them but when you do the ball of yarn starts to unravel and you go, ‘Why was I even hanging out with those people?’”

11) VALE (THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS)
“It’s the end of the story. The story of The Wild Ones, which we established on Wretched And Divine and to me it’s the perfect book-end. It’s obviously not the intention but if it was the last song I ever made it would be a pleasing way to go out.”


Vale is available now via Lava/Republic Records. Black Veil Brides tour the UK with Asking Alexandria this month. Dates are as follows:

23: Birmingham O2 Academy
24: Manchester Academy
25: Glasgow O2 Academy
27: London O2 Academy Brixton


Interview: Paul Travers