8 Years Of Misadventures (PTV): An Album Review

May 13th, Happy Birthday Misadventures!!! When I remembered this album’s birthday was coming up, I got unbelievably excited because I’ve been looking for excuses to talk about it for so long. In honor of the summer coming up as well, let’s go through the 4th PTV album! 

“I know it isn’t safe here, you did this to yourself but have no fear” -Dive In

A perfect opening track. Everything about it is amazing. It’s the best possible summary of everything that Pierce The Veil does good as a band, immediately setting the tone for the rest of the album as well. Discussing a man stuck in an abusive relationship with his girlfriend, Dive In tackles the ability to break free and establish your own sense of independence and self-worth in a strong, powerful way. Nobody else has any right to hold you back or define who you are. The lyrics are very well thought out, especially in Verse 2, which provides such a chaotic visual of someone just trying to get out. The tension during the last verse is also worth noting, as it’s followed up by an instrumental that symbolizes a sense of calmness and freedom at last.  

“So take a deep breath and chase them with mine, your Southern hospitality won’t mind.” -Texas Is Forever

Nobody ever talks about this one and that makes me sad, I love everything about this song. As the fastest track on their discography, the speed is very noticeable and definitely the best part. The lyricism is also really complex, it makes me think about Texas, even though I’ve literally never been and it only has one line about the state 💀 The heavier vocals on the bridge are such a great addition and fit perfectly. It’s so much fun to listen to when you have a lot of energy or are in need of some, especially while in the car (Just not when you’re the one driving YIKES). The band describes it as a “song that begs to be played live”, which they’re still yet to make a reality more often than not. I hope that day comes once again more than anything, this track is such an underrated masterpiece. 

“A million waves in the ocean crash at once to make you smile” -The Divine Zero

I admittedly didn’t listen to this song very often until my friend frantically pointed it out to me. I gave it a few more listens and yeah, it’s extremely good. I can see why it was chosen to be one of the singles, as it definitely stands out. Being the song present for relatability and to let people know that they aren’t alone, I completely understand why it’s considered one of the best tracks on this album. It doesn’t attempt to hide its meaning and speaks directly to those struggling with suicidal ideation and substance abuse with a genuine sense of understanding. The chorus is extremely good with its lyricism and the energy and vocals don’t disappoint in the slightest. This track being personal to Vic also enhances the experience a lot, as you can tell he put his entire heart into it.

“Just wanna be alone and watch as you all just disappear.” -Floral And Fading

Before The Jaws Of Life was released, this was THE Pierce The Veil song that actually tackled the topic of genuine love without a massively tragic backstory. This song discusses an incident that occurred in regards to the fanbase making cruel statements about Vic’s wife. Upon finding out, Vic was devastated and wrote this piece for her to reassure her of his love. It has a very upbeat tone and you can visualize it  overflowing with admiration. With Misadventures onwards, you can really see Vic starting to become content with his life, meeting all the people he loves and reflecting on difficult times from the past for closure. I like to see this song for what it is and it makes me very happy to see him finally find a sense of happiness after everything he’s been through. 

“I won’t pay for sanity ‘cuz I don’t want to know, some things are better left alone it seems.” -Phantom Power and Ludicrous Speed

(Discussions of self-destruction/injury) Victor Vincent Fuentes was not fucking around with this one. I’ve had an identical breakdown to the one described here before, so this track is extremely close to me. The consequences of severe depression and isolation are real and they will come back around to absolutely obliterate you if you hide away for too long. Combine that with pressure and a need for perfection and you’ll slowly burn out, end up stressed and destructive to the point of physical illness and end up working yourself to near death. Not enough people speak about this song or seem to acknowledge the meaning, which is honestly really shocking to me. Before this, I’d never seen anyone discuss the death by burnout situation and having my favorite band be the one to do it completely broke me down. The flame and saw blade representing the song on the album cover is also a detail that I find to be extremely powerful, as well as the potential connection to The Divine Zero due to the double couch mention and lyric art that Vic made, showcasing the blade and bottles over and on said couch. It’s intense, disturbing and brutal with its lyricism, especially at the very end, yet it’s very realistic and hits extremely hard. 

“Paper hearts turned ash begin to fly over our heads, I begin screaming while the exit signs read “Heaven’s waiting!!!” -Circles 

Once again, the band successfully delivers another memorial track that evokes a lot of emotion. Despite having a very upbeat tone, it discusses the Paris Terror Attacks through the lens of a fictional couple, who fall victim to the bullets hand in hand.  I definitely think having an understanding of the subject matter definitely makes this song have more of an impact because the second you become aware of what they’re talking about, the lyrics that talk about “love lasting forever” become extremely haunting. The band’s adoration for this song is also a very defining aspect of it, it’s their holy grail from this album. They treat it like one of their prized possessions, especially when it comes to playing it live. Even if they don’t discuss the other songs very often, it’s still so nice to see them still acknowledge the existence of the overall album (Fly High AFFTD I’m so sorry 🕊️)

“Today I saw the whole world, think Heaven has a plot to take my life” -Today I Saw The Whole World 

This was the first song I heard from Misadventures and I immediately fell in love. Poor Vic couldn’t catch a break with all of these women for the longest, I genuinely feel bad for him. I’ve never been cheated on a day in my life but this song slams into me like 500 tons of bricks. You can literally feel the anger seething off of it, the way it showcases the adrenaline that comes with intense rage is absolutely perfect. The lyrics hold so much resentment and pain, whereas the instrumental’s intensity compliments it perfectly. Aside from the lyrics, “so c’mon swing it back and forth just like my heart is on a pendulum tonight”, the main takeaway from this song is do NOT cheat on Vic Fuentes. Or with him. One Hundred Sleepless Nights, you will always haunt me. 

“It’s self sabotage, suffocation and stale taste of blood.” -Gold Medal Ribbon

(Discussions of grief) Ouch. That’s all I have to say about this one. Similar to Phantom Power and Ludicrous Speed, this is a song that’s very special to me for reasons that are unfortunately obvious in its context. Songs about grief are so much more important and helpful than some people think they are. The choruses of this song feel like the windiest day of fall and snowiest day of winter, sobbing your eyes out while wishing it was summer. When you lose someone you love, the fact that they once existed and no longer do can be extremely haunting, especially when you don’t remember everything about them. However, all of the time you spent together wasn’t in vain, as the memories you spent together still exist and can still be looked back upon in a positive, nostalgic connotation. There’s a sign of life in everything, even in death itself. Despite it being an emotionally painful listen, it’s a beautiful memorial and I’m so grateful that Vic put such a vulnerable piece out there to help others find solace in grief. 

“So long, let’s go and play those games you like” -Bedless

After Gold Medal Ribbon, I look like I’ve been hit by a truck every single time this intro starts playing. Pushing that aside, Bedless encapsulates the one thing it explicitly states it’s trying to avoid: regret. People come and go and looking back on the times you spent together once they’re out of your life is inevitable. This song is packed with summer imagery and encapsulates the entire season perfectly, everything about it just radiates going to the beach, taking a shower to wash off all the sand afterwards and then having a massive mental breakdown. The last 3/4ths of it is so unbelievably good, especially that bridge. Don’t even get me started on how much I adore the instrumental at the end, I’ve stood outside and spaced out to it more times than I can count and it’s felt good in a painful way every single time. 

“I can’t deny it’s getting worse, trust me it’s a blessing and a curse” -Sambuka  

This song is quite literally the equivalent to a fast, intense high, and in its context, the wonderful ups and drastic downs of long distance relationships. It nails the topic of self-awareness and the glorification of trying to cope with loss perfectly while being nothing but mass chaos. The length makes perfect sense and adds to the story so I wouldn’t have it any other way, yet my brain screams “I WANT MORE” every single time without fail. I’ve realized that a lot of people tend to judge it based on its duration alone and that’s really unfortunate. If you’re reading this, just go listen to Sambuka. It deserves the attention. 

“But it’s gone too far, your butane mouth will spit me into flames” -Song For Isabelle

This song is beautiful in every context of the word. Pierce The Veil’s ability to write songs for specific people that resonate with their entire audience is absolutely amazing. It feels so personal and gentle, really nailing the feeling of just wanting to be there for someone you care about and letting them know that you’ll never abandon or forget them, even if they distance themself or leave. This song definitely belongs in the list for the top five Pierce The Veil bridges, the lyric, “But it’s gone too far, your butane mouth will spit me into flames” with the fire alarms in the background before it all comes crashing down seriously does something to me. Then  Vic screams and I ascend into the next dimension. Great!!! It’s a very visual song as well, I can imagine an entire storyline unfolding along with it. I really hope Isabelle’s still doing well and that this song was able to have a major positive impact on her life.

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And that’s everything. Out of all 5 PTV albums, Misadventures ranks as my second favorite, right behind my favorite album of all time, Selfish Machines (6/21=🎂, foreshadowing 👀). Despite its slightly different sound when compared to the first 3 albums, it still comes through and gives us some of the best songs on their discography. Happy Birthday to 11 amazing songs and one amazing album, here’s to (things much better left alone it seems) the start of the summer! (I’ll stop)