Black Veil Brides - The Mourning (2022)^{Release ID: 43660}

I was planning on ending my Black Veil Brides album reviewing journey on The Phantom Tomorrow without doing any of the EPs. But then I remembered The Mourning EP and how amazing it is. In this EP, the alt-metal path the band has been taking ends up cutting into classic heavy metal with, thankfully, none of the glam sh*t of Set the World on Fire. Now this is the closest they've gone to the perfect glory of their metalcore debut!

The Mourning came out just a year after The Phantom Tomorrow. Both that album and this EP were written in the band's darkest times, with the 2019 departure of longtime bassist Ashley Purdy, followed shortly by COVID. Produced by Erik Ron, best known for his work with Godsmack and Bush, The Mourning is truly a heartful piece to behold.

Kicking things off is "Devil", that clearly shows the band taking out their COVID-fueled frustration to make something heavy. Up next is "Savior II", the sequel track to one of the only enjoyable tracks in Set the World on Fire. Even then, I love this sequel track much more, and I've never heard anything else from this band as beautiful as that. Then we have the powerful "The Revival". After that, "Better Angels" closes the EP with the band staying true to what they are.

I sense a lot of pride this band here. Even with just 4 tracks, what more can you ask for?! Perhaps this EP and Bleeders can be great early hints at an upcoming album. I also hope they would bring back some of the metalcore from their debut as well. If this really is the start of a brand-new promising era, bring it on!

Favorites: "Savior II", "Better Angels"