Pierce The Veil - A Flair for the Dramatic
- FaceOff - עימות חזיתי
- Jun 25
- 3 min read
On June 26, 2007, "Pierce The Veil" released their debut album, "A Flair for the Dramatic", through Equal Vision Records.
But the story of this album begins long before the first note was recorded...
It starts in San Diego, California, where brothers Vic Fuentes and Mike Fuentes began crafting music long before they had a name or a direction. The two had grown up in a musical household, Vic had studied graphic design at San Diego State, Mike was a powerhouse on drums even as a teenager, and together they formed the nucleus of what would eventually become "Before Today", a band that flirted with the boundaries of post-hardcore but never quite found its identity.
In 2006, after "Before Today" disbanded following the release of "A Celebration of an Ending", the Fuentes brothers made a choice. Instead of auditioning new lineups or starting from scratch, they doubled down, recording music on their own terms. Vic took over guitars, bass, keyboards, and all vocals while Mike handled drums and percussion. The songs they were writing were personal, volatile, and operatic. And they needed a new name to match.
"Pierce The Veil" was born from a phrase Vic had written during his college years, describing the need to "pierce the veil" of superficiality and get to the core of things. It wasn’t just a band name, it was a philosophy.
As the demos began to take shape, the duo attracted the attention of Equal Vision Records. With the help of producer Casey Bates, known for his work with "Chiodos" and "Fear Before the March of Flames", they entered the studio in Seattle and started to craft what would become "A Flair for the Dramatic". But the album wasn’t a team effort in the traditional sense, it was Vic and Mike in a creative bunker, building every layer themselves, taking turns refining melodies, screams, beats, and breakdowns. Every moment was intensely personal.
It was only after the album’s completion that the full band lineup was solidified. Tony Perry joined as lead guitarist, bringing a clean and melodic playing style that would complement Vic’s chaotic energy in future records. Jaime Preciado, a friend from the local scene and former bassist of Trigger My Nightmare, brought groove and charisma to the rhythm section. Though neither contributed to the recording of this debut, their arrival solidified Pierce The Veil as a full-fledged live band and completed the circle.
The chaos begins with "Chemical Kids and Mechanical Brides", a tight, emotionally wired burst of heartbreak and fury. Vic’s vocals climb the walls, collapsing into themselves and then erupting again.
"Currents Convulsive" thrashes and sways like an ocean storm—Mike’s drums splashing down like thunder, while Vic draws blood from every lyric. an then comes "Yeah Boy and Doll Face" is the album’s most theatrical moment—part experimental spoken-word, part scorched-earth breakdown, stitched together with heartache and poetic rage. "Falling Asleep on a Stranger" is the sigh that follows the scream. The stripped-down arrangement pulls you inward, Vic’s voice cracking not with volume, but with pain. It’s intimate, fragile, and unforgettable.
"Drella", "I'd Rather Die Than Be Famous", and "The Balcony Scene" push into new emotional terrain—mixing punk urgency with emo confession and Latin-flavored rhythm changes. It’s not just post-hardcore. It’s a genre swirl that only made sense through the lens of the Fuentes brothers' eclectic upbringing.
The final stretch—"Diamonds and Why Men Buy Them" and "The Cheap Bouquet"—wraps the record in a dark, romantic veil. These songs are bruised and grandiose, tragic and triumphant. And when the hidden reprise of "Currents Convulsive" drifts in, you realize the drama never ends—it just fades behind the curtain.
But there's one more surprise for fans who picked up the iTunes edition of the album: a blazing cover of "Beat It" by Michael Jackson. Pierce The Veil strip away the pop polish and reimagine the song with screaming vocals, double-kick drumming, and jagged guitars. It’s not a gimmick—it’s a tribute filtered through their lens, a defiant nod to a pop icon reinterpreted by a band still defining themselves.
In 2017, to celebrate the album’s tenth anniversary, Equal Vision released a special limited edition vinyl pressing of "A Flair for the Dramatic". It came in multiple color variants—including red/black marble and clear gold—and quickly sold out. The reissue was more than nostalgic packaging; it was a reaffirmation of the album’s enduring legacy.
In retrospect, this album wasn’t meant to fit neatly into a scene. It was meant to rip through it. "A Flair for the Dramatic" is messy in the best way, ambitious, unfiltered, full of heart and risk. It introduced "Pierce The Veil" not with a whisper, but with a scream wrapped in poetry.
Fifteen years later, it still feels like a diary read out loud under stage lights.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
Comments