Black Veil Brides Frontman Andy Black Flies Solo On Debut 'The Shadow Side' 

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Black Veil Brides Frontman Andy Black Flies Solo On Debut \'The Shadow Side\'

Who is Andy Black? Andy Black is actually Andy Biersack, the frontman of rock band The Black Veil Brides. On his debut album credited as Andy Black,

, Biersack manages to fuse rock, pop, and alternative styles atop slick production work and lyrics with a dark tilt. Of course, lyrically it’s dark – Hey, it’s not called

“Homecoming King” opens enigmatically, characterized by arpeggiated synths and minor key. After the instrumental introduction, initially, Black sings in his lower register vocals that are poised, almost stoic in sentiment. The script flips, with Black’s vocals growing more nuanced, present, and driving the “f*ck the homecoming king” sentiment that extends beyond the signature lyric. “Homecoming King” starts subtly, but erupts into an energetic, epic force.  

for good reason. Black goes “for the kill” early on with this adrenaline-filled rock cut. Black’s voice packs a punch given its timbre, proving to be a wonderful marriage with the souped-up, driving production work. Maybe “we don’t

have to dance,” much like the social anxieties Black speaks of throughout the song lyrically, but the infectiousness of this record is enough to coerce those feet to move.

On “Ribcage,” Black asserts that he has “Nothing in the cage of my ribcage / got no heart to break, like it that way…/ emptiness is safe, keep it that way.” Open-ended, “Ribcage” seems applicable lyrically to a number of life situations, something that Black states when describing the song. Follow-up “Stay Alive” (featuring Matt Skiba) is more enthusiastic, as Black speaks of the full scope of life: “Stay alive for the good times / stay alive for the bad.” In a major key, even though “Stay Alive” is bittersweet, Black embraces survival and convinces listeners to do the same. 

Keeping up with his realistic, honest views, “Love Was Made To Break” finds Black depicting the death of love. The

on “Beautiful Pain,” something of a companion piece to “Love Was Made To Break.” Black continues to eulogize the end of love whether its “When I let go of a heartache, when I let go of your heart” or “I pray that you’re happy now, and never looking back / rest with the angels now and heaven’s gates you left.”

Black begins singing “Put The Gun Down” in an undertone, contrasting on the chorus and subsequent verse. Truly ‘black’ like many of the songs, there’s reassurance in the titular line despite Black’s feeling. On “Drown Me Out,” Black shows resolve, enthusiastically asserting “Let the damn walls break down,” continuing, “ Nothing’s gonna drown me out / from the top of the world to the bottom of the ocean.” Neither track is innovative or brand new, but neither is bad either.

“Paint It Black” is straightforward, but it also ranks among the better moments. Catchy and emotionally driven, it dabbles in the evergreen topic of relationships. “Break Your Halo” is poetic and oxymoronic. Black characterizes the lady as ‘angelic’ given her halo, but proclaims “I’ll break your halo / I’m the only hope you’ve got to see the light.” So what does he mean? Since he’s spent much of the album discussing flaws, he suggests being with him and seeing his flaws for herself will allow her to see his devilishness.

, “Louder Than Your Love” is enthusiastic and rollicking, but certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel. “Broken Piece” has good intentions musically, but doesn’t necessarily pack a knockout punch. “The Void” closes in anthemic fashion, with Andy Black proclaiming “I’ll march on and on and on and on without you” without one iota of reservation.

So how does Andy Black do when it’s all said and done on

? It’s an enjoyable album with plenty of respectable moments. It’s imperfect and some tracks are generally less interesting than say the crème de la crème, but there’s plenty to praise about this album. 

: “Homecoming King,” “We Don’t Have To Dance,” “Paint It Black” and “The Void”

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