Pierce The Veil

Pierce The Veil

Pierce The Veil is a post-hardcore band from San Diego, United States, active since 2006. The group forms after the disbandment of Before Today, when brothers Mike Fuentes and Vic Fuentes continue writing together and develop enough material for a new album. They record their first full-length release independently while still backed by Equal Vision Records, working in Seattle, Washington with producer Casey Bates.

Formation and line-up

The band takes its name from a song called “Pierce the Veil” on Before Today’s album A Celebration of an Ending. After the name change, Tony Perry joins on lead guitar and Jaime Preciado joins on bass. The group’s listed members are MikeyWhiskeyHands, Vic Fuentes, Tony Perry and Jaime Preciado.

Releases and recordings

Pierce The Veil’s debut album, A Flair for the Dramatic, is released in 2007. It is followed by Selfish Machines in 2010, which reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. The band also appears on compilation releases, contributing a cover of Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” to Punk Goes Classic Rock and a version of Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are” to Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 4.

In 2012, the band signs with Fearless Records and releases Collide with the Sky. “King for a Day” features Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens, and “Bulls in the Bronx” follows as another single from the album. The band later releases “The Divine Zero” in 2015 ahead of its fourth studio album, Misadventures, which appears in 2016 and is produced by Dan Korneff. Its fifth studio album, The Jaws of Life, is released in 2023 and includes “Pass The Nirvana” and “Emergency Contact”.

Touring and live work

Following A Flair for the Dramatic, Pierce The Veil tours extensively, including a date on the Vans Warped Tour in 2007 and the full tour in 2008. Their first headlining run, The Delicious Tour, takes place in 2008 with Breathe Carolina, Four Letter Lie and Emarosa, and they later finish the cycle with the Taste of Chaos 2009 tour. They also play festivals and tours in support of Selfish Machines, including Bamboozle Left, South by Southwest, Never Say Never Festival and Vans Warped Tour.

For Collide with the Sky, the band appears on Vans Warped Tour’s main stage and is regularly joined by Kellin Quinn for “King for a Day”. They then tour the UK for the first time as a headliner, with most dates sold out, and follow that with a US headlining run called The Collide with the Sky tour.

Recognition

The band is placed at No. 33 in Rock Sound magazine’s best albums of 2012 list and wins nine categories in Alternative Press’s 2012 reader poll, including Best Live Band of the Year, Album of the Year and Artist of the Year.

Style

Pierce The Veil is associated with post-hardcore, emo, emocore and experimental rock, and is also described through genres including easycore, melodic hardcore, pop screamo and rock.