If you ever listened to BVB regularly, you went through an emo phase just like I did. You’re probably familiar with hit songs such as “Knives and Pens” or “In the End.” Both songs are very upbeat with loud electric guitars and hard drums. In fact, it’s not just those songs that have the awesome instrumentals. There’s also songs like “Wake Up,” “Lost it All” and “Rebel Love Song.” The lyrics to every song are like beautiful poetry but screamed with emotion by Biersack who is one the best singers of all time. The band is well known for releasing songs for teens who feel they are outcasts and helping them to relate with personal situations, such as being bullied. These scenarios are ones that the band went through when they were younger, and this is what led to the creation of BVB.

    BVB was formed in 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The original members were Biersack, Ashley Purdy, Christian “CC” Coma, Jake Pitts and Jeremy “Jinxx” Ferguson. Their first album, We Stitch These Wounds was released in 2010. This is where the classic song “Knives and Pens” originates along with many other good ones, like “Perfect Weapon,” that have the same metalcore and glam metal sound. They would then go on to release albums like Set The World on Fire, Wretched and Divine, Vale and many more, but I feel none of these songs would’ve been possible without the amazing work of Biersack. 

    Biersack went by two names throughout his career. He was first known as Andy Sixx, after the infamous Nicki Sixx of Motley Crue. This era of Biersack was during the release of We Stitch These Wounds and Set the World on Fire. His style of big hair similar to the 80s and heavy makeup had set the tone for debut BVB. His second persona was Andy Black which is the name he still currently goes by. This is the name that he puts his solo music under which consists of extended plays such as The Shadow Side and The Ghost of Ohio. Biersack released The Shadow Side not long before one of my favorite albums, Vale. 

    Vale is an album I highly recommend. It has so many great songs on it, and a lot of it is music I can relate with. My favorite song is “Wake Up.” As the third track of the album, it talks about modern-day politics, and how the media’s lies are too easy to believe. The music video shows Biersack being referred to as “The Prophet.” He was arrested for going against the beliefs of the government and trying to tell everyone to “wake up” because they were being controlled. I feel that this song and video is a perfect metaphor for our modern world and how going along with the popular opinion is easy to do, and how the media can manipulate you into believing false statements.

    However, “Wake Up” is not the only great song on Vale. Another favorite of mine is “The Last One.” This is the second track and the first Vale song I have ever listened to. If I were to recommend a BVB song that perfectly fits who they are, I would recommend this one. It starts with a dramatic piano before aggressively shifting into heavy electric guitars. My interpretation of the meaning of this song is that BVB didn’t succeed in the beginning, and they always make many attempts at making their music perfect. This song is meant to show that this is the last attempt at writing music that would sound good to them and others, and it came out epic. BVB has always managed to make their music exceptional, but they have had many other events happen to them that are worth noting.

     With fame, comes controversy. One of the most metionable things that has happened in BVB’s existence is the controversy surrounding the ex-bassist, Ashely Purdy. Purdy left BVB in late 2019 after undergoing therapy in a mental hospital. According to an interview he did with Loudwire, Purdy claims that the band wanted him to leave, but he still owns half of the band. Not long after his departure, allegations of abuse began to arise. 

According to Loudwire writer Philip Trapp, a woman by the name of Pearl Caroline admitted to having been abused by Purdy. Not long after, many other accusations have begun to arise from many different people. BVB responded to these accusations by stating that they do not condone abuse in any way. However, Purdy has said that the allegations are false and had a few friends give witness testimonies. Whatever the case maybe, I hope that if the accusations are true, justice is soon served. If they aren’t true, I hope those women face some karma. In other news, Purdy has since been replaced by Lonny Eagleton who was a part of Biersack’s solo band, allowing BVB to still make music without any change to their sound.

     BVB has always been there for me when there were times that I had no one. Their music has helped me through a lot of negative issues that have been going on since I was in middle school. It has helped me to feel less alone, especially since I can relate with most of it. You should listen to BVB because I believe they can help many other people who are going through tough times. Even if you aren’t “emo,” it’s still a good idea to give other musicians and bands a try. If you do decide to listen to them, make sure you look forward to BVB’s new music coming soon, because they already have six new songs written for a new album.