Once inexplicably dubbed “the most controversial band in the universe”, the LA goth metal types have committed yet another outrage by bolstering their bombastic, operatic glam metal with boyband-type big choruses. Thus, Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy riffs now nestle happily alongside hard-rocking, pop-punk breakdowns and a whiff of One Direction. Coupled with an industrial-sized bag of “whoa whoa”s, it’s actually possible that Vale may broaden their appeal towards otherwise well-adjusted adult members of society. However, there’s still plenty to satisfy the hardcore audience of socially disenfranchised, sullen, kohl-eyed teens. String sections, spoken narratives and hair metal twiddliness abound, wrapped up in a production job the size of a gothic castle. There are unsubtle songs about outsiders (The Outsider) and mortality (Dead Man Walking). It’s particularly hard to resist When They Call My Name, an epic tale of battling with insanity, which invites lots of fist-pumps.
