A Flair For the Dramatic

Pierce the Veil’s pop-driven debut is a radical reboot for post-hardcore. Talk about a flair for the dramatic: Each and every song is a high-energy, lovesick, angst-ridden teenage soap opera shot through with Vic Fuentes’ piercing tenor. “Chemical Kids and Mechanical Brides” sets the stage with symphonic ornamentation that’s downright Queen-like in its saccharine richness. They follow that up with the equally potent “Currents Convulsive,” which rips through pop-punk, funk, and even hair-metal hot licks. For closer “Wonderless,” the group whip up an intense weeper drenched in Hollywood’s tragic glamour.