# Vindicate
**Vindicate** is the seventh studio album by the American rock band [Black Veil Brides](https://www.edgepedia.org/black-veil-brides), released on May 8, 2026 through Spinefarm Records. It is the band's first album in nearly five years, following 2021's *The Phantom Tomorrow*, and the first Black Veil Brides record produced entirely in-house, by frontman [Andy Biersack](https://www.edgepedia.org/andy-biersack) and lead guitarist Jake Pitts[1](https://www.crucialrhythm.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-review) • [2](https://519magazine.ca/2026/05/07/andy-biersack-built-the-next-era-of-black-veil-brides-on-a-word-his-dad-wrote-inside-his-hockey-pads/). The album's stated themes are revenge and resilience, delivered through a heavier, more aggressive sound than its predecessor, with orchestral arrangements, a gospel choir, and guest appearances from Machine Head's Robb Flynn and Lilith Czar[3](https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/vindicate) • [4](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1731383-black-veil-brides-vindicate.php).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist / album | Black Veil Brides, *Vindicate*, seventh studio album[1](https://www.crucialrhythm.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-review) |
| Release | May 8, 2026, Spinefarm Records; 14 tracks, 45:34[5](https://music.apple.com/us/album/vindicate/1879494510) • [6](https://www.metalhammer.it/recensioni/2026/06/08/black-veil-brides-vindicate/) |
| Production | Self-produced by Andy Biersack and Jake Pitts; first fully in-house BVB record; mixed by Zakk Cervini[2](https://519magazine.ca/2026/05/07/andy-biersack-built-the-next-era-of-black-veil-brides-on-a-word-his-dad-wrote-inside-his-hockey-pads/) • [7](https://frontofthestage.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-review-revenge-has-never-sounded-this-heavy/) |
| Genres | Alternative metal, melodic metalcore, groove metal, metalcore[4](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1731383-black-veil-brides-vindicate.php) |
| Guest appearances | Robb Flynn of Machine Head on "Revenger"; Lilith Czar on "Cut"[3](https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/vindicate) |
| Themes | Revenge and resilience; Kerrang! reads the over-arching motifs as absolution and validation[3](https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/vindicate) • [8](https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-black-veil-brides-vindicate) |
| Reception | Critic score 71 based on 4 reviews; user score 68 based on 241 ratings (Album of The Year)[4](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1731383-black-veil-brides-vindicate.php) |
## Background
Black Veil Brides, led by frontman Andy Biersack, came out of [Cincinnati](https://www.edgepedia.org/cincinnati) with a theatrical, goth-influenced take on metalcore and hard rock, and the band spent years weathering hostility from metal gatekeepers over its image[9](https://laut.de/Black-Veil-Brides/Alben/Vindicate-126947) • [10](https://fullpeltmusic.com/2026/05/black-veil-brides-vindicate-album-review/). *Vindicate* arrived nearly five years after *The Phantom Tomorrow* (2021), the band's rock opera, which had reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums chart[3](https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/vindicate).
The album's title has a personal origin. Biersack has told interviewers that his father wrote the word "vindicate" inside his hockey pads, and that the record was built around that word[2](https://519magazine.ca/2026/05/07/andy-biersack-built-the-next-era-of-black-veil-brides-on-a-word-his-dad-wrote-inside-his-hockey-pads/). As early as 2024 he told Kerrang! that he wanted the seventh album to feature interlocking themes, tinged with the vaudeville and horror echoes that run through the band's catalog[8](https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-black-veil-brides-vindicate).
## Singles and rollout
Five of the album's tracks were released as singles in advance, making up close to half of the 45-minute record[11](https://www.soundfurymagazine.com/musicreviews/vindicate-is-a-solid-new-offering-from-black-veil-brides). "Bleeders" first appeared with a [Sweeney Todd](https://www.edgepedia.org/sweeney-todd)-inspired video more than two years before the album, on the chart-topping 2024 EP of the same name[8](https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-black-veil-brides-vindicate) • [12](https://newnoisemagazine.com/reviews/album-review-black-veil-brides-vindicate/). "Hallelujah" followed in 2025, then "Certainty", "Vindicate", and "Revenger" in 2026[13](https://metalontap.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-album-review/). "Certainty", which draws on the film *Conclave*, was singled out by critics as one of the record's thematic centerpieces, turning questions of blind faith and certainty into a melodic metal anthem[1](https://www.crucialrhythm.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-review).
The title track leans hard on early 2000s metalcore, with propulsive riffs and massive hooks rather than the radio-friendly sleekness of more recent releases[14](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/live-performances/best-new-metal-songs-ice-nine-kills-blue-medusa-neurosis).
## Music and lyrics
The album opens with "Invocation To The Muse", a two-minute church-organ instrumental that turns into spoken word, a paean to vengeance that segues into the title track[9](https://laut.de/Black-Veil-Brides/Alben/Vindicate-126947) • [12](https://newnoisemagazine.com/reviews/album-review-black-veil-brides-vindicate/). Apple Music describes "Vindicate" itself as Andy Biersack delivering a Broadway-style chorus over detuned nu metal, kicked off by an incongruous calliope[5](https://music.apple.com/us/album/vindicate/1879494510); reviewers note a carnival-like accordion melody, harsh-versus-clean vocal interplay, and a short dual guitar solo from Pitts and Jinxx[13](https://metalontap.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-album-review/).
**Guests and highlights.** "Revenger", featuring Robb Flynn of [Machine Head](https://www.edgepedia.org/machine-head-band), is built on a slick groove-metal riff and is described by Blabbermouth as the album's most brutal track, with death metal growls and heavy guitars; it follows a self-appointed avenger convinced that payback equals justice[3](https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/vindicate). "Cut", a duet with Biersack's wife Lilith Czar, is one of the more melodic and mainstream songs on the set[3](https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/vindicate) • [9](https://laut.de/Black-Veil-Brides/Alben/Vindicate-126947). Later, "Sorrow" is a straight-ahead hard rock song with a post-grunge feel, while "Ave Maria" drew particular praise from Kerrang! as one of the most immediately enjoyable songs the band has recorded[3](https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/vindicate) • [8](https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-black-veil-brides-vindicate).
**Structure and atmosphere.** Two wordless interludes, "Purgatory" and "Grace", use delicate string instruments to provide breathing room between the heavier tracks[15](https://www.metal-hammer.de/reviews/black-veil-brides-vindicate/). The album closes with "Woe & Pain" and the piano-and-strings coda "Eschaton", a piece under two minutes long that Biersack has explained as being about the foolishness of revenge and how lonely it can be[16](https://whoissamlewis.blogspot.com/2026/06/black-veil-brides-vindicate-album-review.html) • [2](https://519magazine.ca/2026/05/07/andy-biersack-built-the-next-era-of-black-veil-brides-on-a-word-his-dad-wrote-inside-his-hockey-pads/). Lyrically, much of the record revolves around the dangers of ideological certainty, revenge, religious symbolism, and emotional isolation[1](https://www.crucialrhythm.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-review). Biersack's vocals across the album alternate between harsh screams, which reviewers compare to the band's 2010 debut era on *We Stitch These Wounds*, and theatrical clean singing[15](https://www.metal-hammer.de/reviews/black-veil-brides-vindicate/).
## Production
*Vindicate* was produced in-house by Biersack and Pitts, the first Black Veil Brides record the band controlled end to end[2](https://519magazine.ca/2026/05/07/andy-biersack-built-the-next-era-of-black-veil-brides-on-a-word-his-dad-wrote-inside-his-hockey-pads/). Zakk Cervini handled the mix, which reviewers describe as dense but controlled, with guitars forward in the mix without burying the vocals[7](https://frontofthestage.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-review-revenge-has-never-sounded-this-heavy/). The full album credits also list Andy Black, Erik Ron, Jeff Dunne, and others among the producers and writers[4](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1731383-black-veil-brides-vindicate.php).
The performing lineup is Andy Biersack on vocals, Jake Pitts on guitars, Jinxx on rhythm guitar, violin, and backing vocals, Lonny Eagleton on bass, and Christian "CC" Coma on drums[6](https://www.metalhammer.it/recensioni/2026/06/08/black-veil-brides-vindicate/).
## Reception
Professional reception was generally favorable. Album of The Year aggregates a critic score of 71 from four reviews and a user score of 68 from 241 ratings[4](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1731383-black-veil-brides-vindicate.php). Kerrang! awarded 4/5, calling it a fine, plainly connected set of songs and noting the band had never sounded better in its 17 years[8](https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-black-veil-brides-vindicate). Blabbermouth gave 8.5/10, describing a harsher, more aggressive sound than *The Phantom Tomorrow*[3](https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/vindicate). Metal Hammer Germany scored it 5.5/7 and found the band brimming with energy, building its modern melodic sound on dirty screams from its early period[15](https://www.metal-hammer.de/reviews/black-veil-brides-vindicate/). Metal Hammer Italy rated it 85/100[6](https://www.metalhammer.it/recensioni/2026/06/08/black-veil-brides-vindicate/). German outlet laut.de praised the music but found Biersack's clean vocals lacking in expression, particularly on the balladic passages of "Cut"[9](https://laut.de/Black-Veil-Brides/Alben/Vindicate-126947).
**Criticisms.** Reviewers point to weaknesses alongside the strengths. At 14 tracks, some critics find the emotional palette stretched thin, with a few songs circling the same big-stakes mood[17](https://metal-mantra.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-review/). A user review on Album of The Year criticizes maladjustment between sound and voice, dull songwriting, and repetitive structures that make tracks amalgamate when the album is heard in one sitting[18](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/minghas/album/1731383-vindicate/).
## Live and legacy
The album dominated Black Veil Brides' main-stage set at Sonic Temple 2026, where Biersack introduced "Revenger" by acknowledging the criticism the band has received: "A lot of people used to talk shit about us. So we wrote this one for them"[19](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/music-festivals/german-thrash-metal-british-metalcore-and-american-nu-metal-all-the-best-bits-from-sonic-temple-2026-day-3). The band toured North America through May 2026 and returned to the [Download Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/download-festival) stage in June[20](https://www.loudersound.com/news/black-veil-brides-andy-biersack-defends-yungblud-rock-metal-saviour-2026).
A Bonus Track Edition adds "Death of Seasons", bringing the release to 15 songs and 49 minutes[21](https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0GXW9699F).
## References
1. [Album Review: Black Veil Brides - Vindicate, Crucial Rhythm](https://www.crucialrhythm.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-review)
2. [Andy Biersack Built the Next Era of Black Veil Brides on a Word His Dad Wrote Inside His Hockey Pads, 519 Magazine](https://519magazine.ca/2026/05/07/andy-biersack-built-the-next-era-of-black-veil-brides-on-a-word-his-dad-wrote-inside-his-hockey-pads/)
3. [Reviews - Vindicate, BLABBERMOUTH.NET](https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/vindicate)
4. [Black Veil Brides - Vindicate, Album of The Year](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1731383-black-veil-brides-vindicate.php)
5. [VINDICATE - Album by Black Veil Brides, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/vindicate/1879494510)
6. [Black Veil Brides – Vindicate, Metal Hammer Italia](https://www.metalhammer.it/recensioni/2026/06/08/black-veil-brides-vindicate/)
7. [Black Veil Brides Vindicate Review: Revenge Has Never Sounded This Heavy, Front of the Stage](https://frontofthestage.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-review-revenge-has-never-sounded-this-heavy/)
8. [Album review: Black Veil Brides – Vindicate, Kerrang!](https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-black-veil-brides-vindicate)
9. ["Vindicate" von Black Veil Brides, laut.de](https://laut.de/Black-Veil-Brides/Alben/Vindicate-126947)
10. [Black Veil Brides - Vindicate - Full Pelt Music](https://fullpeltmusic.com/2026/05/black-veil-brides-vindicate-album-review/)
11. ['Vindicate' Is A Solid New Offering From BLACK VEIL BRIDES, Sound Fury Magazine](https://www.soundfurymagazine.com/musicreviews/vindicate-is-a-solid-new-offering-from-black-veil-brides)
12. [Album Review: Black Veil Brides - Vindicate, New Noise Magazine](https://newnoisemagazine.com/reviews/album-review-black-veil-brides-vindicate/)
13. [BLACK VEIL BRIDES Vindicate Review: A Darker Heavier Evolution That Hits Hard, Metal on Tap](https://metalontap.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-album-review/)
14. [The 12 best new metal songs you need to hear this week, LouderSound](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/live-performances/best-new-metal-songs-ice-nine-kills-blue-medusa-neurosis)
15. [Kritik zu Black Veil Brides VINDICATE, Metal Hammer Deutschland](https://www.metal-hammer.de/reviews/black-veil-brides-vindicate/)
16. [Black Veil Brides' 'Vindicate' - Album Review, Who Is Sam Lewis?](https://whoissamlewis.blogspot.com/2026/06/black-veil-brides-vindicate-album-review.html)
17. [Black Veil Brides 'Vindicate' Review: Revenge, Resilience and Big Hooks, Metal Mantra](https://metal-mantra.com/black-veil-brides-vindicate-review/)
18. [Black Veil Brides - Vindicate review by Minghas, Album of The Year](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/minghas/album/1731383-vindicate/)
19. [German thrash metal, British metalcore and American nu metal: all the best bits from Sonic Temple 2026 day 3, LouderSound](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/music-festivals/german-thrash-metal-british-metalcore-and-american-nu-metal-all-the-best-bits-from-sonic-temple-2026-day-3)
20. [Black Veil Brides' Andy Biersack on Yungblud and rock's "saviour", LouderSound](https://www.loudersound.com/news/black-veil-brides-andy-biersack-defends-yungblud-rock-metal-saviour-2026)
21. [Play VINDICATE by Black Veil Brides, Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0GXW9699F)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Studio albums › Metal and hardcore albums › Traditional heavy and thrash metal albums › Traditional heavy metal albums › 1990s and later traditional metal albums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license