Met with mixed reviews
Brendon Urie, professionally known as Panic! At The Disco, has released his latest studio album Viva Las Vengeance. This is his first full-length project since 2018, and his dedicated fanbase has been eagerly anticipating this album. However, between strange lyrics and seemingly strained vocals, the album wasn’t very well received by fans. Twelve tracks of heavily produced stadium rock, this album seems to be lacking both the passion and the skills present in previous Panic! At The Disco albums to strike a chord with audiences.
Kicking off with the title track, “Viva Las Vengeance” features Brendon’s signature high belt on the chorus. Feeling very Death Of A Bachelor-esque, it is full of harmonious background vocals and instrumental breaks. Yet, the repetition makes it fairly uninteresting to listen to and not very engaging for audiences. It’s not necessarily a weak start to the record, but definitely not the strongest.
The second track, “Middle Of A Breakup,” is easily the album’s weakest. To have this song so early on the tracklist was an interesting decision, as it is definitely a bit jarring. The lyrics are dramatic to the point where it feels embarrassing to listen to (“Keep your disco/Gimme T-Rex”), and the vocals and production are not enough to save it. Accompanied by a Grease-inspired music video, the Broadway influences are palpable, but don’t necessarily land. Not all song lyrics have to be deeply meaningful, but the lyrics in this song just feel like they used a random word generator. It’s bizarre and off-putting, and definitely leaves a weird taste in your mouth for the rest of the album.
The rest of the track list is definitely better, with the ’80s sounding “Local God” standing out as one of the best tracks. With a predictable chorus, the song sounds repetitive in more of a nostalgic way. This makes it still engaging to listen to. Urie’s vocals are strongest on this track, and the instrumental featuring the gospel background vocals creates an interesting sonic environment. “Local God” is definitely a highlight of this album and placed well on the tracklist.
“God Killed Rock And Roll” starts off with an acapella section, feeling a bit Queen-inspired. This track is definitely the most interesting, with starkly different sections that weave into each other relatively seamlessly. This is also one of the longer tracks on the album, sitting at just over 4 minutes. Especially with the acapella section at the start, this track does a great job of showcasing Urie’s vocal abilities.
Ultimately, Viva Las Vengeance sounds like a jukebox that sits between stadium rock and Broadway soundtracks. Urie’s vocals and musical style are evolving as all musicians do, and it’s an interesting process to watch. While this album seemed to have fallen flat in certain areas, it was met with fairly good reviews from critics and press, which bodes well for Urie and his future endeavors. Though this album seems to not be the fan favorite, it is still successful, and fans are still flocking in masses to catch Panic! At The Disco on tour.
Leave a Comment