Panic! at the Disco aka Brandon Urie is back with their 7th studio album their first since 2018 (Pray for the wicked) and their best since 2013’s “Too weird to live too rare to die”. This is what fans and critics have been waiting for- a rock band to actually come out with a rock album. The previous two albums which were good albums were not necessarily rock albums as “Death of Bachelor” was him doing his best “Frank Sinatra” impression, and “Pray for the wicked” which was more poppy than rock (despite both having some of my favorite songs in general on them).
The best thing about this album it is a rock album from start to finish as it is described as pop-rock, glam-rock, rock opera, arena rock, punk-rock and rock n roll, as you can hear elements of Queen, The Beatles, The Police, and 60’s/70’s/80s rock. He always has had odd lyrics hence one album called “Pretty Odd” as he always paints a vivid picture with his colorful lyrics even if they do not make sense in general they make sense in the songs itself. He mentions people like Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, ELO, T-Rex and his hero Frank Sinatra in his lyrics.
The opening track (the album name and one of the singles) “Viva La Vengeance” is a great way to start a rock album and to set the tone for the album by rocking out to start as it is a play on words for “Viva Las Vegas” with his usual catchy odd lyrics. The same goes for tracks “Middle of a breakup” a song about a breakup, and “Local God” talking about a local star from his hometown that never got the got attention outside of the town.
“Say it louder” is one of the more upbeat songs as it of course rocks out and keeps it going with great catchy lyrics that remind you are not alone and your appreciated; “don’t let them turn you down turn it up rock city”. “Sugar soaker” is a rock song about a woman he is comparing to his love of cars hence odd lyrics that make sense for the song.
While “Don’t let the lights go out” does rock out but has an emotional element about a relationship he had but it has a good guitar solo riff towards the end. “God killed rock and roll” is a very piano centric song but again still rocks out and has a whole production out of it (like Queen’s rock opera style) as it has many layers to it about how music is an escape for many in life.
“Star Spangled Banger” also rocks from the start as a rock anthem with an interesting story about the type of fans who listen to their band as a small time group to being mainstream with Queen and other bands, and being an inspiration in one of the other songs that sound like Queen. Tracks like “Something about Maggie” and “Sad clown” sound like they go together as the former ends and flows naturally into the latter as it has some Italian in it. The former has a pop-rock 60’s sound with really odd lyrics and the latter has more emotion to it.
The final two tracks get it back on track for straight ahead rock as “All by yourself” is at a slower pace/emotional track that rocks out in the middle that talks about you can still be great/accomplish much when you’re alone (He is only one left). While “Do it to death” is a great way to end the album with another production like element to it but rocks out while doing it like the start of the album. That you need to go as hard as possible and doing everything in your power to push it to the limit to the end. As it ends perfectly with “Shut & go to bed” like the first track
This is an example of musical genius for a man who wrote all of the songs, plays guitar, drums, piano, harpsichord, synthesizer, and organ, and has a great vocal range along with great harmonizing. He has made a great rock album, a love letter to the golden age of rock.
This is another amazing edition to the discography of Panic! as he keeps proving this is one of the best rock bands of this century and that Panic! is back to being the rock band we grew to love all the way in 2005 no matter if it is Urie by himself or whomever leaves and joins the band.