“VINDICATE” is the seventh studio album by American rock band Black Veil Brides, officially released on May 8, 2026, via Spinefarm Records. The album represents the next stage in the band’s sonic evolution, combining their trademark theatrical storytelling with aggressive modern metal.
The release marks the band’s first full-length studio album in nearly five years, following “The Phantom Tomorrow” (2021). The record is centered around themes of resilience, retribution, inner pain, and—as its title suggests—the pursuit of justice, vindication, and redemption. Frontman Andy Biersack described the concept as follows:
“This record is rooted in feelings of revenge and retribution. Those emotions can either drive us forward or destroy us if we allow them to consume us completely.”
For the first time in Black Veil Brides’ history, the album was produced entirely by members of the band themselves, with Andy Biersack and Jake Pitts serving as the primary producers. The group intentionally chose to forgo outside producers, aiming to synthesize everything they had learned throughout their seventeen-year career without compromise or external influence.
The album’s heaviest and most uncompromising track is the single “Revenger.” The song features Robb Flynn, frontman and vocalist of Machine Head, whose signature ferocious scream brings a level of aggression rarely heard in Black Veil Brides’ catalog, transforming the track into a true heavyweight assault.
Another notable collaboration appears on “Cut,” which features guest vocals from Lilith Czar (formerly known as Juliet Simms), Andy Biersack’s wife. Both the song and its accompanying music video draw inspiration from the dark fairy-tale and gothic horror aesthetics associated with Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride.
The album’s concept balances grandeur and intimacy while exploring archetypes of rebellion, sin, vengeance, and redemption. Andy Biersack revealed that much of the lyrical inspiration came from John Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost” (1667). These dark religious allegories are vividly reflected in the controversial vampire-themed music video for the title track, “Vindicate.”
The tracklist also includes “Bleeders,” a single originally released in spring 2024 as part of the band’s EP of the same name, inspired by the story of Sweeney Todd. The song proved so popular among fans and achieved such strong radio success that the band ultimately decided to make it an integral part of this full-length release.
With its blend of cinematic storytelling, crushing modern metal, gothic imagery, and deeply personal themes, “VINDICATE” stands as one of Black Veil Brides’ most ambitious and emotionally charged works, showcasing a band determined to honor its past while pushing confidently into the future.